Setup vCenter FBBR to a Synology

Step 1: Log into your Synology DMS and load the File Station. I am using version 7.0.1-42218 Update 3

Step 2: Create a New Shared Folder by clicking Create then Create New Shared Folder and call it anything you all, for this example I called it vCSA-Backup-01. Click Next until you get to the Configure User Permissions.

Step 2a: Configure User Permissions: Give the folder some permissions. I gave the Synology Admin account Read/Write permission in the example below. You would want to lock this down in the real world. Click Apply.

Step 3: Log into the VMware Appliance Management Interface (VAMI) of the vCenter Server Appliance. Open a web browser and go to https://<vCenter_FQDN>:5480

Step 4: Go to Backup on the left side and click CONFIGURE on the right

Step 5: Create Backup Schedule

  • Backup Location: uses the following format: Protocol://Server Address/Backup Folder/Subfolder followed by the backup destination credentials.
  • Schedule: your options are Daily, Weekly, or Custom.
  • Encrypt backup (optional): you could also encrypt your data on the Synology
  • Number of backups to retain: How many backups do you want to keep. This is totally a personal preference.
  • Data: This is where you can pick what data, the most important data is Inventory and configuration, you don’t have to keep Stats, Events, and Tasks. It just depends on how big your backup storage is, this can get BIG.
  • Click Create

Step 6: Backup Now

  • Once you click Create, you will be sent back to the Backup screen. From here you have two options:
    • First, you could just let the Backup Schedule do its job and take the vCenter backup
    • Or Second, you can click Backup Now, if you want to take a backup immediately.
      • Click Backup Now
      • Click the checkbox Use backup location and username from backup schedule. This will take the info you have already entered in Create Backup Schedule in Step 5 and import it here. Then enter the password to the backup server.
      • Click Start

On the summary screen, you can see the Backup Schedule you created and all the backup Activities.

  • Backups that the schedule take are listed as Scheduled
  • Backups that are taken with Backup Now are listed as Manual