How to Connect Your QNAP NAS to Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage

Network attached storage (NAS) devices are a popular solution for data storage, sharing files for remote collaboration purposes, syncing files that are part of a workflow, and more. QNAP, one of the leading NAS manufacturers, makes it incredibly easy to backup and/or sync your business or personal data for these purposes with the inclusion of its application, Hybrid Backup Sync (HBS). HBS consolidates backup, restoration, and synchronization functions into a single application.

Protecting your data with a NAS is a great first step, but you shouldn’t stop there. NAS devices are still vulnerable to any kind of on-premises disaster like fires, floods, and tornados. They’re also not safe from ransomware attacks that might hit your network. To truly protect your data, it’s important to back up or sync to an off-site cloud storage destination like Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage. Backblaze B2 offers a geographically distanced location for your data for $6/TB per month, and you can also embed it into your NAS-based workflows to streamline access across multiple locations.

Read on for more information on whether you should use backup or sync for your purposes and how to connect your QNAP NAS to Backblaze B2 step-by-step. We’ve even provided videos that show you just how easy it is—it typically takes less than 15 minutes!

Should I Back Up or Sync?

It’s easy to confuse backup and sync. They’re essentially both making a copy of your data, but they have different use cases. It’s important to understand the difference so you’re getting the right protection and accessibility for your data.

Check out the table below. You’ll see that backup is best for being able to recover from a data disaster, including the ability to access previous versions of data. However, if you’re just looking for a mirror copy of your data, sync functionality is all you need. Sync is also useful as part of remote workflows: you can sync your data between your QNAP and Backblaze B2, and then remote workers can pull down the most up-to-date files from the B2 cloud.

Because Hybrid Backup Sync provides both functions in one application, you should first identify which feature you truly need. The setup process is similar, but you will need to take different steps to configure backup vs. sync in HBS.

How to Set Up Your Backblaze B2 Account

Now that you’ve determined whether you want to back up or sync your data, it’s time to create your Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage account to securely protect your on-premises data.

If you already have a B2 Cloud Storage account, feel free to skip ahead. Otherwise, you can sign up for an account and get started with 10GB of free storage to test it out.

Ready to get started? You can follow along with the directions in this blog or take a look at our video guides. Greg Hamer, Senior Technical Evangelist, demonstrates how to get your data into B2 Cloud Storage in under 15 minutes using HBS for either backup or sync.

Video: Back Up QNAP to Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage with QNAP Hybrid Backup Sync

Video: Sync QNAP to Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage with QNAP Hybrid Backup Sync

How to Set Up a Bucket, Application Key ID, and Application Key

Once you’ve signed up for a Backblaze B2 Account, you’ll need to create a bucket, Application Key ID, and Application Key. This may sound like a lot, but all you need are a few clicks, a couple names, and less than a minute!

1. 1. On the Buckets page of your account, click the Create a Bucket button.

1. 1. Give your bucket a name and enable encryption for added security.

1. 1. Click the Create a Bucket button and you should see your new bucket on the Buckets page.

1. 1. Navigate to the App Keys page of your account and click Add a New Application Key.

1. 1. Name your Application Key and click the Create New Key button. Make sure that your key has both read and write permissions (the default option).

1. Your Application Key ID and Application Key will appear on your App Keys page. Important: Make sure to copy these somewhere secure as the Application Key will not appear again!

How to Set Up QNAP’s Hybrid Backup Sync to Work With B2 Cloud Storage

To set up your QNAP with Backblaze B2 sync support, you’ll need access to your B2 Cloud Storage account. You’ll also need your B2 Cloud Storage account ID, Application Key, and bucket name—all of which are available after you log in to your Backblaze account. Finally, you’ll need the Hybrid Backup Sync application installed in QTS. You’ll need QTS 4.3.3 or later and Hybrid Backup Sync v2.1.170615 or later.

To configure a backup or sync job, simply follow the rest of the steps in this integration guide or reference the videos posted above. Once you follow the rest of the configuration steps, you’ll have a set-it-and-forget-it solution in place.

What Can You Do With Backblaze B2 and QNAP Hybrid Backup Sync?

With QNAP’s Hybrid Backup Sync software, you can easily back up and sync data to the cloud. Here’s some more information on what you can do to make the most of your setup.

Hybrid Backup Sync 3.0

QNAP and Backblaze B2 users can take advantage of Hybrid Backup Sync, as explained above. Hybrid Backup Sync is a powerful tool that provides true backup capability with features like version control, client-side encryption, and block-level deduplication. QNAP’s operating system, QTS, continues to deliver innovation and add thrilling new features. The ability to preview backed up files using the QuDedup Extract Tool, a feature first released in QTS 4.4.1, allowed QNAP users to save on bandwidth costs.

You can download the latest QTS update here and Hybrid Backup Sync is available in the App Center on your QNAP device.

Hybrid Mount and VJBOD Cloud

The Hybrid Mount and VJBOD Cloud apps allow QNAP users to designate a drive in their system to function as a cache while accessing B2 Cloud Storage. This allows users to interact with Backblaze B2 just like you would a folder on your QNAP device while using Backblaze B2 as an active storage location.

Hybrid Mount and VJBOD Cloud are both included in the QTS 4.4.1 versions and higher, and function as a storage gateway on a file-based or block-based level, respectively. Hybrid Mount enables Backblaze B2 to be used as a file server and is ideal for online collaboration and file-level data analysis. VJBOD Cloud is ideal for a large number of small files or singular massively large files (think databases!) since it’s able to update and change files on a block-level basis. Both apps offer the ability to connect to B2 Cloud Storage via popular protocols to fit any environment, including server message block (SMB), Apple Filing Protocol (AFP), network file sharing (NFS), file transfer protocol (FTP), and WebDAV.

QuDedup

QuDedup introduces client-side deduplication to the QNAP ecosystem. This helps users at all levels save on space on their NAS by avoiding redundant copies in storage. Backblaze B2 users have something to look forward to as well since these savings carry over to cloud storage via the HBS 3.0 update.

Why Backblaze B2?

QNAP continues to innovate and unlock the potential of B2 Cloud Storage in the NAS ecosystem. If you haven’t given B2 Cloud Storage a try yet, now is the time. You can get started with Backblaze B2 and your QNAP NAS right now, and make sure your NAS is synced securely and automatically to the cloud.