Acronis with NAS

Tom, welcome to these User Forums.

I would recommend having a read through the ATI 2018 User Guide which has a wealth of information on using the application.  Using it with your NAS  should be straight-forward as the NAS can be chosen as either a Source device for backups, or as a Target device to store the backups, assuming that your computer and the NAS are both accessible on your network.

I have been using ATI with my Synology NAS for several years and this has worked well for me, but I only use the NAS to store my backups on, not to make backups from.

I have a NAS - Western Digital MyBookLive - as target for partition backups of a laptop.  (I also occasionally take a partition backup to an external local drive, but that drive is not usually attached - inconvenient for scheduled backups.)

I have another NAS (another WD MyBookLive) as source for file and folder backups to a local drive.

Both work well but partition backups to the NAS are a lot slower that to a local drive.  (Recovery would also be slow.)

I too have a Synology NAS and used it without issue in the same way as Steve Smith.

Ian

Patrick's comments reminded me that I also have a Western Digital MyBookLive that I do a backup of Documents from to my Synology NAS, so I am doing a NAS to NAS backup via my laptop where the WD box is configured as the Source data provider.

I really appreciate the posts.  Gives me a good start for my homework.

Just fyi, I have a WD 4TB My Cloud EX Ultra; my first NAS.

I know this is a very basic question: Am I correct in assuming that all the NAS functionality is only available when connected to the network?  As opposed to being logged onto the WD web access portal, which appears to be limited to file management.

Tom, you need to be connected to the network for both your computer and the NAS in order to use the ATI backup / recovery functions.  You cannot do this via any NAS web portal.

Thanks Steve,

A couple last basic question if you're willing to hang in there. 

What does the NAS "look like" from a laptop's perspective.

I'm assuming it's not the same as, say, and external HD (e.g. USB attached), so Windows or Mac file management is not involved in a way that makes it just look like a HD.

I vaguely remember something about "attaching" a network drive, but not sure what it looks like to the laptop.

I've looked over some of the WD documentation but, so far, find it instructive but at a procedural level.  I need to get familiar with our NAS by understanding things at a bit higher level first.

Understanding what to use the NAS for is more important right now than how to use it.

It's obvious from my post here I want to use it as the backup target for our laptops.  I don't know whether to continue to use DropBox for syncing documents with low security requirements.  In fact, today we only use DB for our large folder of recipes.  I can imagine just moving them to the NAS and accessing either via a network connection or the WB web portal.

Are you aware of something closer to a NAS 101 that uses something like scenarios to help me decide how best to use the NAS?

Or am I way overthinking this?

Tom

Tom asked: "What does the NAS "look like" from a laptop's perspective."?

The answer is likely to be 'It Depends' as this can vary from NAS to NAS.

In my case, both of my NAS devices (a WD MyBookLive and a Synology) show under the NAS section when selecting my Backup Destination.

It is possible that if your NAS doesn't show under the NAS section that you would need to use the option to Browse for the drive on your network or using an address in the form of //myNASdrive/backups etc.

See the screen shots taken from my laptop showing how I see my NAS drives.  
Note: I do not map any Windows Network drive letters to these drives as do not wish to expose them to any malware threats that might get a foothold on my computer.

Tom, for your second question about using DropBox - the answer is to use as many different backup destinations as you have available so that you don't keep "all your eggs in one basket".

I also use DropBox as well as OneDrive and Box for saving data to, and some of that data is most definitely duplicated by being backed up to my local NAS devices, including doing a periodic backup of my DropBox and OneDrive contents to NAS.

I am not aware of any basic NAS 101 tutorial but am sure there must be something already cooked and out there!

In principle, you can treat your NAS as if it were an additional external drive but one that comes with extra security and features, plus which most likely has a Web Management interface to allow you to configure the basic features that you want to use, i.e. Backup folders with secure access controlled by a NAS user profile and password.  I would recommend not using the same User profile & password on the NAS as you already have on your Windows computer - this would leave the NAS wide open to attack by any malware that might get on the computer and put your backups on the NAS at risk of ransomware / encryption or plain deletion!

