I have an Asustor (Nimbuster 4 / AS5304T) NAS at home, which allows me to perform regular backups. Unfortunately, I couldn't manage to find a way to configure remote backups from the NAS to rsync.net using the "Remote Sync" option of the "Backup & Restore" app provided in the ADM OS of the Asustor NAS.

I'm used to using rsync -e ssh commands and would have expected some such configuration to be possible... it may just be some UI issue, but I couldn't find how to add one for rsync.net.

I've then used the following workaround : the NAS can run a "Linux VM" (LXC ?) with the provided "Linux Center" app. It allows me to run a regular Debian installation inside this Linux guest. On which I installed backupninja, which performs backups over rsync, from the NAS filesystem, to the rsync.net remote.

Along the way I had to overcome a few issues, whose documentation may be useful to others :

  • the Debian server Linux guest created with the "Linux Center" app can be accessed using SSH with the admin/admin login/pwd (couldn't find a clue in the docs or the UI)
  • the "Mount shared folder" option in the Debian guest configuration leads to the "/.share/" mountpoint which exibits the NAS filesystem under the Linux guest. This allows to retrieve files being backedup to the NAS to be copied out with rsync
  • backupninja provides an rsync handler which allows to backup files with rsync, but some default options weren't valid (see debian bug #976650).
  • the Seagate ironwolf HD less that 4TB aren't compatible with IHM (Ironwolf Health Management), even if the "Storage Manager" app tends to mislead you.