Do you use a cloud based backup service?
 

I need a cloud based backup for my Solidworks server.

It seems like there are lots of options for this. What do you use? What do you like or dislike about it? What do I need to watch out for?

IIt all comes down to how secure do you want your data to be. I store my 14 TB of data on my local RAID 5 system. My critical data is backed up to it, and I put a copy on my phone.

Anything at all "on the cloud" can be hacked. Apple, Microsoft, the FBI, the CIA and on and on have been hacked. I have never been hacked, because I am not a worthy target, and I have decent security.

So how much data do you have to backup? Can a couple of external drives handle it? Of course, a fire or flood can destroy your local copy. That is the one advantage of the cloud.

Not by choice, but I am forced to by my medical records system

I use Amazon for all my photos that I want kept.
It's free for Prime members and works easily.

I would look at what you want your backups to protect you from - building and server being destroyed, upset intern/secretary/partner deleting files, bad actors attempting to lock files for ransom, etc. and then look at what combo of solutions solves your anticipated problems in a manner that you can live with.

Problem with cloud backups becomes data transfer, especially for very large files, and especially if you have a typical asynchronous speed connection (most connections are much faster download than upload in 'murica, 'cause "consume!"). Not an issue if you have a Real connection (that comes with a SLA, uses real routers etc - fiber, leased lines, etc)

OK, so instead just keep all the data in the cloud! Problem there becomes working with large files (remote file systems suck even at 1gbps LAN speeds, never mind most internet connections), and then of course you are dependent on your high speed internet connections not having any issues.

However... since you specifically mention SolidWorks....

Consider using a pay-for Subversion hosting service, or set up your own subversion server on an Amazon or Azure or Linode or whatever VM that has expandable storage. And then use subversion (svn) to do your backups.

https://gotomation.info/2020/01/svn-or-git-with-solidworks/

Each project can get its own repo, when you are done with changes you push them to the repository. At any point, you can re-pull the repository AND go back in time with various changes. When you need more space locally, delete your local copy and rock on. When you get a new computer, just re-pull down the repositories.

No!

I had not considered Amazon. I just want a server backup in case of fire / hardware malfunction.

If you are already a Prime member....it's already been done for pics.
Other data...I have no idea.

To access them click on Amazon Photos and then Photos again.

In that case I'd recommend a couple of appropriate sized external (and externally powered!) USB drives. Set file server up to synch one-way when plugged in, synch and take home. Alternate weekly or as frequently as your paranoia makes you do it.

Your file server should already be running RAID-1, -5 or -10 with a hot spare in the chassis and plugged in in case of a single disk failure. When it comes to RAID I have a softness for Linux-based software RAID since the array can be reassembled on any machine, instead of needing the specific RAID controller it was created on.

I have important stuff on my NAS, and on external HDD in my parents fire resistant safe at their house. Don't think both houses will burn at the same time. If they do I won't need the data any longer anyway.

Pics on Amazon.

Lots of good options out there but it depends on if you are just backing up data or need bare metal restore capabilities. A lot of vendors make you pay for storage too so it depends on how much data you have.
Azure and Amazon probably the biggest players, and Google too but I find it much more complicated.

Like most things in life, the more you pay thee better the options. We have a few clients we deal with that use the AWS or Amazon Web Service FTP servers that are screaming fast. I moved a TB of data in just minutes. As someone that remembers dial up days, one MB in 12 minutes was the peak of performance I was blown away.

As a business we use Microsoft Office 365 and we are stuck paying 24 bucks per month for my business partner's account and my account to have all the Office suites, Outlook and One Drive. I store some of the shared data on One Drive.

I use Acroness to make a single file "clone" of my boot drive every 4 days to my RAID, and it only keeps 5 versions before deleting the oldest version.