← Back to Docs

Synology Hyper Backup — Scheduled NAS Backups with Versioning and Encryption

Synology's native backup application for DSM. Block-level incremental backups, client-side encryption, multi-version retention, and integrity checking. Backs up shared folders and supported applications (Surveillance Station, Hyper Backup Vault, etc.) to S3-compatible object storage.

1. Prerequisites

  • Synology NAS running DSM 7.0 or later.
  • Hyper Backup installed from Package Center (pre-installed on most models — search "Hyper Backup" if missing).
  • An admin account on the NAS.
  • Your HummingTribe S3 credentials and bucket name.

2. Get your S3 credentials

Log in to your HummingTribe dashboard → S3 Storage tab. Copy your Access Key ID and reveal your Secret Access Key (shown once — save it now). Note your bucket name.

3. Create a new backup task

Open Hyper Backup from the DSM main menu. Click the + icon in the bottom-left → Data backup task.

In the destination wizard, scroll to File Server → select S3 StorageNext.

4. Configure the S3 connection

Fill in the fields:

FieldValue
S3 ServerCustom Server URL
Server addressstorage.hummingtribe.com
Signature versionv4
Request stylePath-style
Access Keyyour Access Key ID
Secret Keyyour Secret Access Key
Bucket nameyour bucket name from the dashboard
Directorysynology-backup (or any subfolder name — Hyper Backup will create it)

Path-style is required — HummingTribe S3 does not support virtual-hosted-style requests.

If creating a new task, leave Create backup task selected. If you are reconnecting to an existing relink-able backup, choose Relink to existing task instead.

Click Next. Hyper Backup verifies the connection and creates the destination directory.

5. Select source data

Tick the shared folders to back up. Expand each folder to include or exclude specific subfolders if needed.

On the Application Backup screen, tick any DSM applications you want included (e.g. Hyper Backup Vault, Surveillance Station configuration, Note Station). Application data is backed up consistently — Hyper Backup quiesces the application before reading.

Click Next.

6. Configure task settings

  • Task name: e.g. NAS → HummingTribe
  • Enable task notification: tick this and configure notification settings under Control Panel → Notification if you want email alerts on success/failure.
  • Compress backup data: tick this — saves storage and bandwidth.
  • Enable transfer encryption: tick this — uses TLS for the connection (separate from client-side encryption below).
  • Enable client-side encryption: tick this. Set a strong Encryption key and confirm it. Download the encryption key file (.pem) when prompted and store it somewhere safe — outside the NAS.

If you lose the encryption key, your backups are unrecoverable. Synology has no way to reset or recover it. Store the .pem file in a password manager or printed in a secure location.

  • Enable backup schedule: tick this. Set frequency to Daily at a time outside business hours (e.g. 02:00). For active NAS environments, set Run backup every: to a shorter interval if needed.
  • Enable integrity check schedule: tick this and set to Monthly. Hyper Backup will periodically download and verify a sample of backup blocks against the remote.

Click Next.

7. Configure rotation and versioning

On the Rotation screen:

  • Enable backup rotation: tick this.
  • Rotation scheme: Smart Recycle is the recommended default — keeps hourly versions for 24 hours, daily for a month, weekly thereafter, with automatic thinning.
  • Number of versions: set the maximum (e.g. 256). Hyper Backup deletes the oldest version when this limit is reached.

For simpler retention, choose From the earliest versions — keeps the N most recent versions and discards older ones.

Click Apply. Hyper Backup creates the task and prompts you to run the first backup immediately — click Yes.

8. Run the first backup and verify

The first backup uploads all selected data and may take hours or days depending on dataset size and upload bandwidth. Monitor progress in the Hyper Backup main window — the task status shows current file, transfer rate, and estimated time remaining.

After completion, run a manual integrity check: select the task → click the gear icon (bottom-left) → Backup Integrity CheckOK. Hyper Backup downloads a sample of backup data and verifies its integrity against the local index.

9. Restore from backup

From the Hyper Backup main window, select the task → click the clock icon (top-right) → Data.

The browser shows your shared folders as they existed at each backup point. Use the time slider at the top to choose a restore point.

Tick the files or folders to restore → click Restore. Choose:

  • Restore to original location — overwrites current files
  • Restore to — pick a different folder on the NAS

Click Apply to start the restore.

To restore on a different Synology NAS (disaster recovery): install Hyper Backup on the new NAS → +Data backup task → choose S3 Storage → enter the same connection settings → on the wizard, choose Relink to existing task → provide your encryption key (.pem file or passphrase). Hyper Backup re-indexes the remote backup and lets you restore any version.

Manage your bucket and credentials from your HummingTribe dashboard.

← Back to Docs