Knowledge base

Thank you for entrusting us with the management of your storage server.

This guide allows you to quickly use the essential features of your new product. In case of problems, please consult Synology's knowledgebase directly: https://www.synology.com/en-global/support

You have ordered a Synology NAS and would like to ...

• Access the Synology management interface
• Configure the firewall and increase the security of your Synology
• Create a VPN in Switzerland with a Synology NAS
• Configure your Synology to save your Mac with Time Machine

or reset a Synology, etc.: https://www.infomaniak.com/en/support/faq/admin2/synology

This guide explains how to create a custom MX record (in our example: mx.your-domain.here) to then use in your NAS MX configuration. An MX record cannot be declared directly in the form of an IP address of the type 178.123.456.789 for example.

Custom MX record

1. open the Manager (manager.infomaniak.com)
2. go to Domain
3. click on the domain name concerned
4. click on DNS Managementthen on DNS Zone
5. click the Add Entry button
6. in the window that appears, choose MX as the type of record
7. fill in the desired MX record (such as "mx.your-domain.here")
8. point the record to the desired IP address (target)
9. click the Save button

This guide details the support offered by Infomaniak concerning its Synology offer.

Indeed, it is important to clearly distinguish between the services offered by Infomaniak and those offered by Synology. Infomaniak focuses on the hardware management of Synology servers, while Synology focuses on the development and support of their operating system and software. In case of any software issue, it is therefore recommended to contact Synology Support directly for proper assistance.

Hardware vs Software

Infomaniak is a company that provides hosting and server management services. In the case of Synology NAS, Infomaniak only provides the hardware part of the servers, also called "hardware". This means that the company focuses on the physical management of the server and not on the software or system management, taking care of several tasks related to the establishment and maintenance.

Implementation of Synology in our datacenter

First, Infomaniak installs the server in its datacenter, which is a datacenter designed to store and manage servers and data. 

Installing hard drives

Next, Infomaniak installs the hard drives in the server, which allows data and files to be stored.

Change of hard drive

Infomaniak can also change a hard drive if necessary. This may be necessary if the hard drive fails or an upgrade is needed to improve server performance. In this case, Infomaniak replaces the defective or obsolete hard drive with a new hard drive and configures the system so that it operates correctly.

Restarting Synology (hardware reboot only)

In addition, if a hardware restart is necessary to solve a problem with the server, Infomaniak can also perform this task. Hard reboot is a complete server reboot process, which requires physical intervention on the server itself. Infomaniak is able to carry out this type of restart in complete safety to avoid any loss of data.

Resetting Synology

Finally, Infomaniak can reset the NAS if necessary. This involves deleting all data and files present on the server to reset it to its default settings. This procedure is sometimes necessary to solve technical problems or to prepare the server for further use.

This guide provides general information on how to enhance the security of a Synology server. For your information, our support team only answers questions concerning the hardware part of Synology storage servers.

It is necessary to secure your Synology

Synology NAS are very popular and therefore suffer many hacking attempts. It is therefore important to set up your Synology correctly and protect it with a strong password. If not, it could be vulnerable to automatic scans which look for and detect all connected Synology servers throughout the world with vulnerabilities that are easy to exploit.

Some best practices to be applied to enhance the security of your Synology server:

• Systematically update the operating system of the Synology server (DSM)
• Open the Security Advisor application and do a scan to detect security problems. Implement all the proposed recommendations
• Change the default port, which is set to 5000 (e.g., 26753 or 38000)
• Enable and configure the firewall
• Disable the services and modules that are not used and not necessary for your purposes
• As far as possible, do not use MyDS
• Implement these recommendations: https://www.synology.com/fr-fr/knowledgebase/tutorials/615

Find out more: https://news.infomaniak.com/securiser-acces-synology/

This guide explains how to synchronize a Synology NAS in the Cloud with Swiss Backup, Infomaniak's Swiss backup solution, using the Cloud Sync application and OpenStack Swift.

1. Add a NAS type device

It is necessary to add a device before you can configure your NAS backup.

2. Configure Cloud Sync to back up a Synology NAS with Swiss Backup

1. Log in to the administration interface of your Synology NAS (DSM).
2. If necessary, install the Cloud Sync application from the Package Center.
3. Open the Cloud Sync app.
4. If necessary, click on the + to add a new Cloud provider.
5. Cloud providers: choose OpenStack Swift from the list of providers.
   
