Summary: Instead of creating the backup on the same device running HA, then using add-ons or the download option to copy it somewhere else, I’d like to have the option to just create it on another device in the first place.
Long, rambling explanation: I’ve heard all the horror stories about SD card failures from too many writes.
Yet, there seems to be no alternative when taking a backup. HA on a RPi with SD card is a supported configuration, and that is how beginners are encouraged to start out. Overall, it works well for me, but…
It seems to me putting the backups on the SD card is setting users up for failure. Not only because of excessive writes, but if (when) the SD card fails, or if HA has to be restored for any reason, the backup is not easily available to restore from.
One option might be to just download it directly to the device that the backup is being initiated on. For example, when I launch the Settings / System / Backups page in my browser, I have the option to download the backup after it’s created on the SD card. I’d much rather skip writing it to SD and just download it live as it’s being created.
But other ideas are welcome. For example, I use the SAMBA add-on, and writing it directly to a share on my NAS would be even better. Or to a cloud service like Google Drive or any other. Even a USB memory stick on the device running HA would be better than the SD card.