Backup settings

[FG]

firmware 6.5.0

readynas 2120

Using the Backup tab of NAS and backing up to a USB and in the Options of the backup task you can choose to “remove the contents of the backup destination before full backup”. With the remove box checked the data from USB folder is delete before the NAS starts sending current info over…makes sense.

When remove is UN-CHECKED then the NAS just adds any new data since the last backup. For example if on the USB you had files named 1, 2 and 3 and on the NAS you had files names 2, 3 and 4 once the backup is completed, on the USB drive you will have files 1, 2, 3 and 4. Correct? I did some tests and that is what I saw.

Here’s my question, is there setting that would delete just the files on the USB that did not match the files on the NAS?

If I check the box “remove the contents of the backup destination before full backup” then it takes a long time to complete the backup, since it is moving nearly 2TB.

If I UN-check the remove box then the NAS just adds the new files and my USB drives fills up and will not complete the backup tasks.

Hope that makes sense

[StephenB · Accepted solution]

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@FG wrote:

To make this work correctly, do I need to enabled Rsync on the SHARE under the network access tab?

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The "remote" share needs rsync enabled.  I have it enabled on the local share also (not sure if that is required or not)

If rsync is selected as the file protocol, then the "remove deleted files on target" option should be enabled on the advanced backup tab.

[StephenB]

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@FG wrote:

firmware 6.5.0

readynas 2120

Here’s my question, is there setting that would delete just the files on the USB that did not match the files on the NAS?

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There is, but it requires that you use rsync as the backup protocol.  

That works, you just need to set the backup job up with a remote source, using localhost (127.0.0.1) as the IP address. 

[FG]

So go to NAS, system, settings and services and turn on Rsync

Then create new backup task, under source click REMOTE and use the IP you provided?.... or that was an example and I should my NAS' IP address.

[StephenB]

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@FG wrote:

So go to NAS, system, settings and services and turn on Rsync

Then create new backup task, under source click REMOTE and use the IP you provided?.... or that was an example and I should my NAS' IP address.

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127.0.0.1 was not an example - see here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Localhost

However, the ReadyNAS IP address will also work.

[FG]

To make this work correctly, do I need to enabled Rsync on the SHARE under the network access tab?

In the Options tab of Backup task, would should I have selected? Remove the contents? Does this tab even apply when you using Rsync. Isn't Rsync matching the destination folder to the source folder?

Page 222 of the readynas 6.5 manual talks about advanced settings for Rsync backup........but I can't do anything in the advanced tab, the features are grayed out.

[StephenB · Accepted solution]

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@FG wrote:

To make this work correctly, do I need to enabled Rsync on the SHARE under the network access tab?

---

The "remote" share needs rsync enabled.  I have it enabled on the local share also (not sure if that is required or not)

If rsync is selected as the file protocol, then the "remove deleted files on target" option should be enabled on the advanced backup tab.

[FG]

On the backup task, under source tab, in the PROTOCOL box, I did not have "Rsync Server" selected.......what a Rookie!

Working fine now. Thanks

Any Up or Down side to having the Rsync Service enable on the NAS or using Rsync as a backup method?

[StephenB]

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@FG wrote:

Any Up or Down side to having the Rsync Service enable on the NAS or using Rsync as a backup method?

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I use NAS->NAS backup, and all my backup jobs use rsync.  If there's a lot of data that needs updating, NFS or CIFs might be faster.  But for the incremental backups I do, rsync is faster.  There is no downside as far as I can tell.

It is useful to make sure everything on the USB drive is readable every now and then.  You can do that by running a full "from scratch" backup occasionally or by doing a full read-test on the USB drive in a PC.