How to Duplicate Synology Admin Data and Settings

How to Understand Synology Data and Settings Duplication

When moving to a new NAS, fixing a broken system, or expanding business infrastructure, copying Synology admin data and settings ensures everything stays the same. This process keeps settings, user accounts, shared folders, system preferences, and apps, so you can copy them without having to change them manually.

Synology’s DiskStation Manager (DSM) includes many built-in tools and backup programs that let you easily make copies of your administrative data while preserving data integrity and permissions. Understanding these methods will ensure that operations are consistent, whether you’re replacing a NAS or setting up backup systems.

Getting Your Synology NAS Ready to Copy

Before copying your settings or data, make sure you meet the following requirements:

DSM Version Compatibility: The NAS devices that are the source and destination should have the same version of DSM or at least be able to work with each other.
Administrator Privileges: To export or restore system settings, you need to log in with an admin account.
Enough Storage Space: The target NAS should have enough space to hold all of the duplicated data.
Network Accessibility: Make sure that the network connection is stable for moving or transferring files.

Also, it is a good idea to back up all of your data using Synology Active Backup for Business or Hyper Backup before you start the duplication process.

Exporting Settings for Synology Systems

The Configuration Backup and Restore function is the easiest way to copy admin data and settings.

To get to Configuration Backup, go to Control Panel, then Update & Restore.
To export the current system settings, click Back up configuration.
DSM makes a .dss configuration file that has

Accounts for users and groups
Definitions of shared folders
Settings for the network and firewall
Planned tasks
Settings for services

Keep this .dss file safe, like on a Synology C2 cloud storage or an encrypted USB drive.

To get these settings back on another NAS:

On the target device, go to Access Control Panel > Update & Restore > Configuration Backup.
Click “Restore configuration” and then upload the .dss file you saved.
DSM automatically applies all of the configurations that are saved.

Making copies of admin accounts and user permissions

To keep the same user and group permissions on more than one NAS unit:

Go to Control Panel, then User & Group, and then Export.
Save the user list as a .csv file so you can use it again.
Import the same file to the new NAS to make the user hierarchy the same.

You can also use Synology Directory Server or LDAP integration to sync permissions and shared folders, which makes sure that authentication is the same on all systems.

Copying Shared Folders and Data Volumes

Just copying the configuration does not copy any data. To fully replicate:

Use Hyper Backup to make a backup of your data on another Synology NAS, a remote server, or Synology C2. Add settings, applications, and shared folders.
Turn on Shared Folder Sync:

Go to File Services and then Shared Folder Sync.
Pick the NAS units that will be the source and the destination.
Set a schedule or do it in real time to sync data.

Use Snapshot Replication for Btrfs volumes:

Take a picture of the source volumes.
Copy snapshots to the NAS where they will be used.

This makes sure that data can be quickly recovered and that systems are always in sync.

Moving Applications and Packages

To copy installed packages:

Go to Package Center and click on Installed.
Make a note of the list of important packages.
You can install the same versions on the new NAS using Package Center or by importing them from a backup.
If you backed up package data before, you can use Hyper Backup to get it back.

Some programs, like Surveillance Station, MailPlus, and Drive Server, have their own ways to back up and restore data. Always make sure that data can be moved before moving it.

Automated Duplication with Synology’s Active Backup Suite

Synology’s Active Backup for Business lets you manage data duplication for workstations, servers, and NAS devices from one place.
It optimizes storage and makes it easier to restore across hardware or cloud environments by removing duplicates and keeping track of different versions.

Pros:

Monitoring backups from one place
Incremental backup at the block level
Bare-metal recovery for whole systems
Quick recovery through the Active Backup Portal

This enterprise-grade solution makes duplication easier while keeping data safe and consistent across all users.

Testing and confirming after copying

Check the following after restoring or copying settings:

User accounts and permissions are copied over correctly.
The settings for the network (IP, DNS, firewall) are all working.
Scheduled tasks and apps work perfectly.
You can get to shared folders if you have the right permissions.

Use Storage Manager and File Station to do integrity checks to make sure that all volumes and files are still there.

Best Ways to Keep Configuration Duplication Going

Set up automatic backups of your configuration every week.
Keep backup files in a safe place, like off-site or in the cloud.
Use version control to keep track of changes to the configuration.
Keep a record of each migration for compliance and audit purposes.
Test restores regularly to make sure backups are still good.

Keeping a consistent duplication routine makes sure that business goes on and that all Synology environments are in compliance.

About the Technology of Epis

We at Epis Technology are experts in enterprise-level Synology consulting, backup infrastructure, and data management solutions.
Our experts build and install safe NAS environments with Active Backup, C2 integration, and multi-site replication. This makes sure that businesses all over the world can keep their data safe, stay compliant, and grow.

Learn more about our Synology and IT infrastructure services at EpisTechnology.com.