How to do NAS data backup safely

Problem Diagnosis: Common Scenarios for NAS Data Loss

What is the 3-2-1 Backup Principle?

keep 3 copies of the data on 2 different media, 1 of which are off-site.

• 3 data : original + local backup + off-site backup
• 2 media : NAS hard drives are one and need another media (such as external hard drives, cloud disks)
• 1 off-site : Local NAS disasters (fire, theft) will not affect at the same time

Solution

Scenario 1: Set up NAS auto-sync (most basic)

1. install Synology Drive on your computer Client
2. log in to the NAS and select the folders (documents, photos, work files) you want to sync
3. set up "Two-way sync" or "Upload only" (optionally)
4. After the
   is turned on, the computer will create/modify files and automatically sync them to the NAS

1. NAS USB port plugged into an external hard drive
2. go to Control Panel→ USB Devices→ USB Copy
3. select "Data Backup"→ Select the source folder (data in the NAS) → Select the destination (USB hard drive)
4. set up a backup schedule (recommended to be done automatically every morning morning)
5. tick "Uninstall after completion" to prevent accidental unplugging

1. Install the Hyper Backup package
2. Create a backup task:
   1. source: NAS shared folders (photos, important documents)
   2. Target: External hard drive / Another NAS / Cloud disk
3. enable Multi-version backup (which can be traced back to any point in the past)
4. set up a backup schedule (recommended daily)

tip: Hyper Backup backs up to an external hard drive, only backing up increments (new and modified parts) each time, and completes it quickly after the first time, not every full backup.

• ❌
  Using only RAID1/5 doesn't mean backup – accidental deletion, ransomware, and system crashes RAID are not protected
• ❌
  Don't keep external hard drives plugged into the NAS – ransomware may encrypt them by the way
• ❌
  Don't just back up "recent documents" – old documents like family photos and work documents are just as important

Scenario 2: Automatically back up your phone photos to NAS (must-do)

1. Download "DS photo"
   your mobile phone
2. Log in to the NAS and go to the Photos suite
3. mobile app to open "Camera Upload":
   1. set the upload path (e.g., /photo/phone name/year/month
   2. select "Upload while WiFi only" or "Upload 4G as well"
   3. turn on "Upload in Original Size" (don't choose high-efficiency HEIC, otherwise it will be inconvenient to view on your Mac
4. confirm that it is turned on, and the photos will be automatically backed up after taking them home

Note: Before uploading HEIC format photos (iPhone default), it is recommended to change them to "Best Compatibility" (automatically convert to JPEG) in iPhone settings, otherwise Windows users will have problems viewing photos.

Scenario 3: Multi-version backup – the ultimate anti-ransomware tool

1. open Hyper Backup → New Task
2. source folder to check the folder you want to protect
3. target is "Local USB Hard Drive"
4. Backup Policy and select Multi-Version Backup
5. set up retention rules (recommended to keep daily snapshots for the last 30 days + monthly snapshots for the last 12 months)

1. open Hyper Backup → to find the task
2. click "Restore"→ Select the time point you want to restore
3. select the Restore location (original or new)
4. wait for the restore to complete

Scenario 4: Off-site cloud backup (the last wall against local disasters)

• advantages: Deep integration with Synology for easy setup
• Disadvantages: The price is more expensive (about 5 yuan/g/month)
• suitable for people: Synology users, too lazy to toss

• advantages: The price is extremely low (about 0.12 yuan/g/month), and the capacity is large
• Cons: Requires manual configuration (with a certain threshold)
• suitable for: users who are willing to toss and have a large amount of storage

• local external hard drive (incremental daily backup)
• Cloud C2 (Weekly Full Backup)
• two lines of defense, the cost is controllable

1. register an Alibaba Cloud account → enable OSS object storage
2. Create a bucket (select the "Shanghai" or "Beijing" region
3. Add the Alibaba Cloud OSS target to Hyper Backup
4. Fill in the Access Key, Secret, and Bucket names
5. set backup schedules and retention rules

trivia: Alibaba Cloud's OSS "archive storage" type is only 1/5 of the price of standard storage, but it needs to be "unfreezed" (wait for a few minutes) to read, which is suitable for infrequently accessed historical backups.

Option 5: Regularly do "backup and restore drills" (easily overlooked)

1. create a new test folder (e.g. /test_backup) in the NAS
2. put in several test files (one each for Word, photo, and video)
3. perform a backup task once
4. delete the test folder
5. restore from a backup to make sure the file is complete
6. delete the test folder and the restored files

Tip : Add the "Backup and Restore Test" to your phone's calendar reminder, once every six months, not easy to forget.

NAS Backup Solution Cost Reference

final reminder

• RAID ≠ backup, NAS ≠ backup, and cloud disk are not the same as backup - 3-2-1 is the real security
• phone photos are the core use case NAS, and you can set up automatic backup before using other functions
• backup geolocation is the last of safety - a local disaster destroys both NAS and hard drives, and only the cloud can save
• regularly test the restore - if the backup has not been tested, it is equivalent to no backup
• important data is retained on at least 2 media – hard disk + cloud, or hard drive + another hard drive

essence of data backup is "how much money and effort you are willing to spend on data security". Saving money without backup is cool for a while, and the data is lost to the crematorium.