How to create Synology Snapshot Replication

Snapshot Replication delivers an expert solution for data backup and recovery, offering near-instant data protection with flexible scheduling. This package safeguards your business data in shared folders and virtual machines stored in LUNs, ensuring quick access and availability in the event of a disaster. In this article, we shall learn the steps on how to create Synology Snapshot Replication. Please see How to Create a Snapshot on vSphere Web Client, and how to use Active Directory Explorer from Sysinternals

Setting up Synology Snapshot Replication involves a few steps, including configuring your storage, creating snapshots, and setting up replication tasks.

Also, see how to “Create New Users and Join Synology NAS to Active Directory“, how to Backup MacOS to Synology NAS via Time Machine, and Microsoft 365 Backup: Why is it imperative to protect M365?

Why Employ Snapshot Replication?

Synology Snapshot Replication is a powerful feature in Synology NAS (Network Attached Storage) systems that provides data protection, disaster recovery, and efficient data management. Having discussed what Snapshot replication is, let us look at some of its benefits.

• Snapshots allows you to take point-in-time snapshots of your data. These snapshots capture the state of your data at specific moments, enabling you to restore your data to a previous state in case of accidental deletion, corruption, or ransomware attacks. In the event of data loss, you can quickly roll back to a previous snapshot, minimizing downtime and ensuring business continuity.
• Snapshot Replication enables you to replicate snapshots to another Synology NAS at a remote location which I will be showing you very shortly. This ensures that you have an offsite backup that is crucial for disaster recovery scenarios like natural disasters, hardware failure, or site-specific incidents. Please see Achieve 3-2-1 rule with SOBR on Synology or OOTBI and Wasabi. We can refer to this as “asynchronous Replication” which means snapshots are replicated to the remote NAS with minimal impact on system performance.
• It provides Application-aware snapshots for virtualized workloads running on VMware and Hyper-V. Thereby, ensuring data consistency of virtual machines.
• Snapshots are created using block-level technology. This means that only changes made after the last snapshot are stored. This makes the process very storage-efficient. Thereby, reducing the amount of space needed to maintain multiple snapshots.
• Snapshots replication provides the ability to have the replicated data encrypted. This ensures that the data is protected both at rest and in transit.

By providing reliable backups and disaster recovery. Snapshot Replication helps businesses meet data protection regulations and compliance requirements.

Install Snapshot Replication

Log in to your Synology NAS and navigate to the Package Center. Search for Snapshot Replication, and click Install to add the package to your system.

As you can see, Snapshot Replication is being installed.

You can launch Snapshot Replication from here by clicking on open. Or directly from the Main Menu.

Note: Upon launching the Synology Snapshot Replication as shown below. You will see the prompt on “Optimize replication performance”. This will require you to set the “Set Record Access time to Never” to “NEVER”.

You can access the Snapshot Replication form the Main Menu as shown below.

Please see How to update Veeam Backup and Replication [VBR], and Relating Due Diligence and Due Care to Veeam Backup and Replication. Also, see how to fix ‘AD Recovery: Fix device ran into an issue with error 0xc00002e2“.

Set Record Access time to Never

Now, let us set “Record Access Time” to “Never”. But what does this mean? Record Access Time refers to the modification of the file system settings to stop recording the access time (also known as atime) for files.

By default, every time a file is accessed (read). The system updates the access time metadata. This consumes storage resources and can reduce performance because the system has to write to the disk frequently, even for simple read operations.

By setting “Record Access Time” to Never. You effectively stop the system from updating this metadata, which can improve performance and reduce unnecessary disk write operations.

To do this, launch Storage Manager from the Synology “Storage Manager” as shown below.

Locate the volume as shown below and click on the ellipses. That is, the three dots below, and select settings.

Under the Record Time Access, please set this to NEVER and click on Save.

Please see Virtual Machine Snapshot vs Backup, and how to Backup Mac with Veeam Agent for Mac to Synology DS923+ NAS. Here is how to Harden your Veeam Backup Server with Microsoft AppLocker.

Create Snapshot

Before proceeding with this section, please ensure that you have enough space on your volume. Snapshots cannot be taken if there is less than 100 MB of available space on the volume. Also, Snapshot Replication supports the following LUN types:

• Standard LUNs with storage acceleration must be enabled.
• Advanced LUN on Btrfs volume. If you do not have DSM 6.2 and above, you will be found wanting.

