Protect your Windows data with your ReadyNAS system. You can create a one time copy, or create a backup job to
periodically maintain a current copy, or store the folder on your ReadyNAS system to take advantage of ReadyNAS
snapshot copies.
You can choose one of three methods, based on your data and storage capacity:
- Onetime copy. For data that rarely changes, such as a family photo, or a household inventory.
- Automatic, periodic backups. For data likely to change frequently, such as a music library, or your personal
exercise log. You can create an automated backup process that copies the latest version of your data at intervals
you define. - Use snapshots. Where a backup makes separate copies of your data, snapshots keep track of daily changes right
where the folder is stored on the ReadyNAS and let you retrieve previous versions of files and folders.
Snapshots are faster and use less disk space than backups, but store the changes in place. If you lose your disks, you
lose your data. Backups make separate copies and can be stored on completely different disks from your data. You
can combine backups and snapshots by backing up folders stored on your ReadyNAS.
The following methods all are based on a Windows system on a network with a ReadyNAS system running and with
existing shares (network accessible folders).
Copy a Folder to Your ReadyNAS System
You cannot create a new share on the ReadyNAS directly from Windows Explorer, but you can create new folders
and move files and folders from the Windows system to existing shares on the ReadyNAS system and the reverse.
To copy a folder on a Windows system to your ReadyNAS system:
- In a Windows Explorer window address bar, enter the hostname or IP address of the ReadyNAS system, for
example \\MyReadyNAS. - If you are not currently logged into the ReadyNAS system, a window opens; enter your user ID and password.
- Use any standard Windows methods to copy your Windows folder to the desired ReadyNAS share, for example,
in one Windows Explorer window select the folder, right-click and select copy, then move to the ReadyNAS
window, navigate to the destination folder, right-click and select paste.
Create a Back Up Job
Before you can back up a folder, the folder must be visible as a share to the ReadyNAS system.
Backup jobs automate the task of copying files and folders either on demand or on a regular schedule. A backup can
be either a full backup, which includes all files whether they have changed or not, or an incremental backup that only
includes files that changed. Incremental backups take less space and less time, but if you need to restore a folder, the
content needs to be rebuilt from all of the incremental backups after the most recent full backup. Usually automated
backups maintain a mix of full and incremental backups. The specific mix depends on space requirements, if there
are restrictions on how long a back up can run, and any concerns about rebuilding from the incremental backups. A
common combination is incremental back ups during the week and a full back up made once a week during a less
busy time. When you create a backup job, you schedule both incremental back ups and full back ups.
To back up a Windows folder to the ReadyNAS system:
- Connect to your ReadyNAS system local admin page at https://hostname and login.
- Select Backup > Backups.
- Click the Add Backup button.
A pop-up screen opens. - In the pop-up screen enter a name for the job, from the Source drop-down list select the folder you want backed
up, from the Destination drop-down list, select where you want to store the backed-up data, then click the Create
button.
The backup job appears in the list of jobs.
You now need to enable the job and set the basic schedule. - Select your backup job in the list of jobs.
A pop-up screen opens. - Click the Settings button.
The pop-up screen closes and a new one opens. - Click the Schedule tab.
- Select the Enabled check box, then specify a schedule for the job using the drop-down lists and check boxes.
- Click the Apply button.
- Click the OK button.
The Settings pop-up screen closes.
You enabled the job and set the schedule for incremental back ups. Now add full back ups. - Select the job from the list of jobs.
A pop-up screen opens. - From the pop-up menu that displays, select Settings.
The pop-up screen closes and a new one opens. - In the pop-up screen, click the Options tab.
- In the Schedule full backup drop-down list, specify how often to run a full back up.
For a basic back up, you can leave the other items unchanged. - Click the Apply button.
- Click the OK button.
The pop-up screen closes.
You can manually run the backup job to create a first backup, or to just test the settings, by selecting the job from the
jobs list and then selecting Start from the pop-up screen.
Use a ReadyNAS to Hold a Windows Folder (and Get Snapshot Protection)
Folders on ReadyNAS systems keep daily snapshots automatically. If your Windows system already connects to your
ReadyNAS system, you can access folders on the ReadyNAS system from a Windows Explorer window the same
way you access folders directly on the Windows system. For example, if the folder name is inventory, and it is
in the share documents, on the ReadyNAS named MyReadyNAS, you can enter or navigate to \\MyReadyNAS
\documents\inventory in the same way you can access any network folder.
Note: The first time you access the ReadyNAS system from a Windows system, you are prompted for a User
ID and password. This also happen when either the Windows system or the ReadyNAS is rebooted.
Automatic creation of snapshots as files change is on by default, so unless they have been turned off on your system,
incremental changes to the files in your folder are now protected. You can add additional protection by also creating
copies or backups.
One way to work with snapshots is through the snapshot timeline viewed on the ReadyNAS system:
- Connect to your ReadyNAS system local admin page at https://hostname and login.
- Select Shares.
- Select the share and folder you are interested in.
- Select Timeline.
From the timeline, you can see the snapshots, and by selecting a snapshot see a menu allowing you to rollback the
folder to the selected time, to clone (make a copy of the folder as it existed at the time of the snapshot), or to delete
the snapshot.