QNAP – Cobian and Cloud Backup

Introduction

The main aim of backup is to provide the high level data security and availability to the user. If the data is corrupted by the malwares or any kind of disasters, then backed up data will be used for the restoring to the user. The application provided by the QNAP is only for backing up the software’s, where the professional backup software’s will provide the security to the data too. Hence we are using the backup software as Cobian.

Pre-requirements:

1. Cobian Software.
2. Dot Net Framework Installed.
3. E-mail ID to configure as SMTP in Cobian.
4. Remote Management Server (Cobian Installed Centralised Windows machine)

Installation & Configuration of Cobian:

1.Download the Cobian Software

Download the latest version of Cobian from official website.

Link: http://www.cobiansoft.com/cobianbackup.htm

This application can act as a remote server as well as client.

We can configure remote management server using Cobian, so all the systems can be managed through centralised.

Installation of Cobian Package

Accept the terms and conditions of Cobian Backup application.

Install Volume Shadow Copy Requester, this service help Cobian to copy the file even if the application was running state. Applications like Outlook will not allow to copy file of it (eg: .pst)

Use Local Account, it will not create any issues while copying file.

Proceed with giving YES

Start the installation wizard as shown below.

The Volume Copy Requester will only installs if Dot Net Framework is installed in the windows.

Cobian will start running in the user system. But, interface should not show for the user.

We can restrict this interface in the configuration inside.

Configure the settings where you can configure the SMTP and other important settings too.

Uncheck the option to check for updates as show in the screenshot.

Check that is all the required services for Cobian are installed.

Set the interfaces to no auto-start.

So that the user will not know the interfaces running. Even though the interface is running, we can set password to open the interfaces.

Select the logging options as show in below configuration.

Configure the mail ID in Software, so if the backup completed. The mail will be sent to the administrator.

Protect the interface not to be opened by the user at any case. Use the standard password for all.

Connect the client to the remote server, so all the systems will be configured remotely

Check the option, run missed backup so if the user is not available, then the application will automatically restart the task when the desktop comes to online.

Set the options as given in the following settings.

The missed backup interval is 30 minutes.

Login into the Backup Server – QNAP to create a user in the backup server.

Login to the administrative console.

Direct the user section

The username should be in the user email address, also the password should be kept confidential, it is only for the administrative usage.

Select the appropriate group for the user.

Give Access only to the homes folder.

Let every application be given full access, also set the quota to 100GB.

Add the new task in the Cobian application.

Give the password given from the management console.

Uncheck the timestamps, so the newly created backup will not be put into new backup folder in timely manner.

Select the directory from the system to be backed up as the source.

With the username created from the QNAP device, the files will be backed up through the FTP.

The directory is “home” case sensitive.

Schedule the daily backup as per convenient timing, also per the availability of the user.

Use the option as given in the below.

Now, the task is created as per our configurations.

Run the task manually after the task is created.

Configuration of Backup for Remote User:

If the user is in a remote location, then we can configure the backup with the help of cloud.

Login to the OneDrive business account of the technician.

The folder is created from the technician end.

Created the folder in the user name itself.

Share the created folder to the particular user.

Type the email of the user you wanted to share.

The folder will be shared to the particular user mail id..

Now, let the user login one drive account, they can get the shared folder from the techinician at “Shared with me” column.

They can see the folder shared by the technician as like given below.

Let’s make a testing now. Let the user upload the file in that folder.

Login to the NAS device and open “Hybrid Backup Sync”

Create a one-way sync job.

Click Sync with Cloud.

Select Cloud to Local Sync.

Then select the OneDrive business account you wanted to configure, technicians mail ID need to be configured in the NAS.

Provide the technicians OneDrive for business mail ID and password.

Then login with the user name and password for your O365 account.

Then select the account you used for logging in.

Create a Local for each user in the NAS in file station. Select the local folder to be everything copied from cloud.

Now the folder created and shared with the user from technician end.

Now the additional configurations need to be set for backup frequency.

Set the backup at every 12 AM. As it is going to be backed from cloud, it is not required for availability of the user which is main advantage of this backup plan.

Check the option which transfer only updated file which is known as incremental backup

All other option, let it be left default.

Atlast apply the settings.

This is for testing purpose.

Now let’s see, Is the file uploaded by the users gets downloaded into the NAS automatically.

Direct to the local folder in NAS for the particular user.

The project is completed, now the files from the user end is backed up to the NAS devices.

Conclusion:

All the testing process was carried out completely for malware attacks, corruptions, disasters recovery. This method helps us to get the documents back again even though the files got corrupted by malwares or at any cases.