Data Backup
There are three methods to back up the data of Synology DiskStation: Local Backup, Network Backup and Amazon S3 Backup. Synology DiskStation makes a full backup of the selected shared folders for the first backup. Afterward, you can choose to use the default setting or disable the system to delete backed up files.
When choosing default setting, only changed files will be backed up, and all files that have been removed from source will be removed from destination, too. However, when you checked the Do not delete any backed up files checkbox, a copy of backed up files will remain on the destination even when the source files are removed.
Local Backup
Local Backup allows backing up data from the Synology DiskStation to a system shared folder or an external disk via USB or eSATA interface.
The backups will be saved in a sub-folder named "LocalBackup" under the destination shared folder.
When using an external disk to back up, the disk might need to be formatted first.
Network Backup
Network Backup allows backing up data from the Synology DiskStation to another Synology server or a rsync-compatible server. There are two modes available for Network Backup: non-encrypted and encrypted. Encrypted mode provides better security, while non-encrypted mode provides better performance. To ensure backup efficiency, it is recommended that you choose encrypted backup for important files.
The backups will be saved in a sub-folder named "SourceServerName_MAC address" under any writable shared folder on the destination server.
There are 2 backup modes for backup from Synology DiskStation to a rsync-compatible server: remote shell mode and rsync daemon mode. rsync daemon mode is used when you select a backup module (shared folder on the rsync-compatible server) from the drop-down menu next to Backup module. Remote shell mode will be enabled only when you enter an absolute path (starting with "/") in Backup module.
Note:
- Remote shell mode only supports encrypted backup.
- You will not be able to change rsync encryption mode after creating the task. To change the configuration, please create a new rsync task.
Amazon S3 Backup
Amazon S3 Backup allows backing up data from the Synology DiskStation to an Amazon S3 server. There are two modes available for Network Backup: Unencrypted and Encrypted. Encrypted mode provides better security, while non-encrypted mode provides better performance. To ensure backup efficiency, it is recommended that you choose encrypted backup for files of higher importance.
A backup file will be stored in the Bucket you selected at Amazon S3 Server, and the Set KEY Value begins with "SourceServerName_MAC address", and end with the complete file path of this file.
With Amazon S3 Backup, backing up to Amazon S3 RRS (Reduced Redundancy Storage) is also supported.
Perform Backup Task
The following explains how to perform the backup tasks with the Backup Wizard.
To create a backup task:
- Choose Create > Data Backup Task.
- Follow the Wizard to complete the setup.
To edit a backup task:
- Select the backup task you want to edit.
- Click Edit, and modify settings.
- Click OK to finish.
To delete a backup task:
- Select the backup task you want to remove (press and hold the Ctrl key for multiple selections).
- Click Delete.
To perform a backup task immediately:
- Select the backup task you want to back up (press and hold the Ctrl key for multiple selections).
- Click Back up now.
To cancel a backup task:
- Select the ongoing backup task that you want to cancel (press and hold the Ctrl key for multiple selections).
- Click Cancel.
See the section below for more information about backup:
General
- Backup task name allows 1 to 32 Unicode characters. The name must not contain the following characters:
! " # $ % & ' ( ) * + , / : ; <= > ? @ [ ] \ ^ ` { } | ~ - The maximum length of the complete folder path for backup is 2048 characters.
- If you upload over 32000 files or folders via AFP to a shared folder that is in the EXT3 file system, all backup tasks of the shared folder will fail.
Local Backup
- The capacity of the destination must be larger than the total size of the backup data.
- The backup destination should be different from the source.
- If the destination is removed during the backup procedure, the next backup will be a full backup.
- The external disk will not be able for chosen as backup destination under the following conditions:
- The external disk is being initialized.
- The external disk is being formatted.
- If the external disk is malfunction.
- If an encrypted shared folder is unmounted, it cannot be chosen as local backup destination.
Network Backup
- The Network Backup Service on the destination server should be enabled before you create a backup task.
- As backups of network backup are saved in the sub-folder named "SourceServerName_MAC address" under selected shared folder, the path of the backup file may exceed the maximum display length on Windows My Network Places or Mac Finder. If you can't find the backups for this reason, you can try using FTP or Network Restoration.
- For Linux users, only the "admin", "root" and "rsync" accounts are allowed to perform backup tasks.
- If the destination server is on the Internet, the entered hostname must be in FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name) format, for example, abc.bcd.com.
- Backup encryption is supported only when the destination server supports encrypted network backup and authentication password can't be empty.
- If you are performing data backup between 2 DiskStations, you can backup shared folders according to the access privilege settings of the folders.
- If you are backing up files to a DiskStation through an rsync-compatible client, you can only perform the task by admin, root and rsync accounts of the DiskStation.
- If you are backing up files from a DiskStation to an rsync-compatible server, you will need to input the correct rsync backup account name and password. You will also need to choose the correct backup module with Write privilege.
Amazon S3 Backup
- The data structure of Amazon S3 is a pair of Bucket and KEY without any folder structure. Thus, empty folder backup is not supported now.
- If a backed-up file has not been modified, it will not be backed up to Amazon S3 server in the same Bucket again.
- If a Bucket name is not found when you create an Amazon S3 backup task, Synology DiskStation will try to add a new Bucket with this name.
- Each Bucket on Amazon S3 must have a unique name.
- While creating buckets, we recommend that you follow the guidelines below:
- Bucket names should contain only lowercase letters, numbers, periods (.), and dashes (-).
- Bucket names must start with a number or a letter.
- Bucket names should not end with a dash.
- Bucket names should be between 3 and 63 characters long.
- Bucket names cannot contain two, adjacent periods.
- Bucket names cannot contain dashes next to periods (e.g., "my-.bucket.com" and "my.-bucket" are invalid).
- The maximum length of an Amazon S3 KEY is 1024 characters. To ensure a successful backup task to Amazon S3, the maximum path length is:
1024 minus the length of "Destination folder length".
- The maximum backup file size for Amazon S3 is 5 GB.
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If you enable Amazon S3 RRS support, only data modified after the option is enabled will be backed up to the RRS storage, meaning that data already backed up to Amazon S3's standard storage will not be backed up to RRS again.
Back Up Encrypted Shared Folder
- An encrypted shared folder will be created with its name appended with “(Encrypted)”.
- An encrypted shared folder will be locked after it is unmounted. You cannot select or deselect it or its subfolders for backup.
Migrate ACL during Backup
When backing up or syncing files on Synology DiskStation, the Windows ACL settings of the files may also be backed up with the files depending on the file systems of the destination:
- Local backup, Network backup, and S3 backup can back up Windows ACL settings regardless of the file system of the destination
- Shared Folder Sync can sync Windows ACL settings when the file system of the destination is ext4.
- Time Backup package can back up Windows ACL settings when the file system of the destination is ext4.
Note:
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To correctly access the backup files according to the Windows ACL settings at destinations, you need to create accounts at the destination DiskStations by importing accounts from the source DiskStation. Manually created accounts with identical account names will not apply to the Windows ACL settings.
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Only the Windows ACL permissions of DSM local users will be backed up. Domain users are not included for this feature.