A backup is a copy of data that you use if your primary copy is deleted or damaged. The process of storing primary data on a second device is called backing up.
A backup source is the place where you store the primary copy of the data that you want to back up. A backup destination is the place where you store the backed-up data.
If you store primary copies of your data on your ReadyNAS system, you can create a backup job to back up your data to a secondary device on the same network.
If you store primary copies of your data on your computer or other device, you can create a backup job to back up your data to a ReadyNAS system that is on the same network.
A full backup makes a copy of all of the data stored on the primary system. Your first backup of a primary system is always a full backup job. The amount of time a full backup takes depends on the amount of stored data.
An incremental backup copies only the data that changed since your last backup process. An incremental backup job takes much less time than a full backup job.
A backup source or destination can be local (stored on the ReadyNAS) or remote (stored somewhere else). If the backup source or destination is remote, you must select the backup protocol that you want to use.
Local options for backup sources and destinations are described in the following table.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| volume: <volume name> | Source or destination is a volume on the ReadyNAS. |
| share: <share name> | Source or destination is a shared folder on the ReadyNAS. |
| All Home Shares | Source or destination is every user’s home share on the ReadyNAS. |
| home: <home share name> | Source or destination is a user’s home share on the ReadyNAS. |
| External Storage (<location of connection>) | Source or destination is connected a USB or eSATA port on the ReadyNAS. |
| Time Machine | Source or destination is the Time Machine data stored locally on the ReadyNAS. |