This article describes how to use the ReadyNAS backup job manager to back up data from your ReadyNAS to an external disk connected via eSATA cable (referred to here as an eSATA disk).
Not what you're looking for? Return to the ReadyNAS Backup FAQ
1. Connect the eSATA disk to an eSATA port on the ReadyNAS. Once connected, the eSATA disk should appear under System - Overview:
2. (Optional) Go to System - Overview. Click on the gear icon beside the USB disk and press Format. Warning! This step will destroy the contents of the USB disk. Remember to copy the data from the USB disk first. If you need to keep the data on the USB disk, do not proceed with this step!
3. Choose EXT4 from the drop down menu and press OK. For best performance with ReadyNAS, we recommend you use EXT4 as the file system for the USB disk (see Note 1 at the bottom of this article for further details).
4. Wait for Format Complete to appear in the logs:
5. Go to Backup and press Add Backup:
6. Enter a name for the backup job:
7. In the left-hand side of the backup configuration settings, choose Local and then click Browse. It is local because the data is "local" to the ReadyNAS.
8. Navigate through the directory structure of the ReadyNAS and select the folder that you want to backup. Then press Select:
Note: You may also select the entire data volume as the source of the backup but keep in mind that all snapshots will also be backed up. If the snapshots reference a large amount of data, then the destination device may not be large enough.
9. In the right-hand side of the backup configuration settings, choose Local and then click Browse. It is local because the eSATA disk is connected "locally" to the ReadyNAS.
10. Scroll down to USB/eSATA Ports and then choose the eSATA port to which the eSATA disk is connected. In this case, the eSATA disk is connected to the eSATA port on the back of the ReadyNAS. Click Select.
11. If you wish to have the eSATA disk cleanly ejected when the job is done (recommended), then select the checkbox "Auto eject device when the job is done" and press Next.
12. At the next screen, set the schedule as needed:
Some common examples are below. Days in blue are enabled; days in gray are disabled.
-
- To run the backup job Monday to Friday after 7PM, the required configuration is:
- Backup Every: 24 hours
- Time: 19:05 and 20:05
- Repeat: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri
- To run the backup job every Saturday night after midnight, the required configuration is:
- Backup Every: 24 hours
- Time: 00:05 and 01:05
- Repeat: Sat
- To run the backup job Monday to Friday after 7PM, the required configuration is:
Note that the time that the job is scheduled to run between is used only to specify the time window in which the job is allowed to begin. It does not mean that the job will be stopped if it is still running when that time window expires. Once the job begins, it will continue to run until it is successful or interrupted.
13. Choose to remove the contents of the backup destination before full backup. This should be used with caution.
14. Press Finish.
15. The backup button prompt appears. Choose Yes if you want this backup job to run when the backup button on the front of the ReadyNAS device is pressed (note this applies to ReadyNAS desktop units only and does not apply to ReadyNAS rackmount units).
16. Run the backup job by doing any of the following:
- Wait for the defined scheduled time to arrive.
- Press the backup button on the front of the ReadyNAS device (only applies to systems with a backup button when a job is assigned to the backup button).
- Run it manually by clicking the gear icon on the job and pressing Start:
Note 1. A disk formatted in EXT4 file system will not be detected by a Windows PC by default. To view the contents of the disk from a Windows PC, you can connect the disk to the ReadyNAS and access it via the ReadyNAS or you can use an EXT driver for Windows such ashttp://www.ext2fsd.com/