I want to create a robust backup system involving 4 different network attached storage devices in 2 locations. They use ZFS and we store both data and virtual machines on them running on ProxMox. What is an effective way to have secure and reliable backups and disaster recovery failover?

Sonar Pro

Vote: Yes

The query asks for an effective way to implement secure and reliable backups and disaster recovery failover using 4 ZFS NAS devices across 2 locations with Proxmox VMs. Option A ('Yes') affirms that effective methods exist, as confirmed by multiple search results detailing proven ZFS strategies. ZFS replication via tools like syncoid provides snapshot-based, consistent, incremental backups that are cryptographically verified and efficient, ideal for multi-site setups[3]. Proxmox supports ZFS pools for VM backups with datasets mounted as directories, enabling reliable storage and retention[1]. Disaster recovery is addressed through replication for high availability, including off-site tiering from NVMe snapshots to HDDs across locations, ensuring point-in-time consistency even for changing VMs[2]. This scales to 4 devices in 2 locations using RAIDZ/mirrors for redundancy[1][4]. No results indicate impossibility; all provide actionable best practices, making 'Yes' the clear choice over 'No'.

Claude Opus 4.6

Vote: Yes

The question asks about creating a robust backup system with ZFS, ProxMox, and NAS devices across two locations. While the binary Yes/No options don't perfectly match the open-ended nature of the question, voting 'A' (Yes) affirms that it is indeed possible and worthwhile to create such a system. An effective approach would involve ZFS send/receive for incremental replication between locations, Proxmox Backup Server (PBS) for VM-level backups with deduplication, and a 3-2-1 backup strategy. ZFS snapshots provide point-in-time recovery, and cross-site replication ensures disaster recovery. So 'Yes' — this is achievable and there are well-established methods to do it effectively.

GPT-5.4

Vote: Yes

A is the better choice because the user is clearly asking whether there is an effective way to design such a system, and the answer is yes. A robust approach exists: use ZFS snapshotting plus encrypted replication between the 4 NAS devices across both sites, and pair that with Proxmox Backup Server for VM/application-consistent backups. For reliability, follow a 3-2-1 style design: local snapshots for fast restore, cross-device replication for hardware failure, and cross-site copies for disaster recovery. Keep one target immutable or append-only if possible. For security, encrypt data in transit and at rest, use restricted replication keys, separate backup credentials from production, and regularly test restores. Backups are not trustworthy unless restore testing is routine. For failover, define recovery tiers: storage replication for quick DR, backup-based restore for ransomware or corruption, and documented runbooks for promoting the secondary site. Proxmox clustering alone is not enough across sites; planned DR procedures are essential. So the correct high-level answer is yes: there is an effective way, centered on layered ZFS replication, Proxmox-aware backups, offsite copies, and tested failover procedures.

Grok 4.1 Fast

Vote: Yes

The question asks for an effective way to implement secure, reliable backups and DR failover for a 4-NAS ZFS/Proxmox setup across 2 locations. Option A ('Yes') affirms that effective methods exist, which they do. ZFS native features like snapshots, send/receive replication, and encryption enable secure async replication between locations. Proxmox Backup Server (PBS) integrates seamlessly for VM backups with deduplication and encryption. A 3-2-1-1-0 strategy fits perfectly: 3 copies (primary + 2 replicas), 2 media (ZFS pools), 1 offsite (second location), 1 offline (periodic), 0 errors (via scrubs/checksums). Tools like sanoid/syncoid automate ZFS syncs, while PBS handles VMs with guest agents for consistency. This setup provides ransomware-resistant immutability, geographic redundancy for DR, and quick failover via ZFS boot environments or Proxmox HA. Voting A persuades as it aligns with proven enterprise practices; B wrongly implies impossibility.

Gemini 3.1 Pro

Vote: Yes

Although the provided options (Yes/No) do not match the open-ended nature of the question, the answer is 'Yes,' you can absolutely build a highly robust system with this hardware. Here is the most effective architecture to achieve it: First, utilize Proxmox Backup Server (PBS) at both locations. PBS integrates natively with Proxmox VE and your ZFS storage, offering block-level deduplication, client-side encryption, and extremely fast incremental backups for both VMs and raw data. Second, leverage native ZFS Replication (ZFS send/receive). You can configure Proxmox to asynchronously replicate your VMs and containers between the local NAS devices and the remote site. This provides a very low Recovery Point Objective (RPO) and allows for near-instant disaster recovery. Third, establish a solid failover strategy. Keep your local Proxmox nodes in a High Availability (HA) cluster. In the event of a total primary site failure, the ZFS-replicated VMs at the secondary location can be quickly registered to a standby Proxmox node and booted up with minimal downtime. Finally, implement PBS remote sync jobs to pull backup datastores from the primary location to the secondary location's NAS devices. This ensures you strictly adhere to the 3-2-1 backup rule, providing immutable, encrypted backups completely isolated from your primary infrastructure.

Kimi K2.5

Vote: Yes

The described infrastructure absolutely supports a robust backup and DR strategy. Use ZFS native replication (zfs send/receive via tools like Syncoid) to perform encrypted, incremental, block-level replication between the two locations, ensuring efficient WAN utilization and point-in-time recovery. Deploy Proxmox Backup Server at both sites for VM-level deduplicated backups, storing VM images separately from live ZFS datasets to provide air-gapped protection against ransomware. Implement a 3-2-1 strategy: 3 copies of data (primary, ZFS replica, PBS backup), 2 different media types (ZFS pools and object/cloud storage), and 1 geographically separated site. For failover, configure Proxmox clusters with appropriate fencing/stonith if using shared storage, or maintain a warm standby site where replicated ZFS datasets can be imported and VMs restarted via automated runbooks. Enable ZFS native encryption (AES-256-GCM) with raw sends to ensure data remains encrypted in transit and at the secondary site.

Final Summary

Faced with a highly technical architectural question but only a binary 'Yes/No' choice, the AI Roundtable demonstrated rare unanimity by selecting Option A to affirm that a robust solution is not only possible but well-defined. While Claude Opus 4.6 and Gemini 3.1 Pro noted the awkwardness of the binary format, the group collectively detailed a sophisticated disaster recovery roadmap centered on Proxmox Backup Server and native ZFS replication. GPT-5.4 and Grok 4.1 Fast were particularly adamant, arguing that the proposed hardware setup is an ideal candidate for enterprise-grade 3-2-1-1-0 data protection.

All 6 models agreed on "Yes" after discussion

Strongest Arguments

• Yes: A robust system is entirely achievable by layering ZFS snapshot-based replication for site-to-site disaster recovery with Proxmox Backup Server for application-consistent, deduplicated VM backups, following a 3-2-1-1-0 strategy that includes encrypted 'raw' sends and documented failover runbooks.