QNAP NAS supports multiple iSCSI targets and logical unit numbers (LUN) for storage expansion and backup destination of the servers on an IP-SAN. In this how-to, users will learn to back up and restore an iSCSI LUN, create an iSCSI LUN snapshot on the NAS, and manage LUN backup by command line.
| Note that the LUN backup, restore, and snapshot features are only supported on QNAP NAS running firmware v3.5.0 or above. |
Quick Links:
- Back up an iSCSI LUN
- Restore an iSCSI LUN
- Create an iSCSI LUN Snapshot
- Manage LUN Backup/Restore/Snapshot by Command Line
Back up an iSCSI LUN
Before backing up an iSCSI LUN, make sure at least one iSCSI LUN has been created on the NAS. To create iSCSI targets and LUN, go to “Disk Management” > “iSCSI” > “Target Management”.
1. Go to “Disk Management” > “iSCSI” > “LUN BACKUP”. Click “Create a new job”.
2. Select “Back up an iSCSI LUN” and click “NEXT”.
3. Select the source LUN for backup. If an online LUN is selected, the NAS will create a point-in-time snapshot for the LUN automatically.
4. Specify the destination where the LUN will be backed up to. The NAS supports LUN backup to a Linux share (NFS), a Windows share (CIFS/SMB), and a local folder on the NAS. Click “TEST” to test the connection to the specified path. Then click “NEXT”.
5. Enter a name of the backup LUN image or use the one generated by the NAS. Select the subfolder where the image file will be stored. Select to use compression* or not. Click “NEXT”.
*Use Compression: When this option is enabled, more CPU resources of the NAS will be consumed but the size of the backup LUN can be reduced. The backup time may vary depending on the size of the iSCSI LUN.
6. Specify the backup schedule. The options available are:
- Now
- Hourly
- Daily
- Weekly
- Monthly
In this example, the backup job will be executed at 20:00 daily. Click “NEXT”.
7. The settings will be shown. Enter a name for the job or use the one generated by the NAS. Click “NEXT”.
8. Click “FINISH” to exit.
9. The backup job is shown on the list.
| Button | Description |
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Start the job immediately |
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Stop the running job |
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Edit the job settings |
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View the job status and logs |
Restore an iSCSI LUN
1. To restore an iSCSI LUN to the NAS, go to “Disk Management” > “iSCSI” > “LUN Backup”. Click “Create a new job”.
2. Select “Restore an iSCSI LUN” and click “NEXT”.
3. Specify the protocol, IP address/host name, and folder/path of the restore source. Click “TEST” to test the connection. Then click “NEXT”.
4. Browse and select the LUN image file. Click “NEXT”.
5. Select the destination.
- Overwrite existing LUN: Restore the iSCSI LUN and overwrite the existing LUN on the NAS. All the data on the original LUN will be overwritten.
- Create a new LUN: Restore the iSCSI LUN to the NAS as a new LUN. Enter the name and select the location of the new LUN.
Click “NEXT”.
6. The settings will be shown. Enter a name for the job or use the one generated by the NAS. Click “NEXT”.
7. Click “FINISH” to exit.
8. The restore job will be executed immediately.
| Button | Description |
|
Stop the running job |
|
Edit the job settings |
|
View the job status and logs |
Create an iSCSI LUN Snapshot
Before creating an iSCSI LUN snapshot, make sure at least one iSCSI LUN and one iSCSI target has been created on the NAS. To create iSCSI targets and LUN, go to “Disk Management” > “iSCSI” > “Target Management”.
1. To create an iSCSI LUN snapshot, go to “Disk Management” > “iSCSI” > “LUN Backup”. Click “Create a new job”.
2. Select “Create a LUN Snapshot” and click “NEXT”.
3. Select an iSCSI LUN on the NAS. Click “NEXT”.
4. Enter a name for the LUN snapshot or use the one generated by the NAS. Select an iSCSI target where the LUN snapshot is mapped to. Click “NEXT”.
5. Specify the snapshot schedule and the snapshot duration. The snapshot will be removed automatically when the snapshot duration is reached.
6. The settings will be shown. Enter a name for the job or use the one generated by the NAS. Click “NEXT”.
7. Click “FINISH” to exit.
8. The snapshot will be created immediately. The status and duration will be shown on the list.
9. Go to “iSCSI” > “Target Management”, the snapshot LUN will be shown in the iSCSI Target List. Use iSCSI initiator software to connect to the iSCSI target and access the point-in-time data on the snapshot LUN. For the information of connecting to the iSCSI targets on QNAP NAS, please refer to How to create and use the iSCSI target service on the QNAP NAS.
Manage LUN Backup/Restore/Snapshot by Command Line
QNAP NAS users can execute or stop the iSCSI LUN backup, restore, or snapshot jobs on the NAS by command line. Follow the instructions below to use this feature.
| Note: The following instructions should only be operated by IT administrators who are familiar with command line. |
1. First make sure the iSCSI LUN backup, restore, or snapshot jobs have been created on the NAS in “Disk Management” > “iSCSI” > “LUN Backup”.
2. Connect to the NAS by an SSH utility such as Putty.
3. Login the NAS as an administrator.
4. Input the command “lunbackup”. The command usage description will be shown.
5. Use the lunbackup command to start or stop an iSCSI LUN backup, restore, or snapshot job on the NAS.
