Knowledge Center

Backup Tasks

Hyper Backup allows you to create/manage/monitor data backup tasks, and export backup data to external storage devices.

Create a data backup task

  1. Click + on the upper left corner, and select Data backup task to launch the Backup Wizard.
  2. Select the desired type of backup destination.
  3. Set up the desired type of your backup task:
    • To create a whole new task, select Create backup task.
    • To reuse existing backup data on any destination, select Relink to existing task. Relinking helps you directly leverage the backup data from a different task.
  4. Follow the wizard's instructions to finish the settings.

Note：

  • One backup repository can only be linked with one backup task. If the original backup task is suspended, the incomplete backup version will be discarded after relinking.
  • The backup destination folder for relinking should not be renamed because the relinking process will fail.
  • A backup client can run only one task at the same time. If there are multiple tasks scheduled to run simultaneously, they will queue up and perform sequentially.
  • A backup task cannot perform backup and version deletion concurrently.
  • Backup data on the destination are stored in the backup format (.hbk) powered by Synology, and they can only be read with Hyper Backup, Hyper Backup Explorer, or Hyper Backup Vault.

Export backup data

When backing up a large amount of data to a public cloud, you are recommended to export the initial version to an external storage device (e.g. a USB drive) and deliver the device to the cloud service provider. There the device can get connected and upload data directly to the cloud. In this way, you can significantly reduce the time for the first backup.

  1. Click + on the upper left corner, and select Remote Synology NAS or the desired cloud service provider.
  2. Select Export to a local shared folder (including an external storage device), and finish the settings.
  3. Deliver the external storage device to the remote Synology NAS or cloud service provider. Import the exported data from the external storage device.
  4. Once confirmed, return to Hyper Backup, and click Relink now.
  5. Follow the Relinking Wizard's instructions to link your Synology NAS to the repository.

Manage backup tasks

After the backup task is created, select a desired backup task on the left panel, and click the buttons below for corresponding management:

  • Back up now: Back up data of the selected task immediately.
  • Backup Explorer (the magnifying glass icon): View all the available backup versions, and copy/restore/download the contained files.
  • Backup Statistics (the bar chart icon): Monitor data changes in source and destination backup files of each backup version, and set up alert notifications regarding abnormal data changes.
  • Version List: View the created time, completed time, and status of all backup versions, delete specific backup versions, check the backup version information, or lock up specific ones for enforced reservation (which will not be removed via version rotation).
  • Edit: Modify the backup source, destination, schedule, and other settings.
  • Delete: Delete the backup task.
  • Check backup integrity: Perform integrity check on backup data to know if the related backup task can proceed and if the backup data can be successfully restored.
  • Cancel: Stop the currently running backup task.
  • Suspend: Suspend the currently running backup task.

Note:

  • Modifying or deleting files directly in a backup destination does corrupt stored backup data and cause unexpected behavior.
  • If something wrong is found during the integrity check, the backup task will enter a restore-only state. Data in this task will not be backed up anymore and existing backup versions cannot be deleted.

Check backup statistics

You can track changes in volume usage and data quantity of each backup task, and check them against customized alert thresholds. Once abnormalities are found, you will instantly receive alert notifications.

  1. Select a desired backup task on the left panel.
  2. Click Backup Statistics (the bar chart icon) to get more information about its backup versions:
    • Destination Usage: Monitor its volume usage and data increase on the destination, and customize related alert thresholds.
    • Source Disk Usage: Monitor its data size change on the source side.
    • Source Monitor: Monitor its file count change on the source side, and customize related alert thresholds for file addition/modification/deletion.
  3. To change the time range of the line chart, select Month or Year on the top-right corner.
  4. To save the customized alert thresholds, click Apply.

Note:

  • To run backup statistics, make sure Hyper Backup and Hyper Backup Vault (on the destination) are updated to the latest version.
  • To get notified of abnormal backup changes, go to Control Panel > Notification > Advanced, and select at least one medium (e.g. email) for receiving alert notifications.
  • The alert thresholds at Source Monitor will work only when the backup task has generated more than one backup version.

Manage a suspended backup task

After you manually suspend a backup task, Hyper Backup will stop backing up the data in this task, and the backup versions generated previously will become undeletable. If you suspend a backup task during the creation of a backup version, this particular version will be incomplete.

Click the buttons below to manage a suspended backup task:

  • Resume: Resume a suspended backup task.
  • Discard: Discard a suspended backup task.

Note:

  • Data that have been previously backed up will not be backed up again when you resume a suspended backup task.
  • If you modify the backup source before resuming the task, the modifications will only apply to newly generated backup versions, not to the currently suspended one. To ensure data integrity, please back up a new version.
  • After you manually suspend a scheduled backup task, the schedule will be disabled, and no more backup versions will be generated. However, if a scheduled backup task is suspended due to non-human factors, such as network disconnection and power outages, once the factor is removed, Hyper Backup will resume the task according to the schedule to complete the suspended backup version, as well as generating an additional version.
  • The source size displayed in Backup Statistics is calculated at the moment when a backup version is made. If a backup version is suspended and resumed later on, the source size will be calculated based on the data that gets backed up when the task is resumed, and will not include the data already backed up before the task gets suspended. Also, if the backup source gets modified before the task is resumed, the displayed source size will not be the actual size of the total data backed up.
  • If the source of a backup task is stored in the Btrfs file system, the snapshot created by the task will not be retained after the task gets suspended. A new snapshot will be used when the task is resumed.
Create a data backup task
Export backup data
Manage backup tasks
Check backup statistics
Manage a suspended backup task