   
   
      
6. Account setup:
   
   
   
   
   1. choose version 3 for the identity service
   2. fill in the other fields with the information received by email following the addition of the device (identity service terminal, username, password, tenant/project and domain)
   3. for the Tenant/Project and Domain fields , choose name instead of id via the selection field
        
7. Account setup:
   
   
   
   
   1. choose the location (the choice proposed by default)
   2. choose the container name (this is the domain name in the email received)
        
8. Configuration of the task: choose the name of the connection (for example OpenStack Swift), the local path (the contents to save), the remote path (the folder in which your files will be saved), the direction of the synchronization ( transfer only local modifications recommended for a backup).

This guide explains how to back up a NAS Synology with Hyper Backup in the Cloud with Swiss Backup, Infomaniak's Swiss backup solution.

You can also back up your Synology with Cloud Sync and OpenStack Swift.

Creating the backup location

It is first required to create a backup location before be able to configure the backup of your NAS.

Configuration of Hyper Backup with Swiss Backup

1. log in to the administration interface of your Synology NAS (DSM).
2. if necessary, install the Hyper Backup application from the Package Center.
3. open the Hyper Backup app.
4. if necessary, click on the + to add a new cloud provider.
5. Cloud providers: choose OpenStack Swift from the list of providers:
   
6. Backup destination settings:
   
   1. choose version 3.0 for Identity Service Version
   2. fill in the other fields with the information received by email following the creation of the backup location (identity service terminal, username, password, tenant/project and domain)
   3. for the Tenant/Project and Domain fields, choose name instead of id via the field selection
   4. choose the default location (leave the default choice)
   5. choose the container name (this is the domain name specified in the email received)
7. choose the volumes and the applications to back up:
   
8. set frequency of backup and check the box to enable encryption:
   
   
   
   Warning: You must enable client-side encryption ( last checkbox on the page) and keep the encryption key in a safe place so that you can use your backup if necessary.
9. Rotating saves keeps your save slot from being overloaded by limiting the maximum number of saves to keep:
   

Restore / view backups

To restore/view your backups, you can use any Keystone V3 compatible Swift client, for example Cyber duck.

If your backups are in .hbk format (Synology proprietary format) use their software Hyper Backup Explorer.

This guide explains how to restart and reset your NAS. Resetting means setting the Synology you rent from Infomaniak to its original state.

Restarting Synology

You can restart your NAS via the Manager:

1. Open the Manager (manager.infomaniak.com)
2. Go to Synology
3. Click the server concerned
4. Under Quick actions, choose Restart the server

Resetting Synology

You can request the reset of your NAS via the Manager:

1. Open the Manager (manager.infomaniak.com)
2. Go to Synology
3. Click the server concerned
4. Under Quick actions, choose Reset the server

Two reset modes

You can choose between the following two reset modes:

1. SOFT RESET: reset the administrator password and network settings
   Partial reset may be necessary if you no longer have access to the "admin" account. It enables you to redefine a password for the "admin" account
2. HARD RESET: reset the operating system
   Full reset is required when there is no longer access to the admin account due to erratic configuration in the DSM firewall, etc. Resetting the DSM will restore factory settings. This operation does not normally affect the disk data.

More details on the procedures here: https://www.synology.com/en-uk/knowledgebase/DSM/tutorial/General_Setup/How_to_reset_my_Synology_NAS

Cancelling the reset request

After requesting the reset, you must wait while an "in progress" item appears on your dashboard. You can request the cancellation of this reset at any time from here.

Find out more

• Getting started with Synology NAS
• Linking a domain name to your Synology NAS

This guide explains how to order Synology High Availability from Infomaniak.

What is Synology High Availability NAS?

A Synology High Availability NAS combines two Synology NAS servers into a single high-availability cluster. One server assumes the role of active server, while the other becomes a passive standby server. The active server takes charge of all data requests and services, while everything is continuously replicated to the passive server.

When the active server is not available, the passive server automatically takes over to ensure that file services and applications can be recovered within a few minutes.

This infrastructure guarantees perfect redundancy in case of unforeseen incidents.

Ordering Synology High Availability (SHA)

1. Order 2 identical Synology NAS via our website (all models are compatible)
2. Contact our support team, specifying:
   • the email address associated with your Infomaniak account
   • the two NAS you want to link
3. Our support team will send you a confirmation email when everything is ready

Find out more

• Why host a Synology NAS in a datacenter?
• Rent a Synology NAS in a datacenter in Switzerland

This guide explains how to link a domain name to the Synology you are hiring from Infomaniak.

Linking a domain

1. open the admin console (https://login.infomaniak.com)
2. go to Synology
3. under Linked domains, click on Link a domain name
4. enter a domain name
5. repeat the steps if necessary for your other domains

Question: do you have a whistleblower protection policy?

Answer: Yes, Infomaniak has a whistleblower protection policy. You can find additional information at the following address: https://news.infomaniak.com/en/security-and-data-protection/

Learn more

• Presentation of Infomaniak services