Learn how to back up data to and from your NAS using SMB

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this course you should be able to:

1. Using SMB to back up data to and from your ASUSTOR NAS.

PREREQUISITES

Course Prerequisites:

None

Students are expected to have a working knowledge of:

SMB

OUTLINE

1. Introduction to SMB Backup

2. Before you get started

2.1 Enabling Samba

2.2 Configuring Shared Folders

3. Configuring an SMB Backup job

1. Introduction to SMB Backup

SMB Backup in Backup and Restore uses SMB to back up data to and from your NAS. When using your NAS as a backup source, you can choose to back up data from your NAS onto another ASUSTOR NAS or SMB compatible server in a local network. When your NAS acts as a backup destination, you can pull data from another ASUSTOR NAS or SMB compatible server onto your NAS. When using SMB Backup, ensure that SMB is enabled on both the source and destination to ensure backups complete successfully.

2. Before you get started

Before using SMB Backup, your ASUSTOR NAS and SMB compatible devices must meet the following requirements:

• Samba or SMB is enabled on the source and target devices.
• Shared folders are created with correct access right on the source and target devices.

2.1 Enabling Samba

Enabling the ASUSTOR NAS SMB service is used as an example here. The SMB service is enabled by default on Windows, Mac and Linux devices.

• Log into your ADM using your Web browser.
• Select [Services] [SMB].
• Select [Enable SMB] and click on [Apply].

2.2 Configuring Shared Folders

Creating a Shared Folder and Setting up Access Rights on an ASUSTOR NAS.

• Select [Access Control] [Shared Folders].
• Click on [Add].

• You are now ready to create a new shared folder on your NAS.
• Enter a name for the new folder and click [Next] once you are done. (In the example below, we have entered "MyNAS" as the name of our new folder).

• Set access rights for the folder by selecting the radio button corresponding to the access rights of your choice. (In the example below, the access rights [Read Only for all users, Read & Write for administrators] that have been selected.)
• Once you're done, click [Next].

• Review a final summary of your settings.
• Once you're done, confirm these settings by clicking [Finish].

3. Configuring an SMB Backup job

• Click SMB Backup within Backup & Restore.
• Click Create.

• Your NAS has two options when doing a backup, to pull or push data. Data pushed to another SMB device is sent to that device, while data pulled from another SMB device is sent to your NAS.

• Input the IP address or hostname of the source SMB device.
• Do not change the default SMB port unless it has been modified on the other server.
• Enter the username and password of an authorized user to allow access to the shared folder on a source device. Click Next.

• Select a backup type here.
  • Back up multiple items to a singular location: All chosen source folders will be copied one by one to the destination folder. Multiple folders can be selected.
  • One on one folder backup: All data in the designated destination folder will be synchronized with the data in your source folder. The contents of both folders will be identical.

• Select a source device folder. Click Next.

• Select a destination folder for saving backups. Click Next.

• These options allow for both an immediate backup as well as scheduled backups. Both can be selected.
• Here you can set the frequency of repeated backups during the backup period. (New to ADM 4.2.3)

• Enter a name for the backup job and click Next.
• A variety of backup options are available for SMB backups including Mission Mode; options for customizing how long a backup job should last and if or how many times a backup job should repeat if errors are encountered.
  • Skip existing file if not modified: When enabling this option, existing files that have not been modified will be skipped to save time backing up.
  • Mission Mode: Sometimes backup jobs may be stopped because of various connection problems with a busy server on the other end. ASUSTOR’s Mission Mode option allows you to configure the number of connection attempts and time interval for connection attempts, ensuring for the successful completion of your backup job. This also gives IT administrators a significant amount of flexibility when configuring backup jobs.

Here you will also see additional options if using one on one folder backup.

• Keep extra files at the destination: Once the copying and synchronization of files is completed, the data at the source and destination should be exactly the same. However, sometimes there are extra files present at the destination. These files are only present at the destination but not at the source. By enabling this option, these extra files will be kept at the destination and will remain untouched.

• Confirm your settings and then click Finish.

• Created job should now appear. If backup job is not currently in use, press Back up now to execute task.

• Click Abort to abort a backup task currently in use.

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