In a nutshell, for Shared Folder replication. If the available space of the volume on either the source or destination server is less than 100 MB. You cannot run the syncing tasks. Also, for LUN replication, if the available space of the volume on either the source or destination server is less than 1 GB. You cannot run the syncing tasks.

To do this, launch Snapshot and replication by navigating to the Main Menu. Select the Shared Folder you wish to create a snapshot for and click on “Settings”.

Set Schedule

In the settings interface, select schedule and ensure you have the “Enable Snapshot Schedule” settings enabled.

Note: You can schedule snapshots to occur automatically at regular intervals, from minutes to hours. And this depends on the criticality of your data.

Configure Retention

In the same Settings menu as shown below. Please configure how long you want to keep snapshots (retention policy). Set the number of versions to keep based on your storage capacity and requirements.

I will be using the advanced snapshot policy by clicking on “Set Rules”.

As I said above, I will have to refine these rules. Please set these rule or use the Retention policy in the image above. When done, click on OK.

Automatic Snapshot Advanced settings

Note: In order to browse SNAPSHOT. You will need to enable “make snapshot visible”

From the advanced tab, click on “Make Snapshot visible”. This will create a snapshot folder with the pound symbol for example “#snapshot”.

On the prompt, select OK as shown below.

We have successfully scheduled the creation of our snapshot for the Shared folder “Essentials”.

Take Manual Snap

This step is just to show you how to take a manual snapshot of a Shared Folder or LUN. you do not have to perform the steps discussed in this section.

to do this, select the Shared Folder and from the Snapshot dropdown list. Select “Take Snapshot”.

You can also do this for the LUN. To create a manual snapshot for the LUN, navigate to the LUN tab and click on take snapshot as shown above.

Note: For manual snapshot, you must tick/untick. The Lock checkbox to determine whether the snapshot will ignore retention settings when automatic removal is triggered.

Please see how to Create or delete snapshots on VMware Workstation, and how to “Manage VMware Snapshots: Delete or Edit or Revert a Snapshot‘. Also, see Cybersecurity Tips to Secure Synology NAS against Ransomware.

Create Replication Job

With scheduled snapshots, Snapshot Replication will automatically take snapshots at a pre-determined time and frequency.

Remote server Requirement for Snapshot Replication

Note: If you are using a remote Server. You must first install snapshot replication the destination (remote server) server as shown below from the Package Center.

Click on “Yes” to have Snapshots Replication installed on the Remote (Destination) Server.

From the source server

Navigate back to the source server where you have scheduled the replication. Launch Snapshot Replication and under the Replication Tab, select shared folder and click create.

On the “Before You Start” window, read and then click on “Start”.

Since we want to replicate snapshots to another Synology NAS. In the Snapshot Replication interface, click on “Remote”.

Specify a Replication (Destination) Server

To do this, specify the Server Name or IP. Enable Encrypted connection and click on Configure if you wish to specify these settings. I will proceed without the advanced connection settings and select “Authenticate”.

Click on “Password Login”. You can choose the other as you wish.

Specify the username and password as shown below.

When prompted for the MFA, please enter the 6-digit code and click submit.

Now, click on Next to proceed

This is the destination volume of my choice. Click Next to continue.

Select the data (Folders) to replicate and click on Next

For the initial replication. I am okay with the first option since I want to export the initial copy. To do this, please select “send the initial copy over the network”.

Enable the replication schedule

I will also select “Enable Immutable Snap on partner server”. This will ensure that these snapshots cannot be deleted within the configured retention time frame.

You can set the rules as you wish based on your business needs. I will be using the “Advanced retention policy” here as well.

Apply the rules as you wish and lick on OK.

Select replicate scheduled local snapshot and click next

In the confirm settings window, click on “Done”.

We have successfully created the replication task as shown below.

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Snapshot Replication Status

You can check the status of the replication as shown below.

Below is an image showing the topology of the replication from the source to the destination. You can also view the “Statistics” from here.

We can see the status of the shared folder replication as shown below.

Note: Queuing is process where replication tasks are lined up and wait their turn to be executed sequentially. This ensures that only one task runs at a time to prevent resource conflicts.

As you can see, our Shared Folder “Homes” has completed successfully.

