Amazon Glacier setup for Synology is one service in a vast suite of Amazon Web Services.  It’s the last resort option for restoring files from backup.  It cost very little to backup to Amazon Web Services, better known as AWS.  Though, Amazon shakes you down when you perform a recovery on these files.  Let’s hope you have better local recovery options available to you if disaster ever strikes.

Amazon Glacier Preparation

• It’s better to do this off hours
  • Glacier backups will prevent Hyper backup task from running.
• Need generic email account for Amazon.
  • Separate Amazon from your work email or have a general@workemail.com account
• Grab POC information and CC
• Generate service account user/password
• Know your hardware
  • Any Synology lacking the plus symbol in the model has a pretty weak processor
  • Weak processor can’t process tasks that well.
• Break up backup tasks for weak processors
  • I’m not sure how big is too big before you create its own shared folder for backup. I’ll update as I go.  Let’s just say 40 gig should have its backup task and it will take weeks to upload to the cloud.

Glacier Setup on AWS

• Create amazon account for AWS
• Setup contact information
• Input Credit Card Number
• Authenticate phone
• Create service for Synology and AWS
• Login AWS Console
• Click on Services, select IAM under Security
• Skip MFA for now
• Select Manage Users and add your Synology service account
  1. Check mark, “Programmatic access”
• Create group and add user/service account to “Glacier-Full”
• Review setup and record “access key ID” and “secret access key”
• Click on Services, select Glacier under Storage

Synology Diskstation Manager Setup

• Log into DiskStation Manager and download Glacier Backup package
• Open Glacier Backup and create new backup
• Keep defaults but enable “transfer encryption” and select some far off location in your timezone. *California is a bit more expensive.

DSM Network Settings

For best results confirm DNS and NTP Settings:

Please try setting the DNS server settings (DSM Control Panel>Network>check off “Manually configure DNS server”) to use the Google public DNS servers of 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 for the preferred and alternative respectively.

Check current time settings for NTP synchronization (DSM Control Panel>Regional Options>Time Settings) If the time is offset, click Update Now on the bottom of the tab.

Setup client email account  companyname.general@gmail.com

2 factor authentication

Amazon Glacier setup for Synology Summary

Setup your email notifcations for failures and check on the data periodically because backups in general tend to fail.  Also, make sure you view the correct task when Glacier’s “explore” feature to confirm data retrieval.  The drop down in the picture below for backup tasks is labeled “My Glacier Setup Set 1 > Work > Temp”