Looking for advice on backup/archive server for NVR

Computer Hardware & Server Infrastructure Builds
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Hello everyone,

I hope you are all doing well. I’m looking for some advice on building a backup server for NVR footage.

Currently, we are using two UNVR-PRO units with around 48 cameras in total—25 of them are 4K, and the rest are 2K, all recording continuously.

We have a PC available with 32 GB of RAM, an i7 (4th/5th generation), and 4–5 hard drives of around 8 TB each. My plan was to install TrueNAS on it and use it as a backup server, along with a script to handle automatic deletion of old footage.

What I’d like your suggestions on is:

  • A chassis that I can get at a reasonable price that supports multiple drives (hot-swappable would be nice, but not mandatory), but it should be rack-mounted.

Alternatively, would it be better to just buy a NAS that can handle this instead?

The main reason I’m considering this approach is that I already have the PC and would prefer not to create more e-waste if I can put it to good use.

All the drives in the NVRs are already configured in RAID, but I’d still like to have an additional backup solution for peace of mind.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

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TrueNAS is always my goto. I’m pretty sure you can setup smb and use the archive feature on the NVR to set the retention. No scripts required.

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I would buy an older Dell or HPE server that has the correct RAID card and drive size. They’re only a few hundred dollars on eBay.

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I’m always interested in the back story behind this type of project. 48 cameras sounds like a commercial installation. That being the case and CCTV being personal data and the law sounding such things state that it must not be stored for longer than is reasonably necessary or further processed for reasons not compatible with the original collection. Various countries all have their own version of the but all basically the same.

Here in the UK, CCTV has become a hot topic though abuse with many companies falling foul and now coming to the attention of the ICO.

How long are you already keeping it for and how much longer do you need to keep it via backups ?

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We keep footage for 90 days. The backups are simply an additional copy of the same footage, also retained for 90 days, in case the NVR fails or the footage or HDD becomes corrupted.

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I just built a new server based on this 4U Rosewill case. RSV-R4200U

It holds something like ten 3.5 inch drives and three 2.5 inch drives. The quality is decent for the price, but it has some room for improvement. Some of the screws are easy to strip. The air flow is great. Its only $149.

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