I use NFS shares for all of my volumes so they're more portable for future expansion and easier to back up. It uses additional disk space for the cache of course, but i have plenty.
When I add a second server or add a dedicated storage device as I expand, it has made it easier to move with almost no effort.
The great firewall isn't designed to protect those inside from the outside. It is designed to isolate those inside from getting outside. It's like saying a prison wall is there to protect the prisoners from invaders. Sure in Fallout they worked out to be useful for that, but that isnt what it was built for and would have needed modifications like turning the barbed wire outwards to make it work for that purpose better.