Take a look around the Help Forums for your NAS device and you should find lots of helpful information on how other users have configured and used their devices.

Gosh, that's interesting Steve. I can't see anything when I initially browse for my NAS - although I used to be able to.

I have to enter either the IP address or share name in the "Back up to:  " field first using (for example) \\193.169.2.27\ or something like \\MyBigNAS\. Once I enter the \\xxx\ name or IP address and press enter, Acronis asks for a username and password to connect to the NAS. Once authenticated I can then browse to the location where I want Acronis to save my backup.

All of this came about post the changes to SMB V1.0 in Fall Creators Update (version 1709) https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4034314/smbv1-is-not-installed…

Have you installed Fall Creators Update Steve?

Tim, SMB 1.0 should be disabled for safety as it is vulnerable to malware attack, so you may need to check your NAS configuration options to ensure that you are using either SMB 2.0 or 3.0.  I have SMB 1.0 disabled on my computer and both of my NAS devices are seen fine.

Another check point here is that ATI installs and uses the Apple Bonjour Service for finding / identifying NAS devices, so you should check that this hasn't been either disabled or uninstalled.  If you do not want to have Bonjour installed or active, then you would need to do as you have indicated and use the Browse option with the \\IP address or \\NasName addressing to access the device.

All of my computers with Windows 10 have been running the Fall Creators Update (1709) since it came available, and I have one running the latest Windows 10 Insiders build 17093 which is also working just fine with ATI 2018 & my NAS etc.

Tim,

What kind of NAS do you have, make, model?

Just a thanks to all that have joined in.

What I'm in the process of doing is deciding what to use the NAS for.  Much of the documentation is detail once a particular use is chosen.

The context is personal/family use (unlike a business use).

One use is a destination to backup our user devices (3 laptops).  It's clear now that ATI is the tool.

Another use I know for sure is to store large audio files, specifically the iTunes library for us.  I'll go to an iTunes forum to figure that out.  I'm hoping its just a matter of telling iTunes where to locate the library.

DropBox-like functionality is useful to keep files synced AND available on a laptop even if not connected to the local network.  Although I'm still a little cautious because of security, having a password file (we use Excel), that is password protected itself, might be a good sync candidate.  That way my spouse and I can do updates to a common password file that will be current on each laptop.

It's this level of understanding (i.e. what to use the NAS for) is where I'm at right now.

All the posts on the forum are being helpful.

A couple last basic question if you're willing to hang in there. 

What does the NAS "look like" from a laptop's perspective.

I'm assuming it's not the same as, say, and external HD (e.g. USB attached), so Windows or Mac file management is not involved in a way that makes it just look like a HD.

This can be important, so I went to check this box, WD 4TB My Cloud EX Ultra. It looks like classic Ethernet NAS.

I mention it because some people attach the NAS label to USB drives. In that case their operation will be different.

I use ATI with both Zyxel and dLink Ethernet NASs. Works fine. But I am not likely to leave this sort of thing in the hands of a USB drive, especially if it relies on the somewhat flaky USB ports on a router,

An NAS (Network Attached Storage) device is one that is connected to a network providing access to the device to other network attached devices.  Ethernet connections provide the physical means necessary for network access as do wireless technologies.

Windows Explorer can be used to view network devices, see the screenshot below for an example:

My Synology NAS has never shown up as a NAS connection in the Acronis desktop application, 2017 or 2018, but I can reach it easily via the LAN URL (\\xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx\volume_name). It's one of those things that is working fine as is so I haven't tried to solve the "problem".

SteveC,

Sounds like you have a DNS problem with your network.  Name resolution is not working right so that makes the use of the LAN IP address necessary as you obviously know.

What SteveC said... same for me. I run a Synology DS213j NAS. I don't see it as a NAS connection, but no problem under the Network devices. If it's working, don't break it.

On some ATI build it sees my Synology NAS as a NAS, on others I have to go via network. But fortunately it sees the 3TB WD USB drive attached to my Asus RT-AC68U router under NAS.

