Are image bundles OK as disk image format on a non-apple NAS?

[halloleo]

On my Synology NAS I create some big disk images (with Apple file systems on them). The end result should be read-only, so I have tried sparse bundles with read-only permissions and read-only DMGs.

Both work fine once created, but the creation of the DMGs fails quite often. So this makes sparse bundles the better choice.

However I am worried because the bundles sit on a (non-Apple) NAS and really are directories. I'm concerned when I move them around on the NAS they might get corrupted.

Does anybody have experience with sparse bundles stored on NASes?

I am using macOS Mojave and Catalina, but will soon upgrade both machines to Catalina.

 

[VideoFreek]

I haven't had a problem with this. As you say, the sparse bundle is actually just a directory, so if you mess in any way with the contents of that directory, you are screwed. Just be advised that, with very large bundles, performance over the network might not be so good--in particular, it can take a long time to mount the bundle.

 

[halloleo]

I haven't had a problem with this.

Thanks a lot, good to know. So you have bundles stored on a NAS and you can mount and read them without trouble?

Just be advised that, with very large bundles, performance over the network might not be so good--in particular, it can take a long time to mount the bundle.

Can you give me an indication what "large" means? GBs or TBs? What means "long time" to mount? Minutes? Hours?

 

[VideoFreek]

Thanks a lot, good to know. So you have bundles stored on a NAS and you can mount and read them without trouble?

Can you give me an indication what "large" means? GBs or TBs? What means "long time" to mount? Minutes? Hours?

Yes, I can mount and read them.

Regarding performance, YMMV, but on my system mounting a 420GB bundle over gigabit wired ethernet from my QNAP NAS takes around 1-2 minutes. Once mounted, browsing the directory tree and opening files is fairly snappy. I use such remote bundles mainly for archival purposes (e.g., backup system images), and as such I don't access them very often.

 

[halloleo]

Yes, I can mount and read them.

Regarding performance, YMMV, but on my system mounting a 420GB bundle over gigabit wired ethernet from my QNAP NAS takes around 1-2 minutes. Once mounted, browsing the directory tree and opening files is fairly snappy. I use such remote bundles mainly for archival purposes (e.g., backup system images), and as such I don't access them very often.

Thanks for the details. BTW, my use of the images is exactly the same: backed up macOS systems.

 

[hobowankenobi]

I have done backups to sparse bundle images on Synology NASes with no issues. While I have never done a full restore from one, when I mount and inspect them, never a problem.

Same purpose...backed up bootable OS. The largest has probably been about 70GB.