Now, the Essentials shared folder can start its replication job. This ensures that the system doesn’t overload by running too many replication tasks at once

Perform Snapshot Recovery

Recoveries can be performed intuitively using File Station or Windows File Explorer by users with the appropriate privileges, without the assistance of system administrator.

As you can see, we can already browser through to recover our snapshots.

As you can see below, both folders have been replicated.

You can also expand this to view more details as shown below.

From the remote (destination) server, you can also view the logs as shown below.

Note: When the shared folders are replication to the destination folder. They will appear as read only as shown in the image below.

Also, if the replication source fails, shared folders or LUNs on the replication destination can be read and written to continue to provide services. Likewise, when you disable snapshot replication on the source, these shared folder will remain on the destination NAS as read/write as well.

Delete Snapshots

You can manually delete old snapshots or rely on the retention policy to manage storage space automatically. T do this, select the Shared Folder and click on Snapshot list.

Note: Snapshots with immutable tag settings cannot be deleted. The remove button is grayed out. This helps in preventing an attacker or disgruntled user from deleting your files/folders.

There is a snapshot without the immutable tag anymore as this has expired. Select it and click on “remove”.

Confirm removal by clicking on Delete.

Please see “2 Free Ways to Convert MP4 to MP3“, and How to install Endpoint Configuration Manager on HyperV VM. Also, see how to Setup DS923+ Synology NAS as a Backup Repository for VBR

Uninstall Snapshot Replication

You might want to uninstall snapshot replication if it consumes excessive system resources, impacting overall performance and slowing down other critical processes on your Synology NAS.

Additionally, if you no longer require remote backups or have transitioned to a different backup solution, removing snapshot replication can help simplify your storage management and reduce unnecessary complexity.

As mentioned above, when you disable snapshot replication on the source. These shared folder will remain on the destination NAS as read/write.

To do this, navigate to the Package Center and search for snapshot replication. Select “uninstall” as shown below.

Please chose the option that you wish below. I would like to keep all snapshots of shared folders and LN, snapshot settings and replication tasks for now.

Please do not forget to configure alert notifications in DSM to receive updates on the status of your snapshots and replication tasks if you have not done so already. This ensures that you are informed of any issues promptly.

In this guide, you will find the steps to enable email notification in Synology NAS “DSM Security: How to Protect Synology DS923+ NAS“. Here is a Step-by-step guide on how to set up the Synology DS923+ NAS.

By following these steps, you can effectively learn the steps on how to create Synology Snapshot Replication to protect your data and ensure you have a reliable disaster recovery plan in place.

Learn the steps to perform Synology Switch Over, failover, and Re-protect. You may want to see Sync file and photos from iOS and Mac with Synology Drive, and How to install and work with Stellar Converter for OST.

Synology SyncShare

How does the steps on how to create Synology Snapshot Replication relate to Synology SynShare? Alternatively, you could use Synology SyncShare. However, Snapshot Replication and Synology Drive Sync/Share are features offered by Synology NAS devices to manage, protect, and share data. They serve different purposes. Below are some of their similarities.

• Snapshot Replication provides protection by creating point-in-time snapshots of your shared folders or LUNs. These snapshots capture the state of files at a specific moment and allow for fast recovery in case of accidental deletion, corruption, or ransomware attacks.
• Synology Drive Sync/Share protects your data by synchronizing it across multiple devices. While its primary purpose is file synchronization and sharing, having data stored across devices can also serve as a form of protection against local device failures.
• Both Synology Drive Sync and Snapshot Replication maintains versions of files that are synced or replicated.
• Snapshot Replication ensures data integrity by taking read-only snapshots. Therefore, cannot be modified. While Synology Drive Sync/Share maintains the integrity of files through synchronization. This ensures that the latest version of files is the same across all synchronized devices.

While we have discussed the similarities, Snapshot Replication focuses on system-wide, point-in-time backups that protect your entire folder structure or volume. On the other hand, Synology Drive Sync/Share is more about file-level synchronization and sharing across multiple devices for collaboration and accessibility.

Below is an image of Synology Drive ShareSync and how to get started. It is simple to follow.

FAQs relating to how to create Synology Snapshot Replication

In summary, Synology Snapshot Replication is a comprehensive tool for data protection. It ensures that your data is safe, recoverable, and efficiently managed across different storage scenarios. This is valuable for businesses that need reliable disaster recovery solutions.

I hope you found this article very useful on How to create Synology Snapshot Replication. Please feel free to leave a comment below.