Ian

The problem with NAS devices not showing up under NAS in True Image in the Destination window is because of the discovery mode these devices use to report themselves.  Devices that use a Linux based OS such as Synology, Zyxel, dLink, Thecus, etc. use NetBIOS discovery method to report themselves to the network.  Such devices should show up in True Image under Network in the Destination window directory tree structure.  

Devices like the WD MyBook Live use other Discovery Methods to report themselves.  I suspect they use the SSDP Discovery Method to report themselves but may use the WSD method.  These devices will appear under the NAS section of the Destination window in True Image.

To illustrate in the screenshot below you can see a FREENAS device under Network that being Linux based uses the NetBIOS Discovery Method to report.  You can also see under NAS a USB WD MyBook drive attached to my router via USB connection which uses SSDP Discovery Method to report.

Note that the router shows in both Network and NAS.  This is because the router uses NetBIOS to report as a computer and SSDP to report as a Network Infrastructure device or NAS. 

You can find out how your network devices report themselves via Windows Explorer.  To do this you must enable the Discovery method column in the View tab of Explorer.  To do that click on the View tab then look to the right and locate the Add column entry.  Click on that and select Discovery Method from the list.  You will see the View change to what is illustrated in the screenshot below:

BrunoC & SteveC...How does your NAS show in Windows Exporer?

My Synology shows up as a NAS and I don't have to type in the IP address.

@FtrPilot

My Synology NAS, RPS-DS216J-01, shows up as a network device, same as the networked Windows PCs.

I don't think any of my comments have anything to do directly with the topic of this thread, but ... .

"The problem with NAS devices not showing up under NAS in True Image in the Destination window is because of the discovery mode these devices use to report themselves.  Devices that use a Linux based OS such as Synology, Zyxel, dLink, Thecus, etc. use NetBIOS discovery method to report themselves to the network.  Such devices should show up in True Image under Network in the Destination window directory tree structure.  

Devices like the WD MyBook Live use other Discovery Methods to report themselves.  I suspect they use the SSDP Discovery Method to report themselves but may use the WSD method.  These devices will appear under the NAS section of the Destination window in True Image."

For some of us it may not be quite that simple.  I have 3 WD NAS devices - 2 MyBookLive and 1 MyCloud - and a Synology DS218.  None of them ever show up in the ATI "My NAS Connections" and (at least at the moment) none show in the ATI "Network".  Sometimes some of them will show in the Windows File Explorer.  Right now all of the WD devices show (as Storage) using SSDP.  The Synology NAS usually shows up as "Other" but isn't showing at all right now so I don't know what discovery method is used.  My router never shows up in either File Explorer or in the ATI tree.

All of these NAS devices are actually reachable from Windows.  I can access shares if I choose.  ATI has no problem accessing them even though they do not show in the ATI tree of devices. The Famatech utility Advanced IP Scanner sees  all of the NAS devices (and my router).  It also sees the shares available on the WD NASs but not on the Synology NAS.  That nay be because of the differing discovery processes.

Randy,

Your screenshot shows the NAS as a network device yes but only the name infers NAS.  You need to click on the word Network in the left column of Explorer your view will change to look like my post.  In that view I believe you will find your NAS under the Computer section. 

Are you using Win 10?  What version?  Is SMB 1.0 enabled on your Computer?

Patrick,

The OP of this article asked for advice and then knowledge about NAS devices and their use.  The conversation has turned a bit but the subject matter does involve use of NAS devices.  From your reply I believe that you are running Windows 10 version 1709.  Possibly you began using Windows 10 with version 1703.  Nevertheless, I would say that SMB version 1.0 is disabled on your computer and that is the reason why your devices do not appear in Explorer.  When they do appear it is probably because you have accessed the device in some way prior to opening and lloking for the device in Explorer.

Hove you disabled SMB 1.0 on your computer?  If you have disabled SMB 1.0 what steps did you take to do that?

For everyone, network device discovery is only built in to SMB 1.0 .  SMB 2.0 and higher do not support device discovery so devices using those protocols will not appear in Explorer unless SMB 1.0 discovery is available on the computer being used to gain access to network devices via Explorer.Microsoft has removed SMB 1.0 from Windows 10 version 1709 so going forward users will need to adjust the methods used to access these devices.