Can't make a backup task to USB disk to work

[Jayce]

# ReadyNAS 102

# Firmware : 6.5.1

# 3T disk in NAS

# External 3T USB3 disk connected to rear top USB port

Ok, so i followed exactly the steps in this link  :

http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/29654?cid=wmt_netgear_organic

plugging in, formatting as ext4, selecting USB-Rear top as destination...

And when i launch the Backup, i have an error saying the disk cannot be mounted...

I can't find a way to make it work...

[JennC]

Hello Jayce,

Have you tried other USB port? Can you also check if this disk works on a computer and format it from there to FAT32 then see if that will work with the NAS?

Regards,

[Hopchen]

Instead of using the "Rear Top USB Port" as the destination, can you instead to browse for the destination and select the actual USB?

It will be named something like USB_HDD1. You will see it if you browse for the destination.

[Hopchen]

@JennC

He can't format to FAT32. The USB is 3TB and FAT32 will only recongnize a volume up to 2TB in size 🙂

Also FAT32 has other disadvantages over ext4.

[Jayce]

I'll try another port but as said, i won't be able to format it as FAT32. I can try EXT3 or NTFS tho. I will do this tests tomorrow when back home.

Oh, and the disk is working fine. I used it as a NTFS target on my computer when i recovered files from another disk.

[Jayce]

I will try again that, but i remember tested it previsouly and it didn't work either. I will see what is the exact error message now. I didn't push more in that direction when i checked the FAQ and they said there we had to select the USB port.

[Hopchen]

As you run ext4 on the USB, you could also just do an rsync backup job to the USB.

It is what I do as I think rsync is better for backups. It can be done via the GUI.

See here:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Backing-up-to-your-ReadyNAS/Step-by-Step-Rsync-to-Local-USB/td-p/79...

[Jayce]

So, i did the mistake to do multiple tests at the same time so i'm not sure which one really made the trick. But it seems that the backup is running (i can't connect to admin page, but the backup LED is blinking).

So, what i did to make it work :

- plug it on my Mac and format it as HFS+

- plug it on ReadyNAS (rear bottom port) and reformat it as EXT4

- changed Backup task setting to bottom USB port

- laucnhed backup and it didn't work.

- then went ot the share tab and eject the USB share

- launched again the backup it and seems to work.

[Jayce]

---

@Hopchen wrote:

As you run ext4 on the USB, you could also just do an rsync backup job to the USB.

It is what I do as I think rsync is better for backups. It can be done via the GUI.

See here:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Backing-up-to-your-ReadyNAS/Step-by-Step-Rsync-to-Local-USB/td-p/79...

---

I'm interested in trying rsync backup, but i've read in some posts that it is far slower than it should and than regular backup.

Since i'm copying regularly VM clones on the NAS, i will always have a lot of data to backup and so performance is an important point for me. Can you confirm there is no performance issue using rsync ?

[Hopchen]

Rsync can be slower on initial backups, but it is better (and faster as far as I know) for incremental backups after that.

I don't backup a huge amount of data very often, so I don't have exact benchmarks on it. But if you have a second USB, you can try it out and see. It should be really good for especially incrementals.

I personally also like that fact that I can easily retain file permissions on the backups.

[Jayce]

---

@Jayce wrote:

So, i did the mistake to do multiple tests at the same time so i'm not sure which one really made the trick. But it seems that the backup is running (i can't connect to admin page, but the backup LED is blinking).

---

Hmmm... more than 24h later the admin page is still not available, the shares neither via NFS and the backup LED is still blinking... I'm finally not sure it effectively started the backup...

[Jayce]

Ok, so after some more tests, i still have no solution.

I've unplugged the disk and formatted it on my Mac as HFS+.

Then plugged it in the ReadyNAS ==> it was seen, good.

I formatted it as EXT4, then ejected it and rebooted the NAS to check if the Share name changed.

The Share name didn't change, but i can't write anything on the USB disk. I checked all and it should work, but not. I can't create a folder or paste on it a small file.