How do I migrate data between Synology NAS (DSM 6.0 and later)?
Last updated:Jul 21, 2023
How do I migrate data between Synology NAS (DSM 6.0 and later)?
Purpose
The migration process moves your system and data from an old Synology NAS to a new one. Depending on your Synology product or individual setup, Synology provides three methods to perform migration:1
This article explains the differences between the three methods and their respective limitations to help you choose the most suitable method. In this article, the following terms will be used:
- Source Synology NAS device: The original Synology NAS from which data is moved.
- Destination Synology NAS device: The Synology NAS to which data is moved.
Notes:
- Migrating between Synology NAS and IP SAN is not supported.
- If you simply want to copy data to another Synology NAS, try using Shared Folder Sync, SMB, or FTP instead.
Environment
- This article is for DSM 6.0 or above. If you are using an older version of DSM, refer to this article instead.
- Performing migration requires Web Assistant (or the latest Synology Assistant version).
- We recommend migrating to a Synology NAS with better hardware specifications to ensure that all packages and services will work properly after migration. Refer to the product datasheet of your destination NAS for DSM specifications.
- Migrating drives from newer models to older models or discontinued models is not recommended. If such migration is executed, there is a high possibility that all DSM configurations and package settings may be lost in the process. User data in the volumes will remain intact. However, shared folder quota might be disabled permanently.
- Not all Synology NAS models support the same features. You will not be able to use the following services if they're not supported by the destination NAS:
- RAID F1/SHR (SHR-2)
- Btrfs file system on volumes
- iSCSI LUN/virtualization
- SSD cache/TRIM
- Volume encryption
- WriteOnce and immutable snapshots
- HFS+ read/write on external drives
- Packages that are designed for specific Synology NAS
- The migration methods mentioned in this article allow you to keep most of your data. However, we strongly recommend backing up the following data before starting:
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Item
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Backup Method
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Shared folders and selected packages
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Download Hyper Backup from Package Center. Launch Hyper Backup and click the Create icon > Data backup task. Follow the wizard instructions to perform backup.
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System configurations
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Go to Control Panel > Update & Restore > Configuration Backup and click Back up Now to back up the following configurations:
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License keys
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Licensed packages may have different migration policies.
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Photo Station Blog posts (Applicable only to DSM 6.2 and earlier)
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Launch Photo Station > Settings > Blog > Backup, click Start.
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Resolution
Choosing the right migration method for you
Deciding on the right migration method is crucial. Follow the below decision tree to determine which migration method is most suitable. Then, continue on to Migration method comparison tables to make sure it is the best choice for you.
Migration method comparison tables
The tables below compare these three methods. Additional details are provided in the individual articles. Please make sure you fully understand the limitations of each migration method before you begin.
General Specifications
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Description
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Migrating by cloning the system configurations, packages, and data from the source NAS to the destination NAS
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Manually take out the drives from the source NAS and insert them into the destination NAS
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Migrating by backing up data via Hyper Backup on the source NAS and restoring them using Hyper Backup on the destination NAS
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Usage scenario
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Advantages
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Disadvantages
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System-Related Specifications
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DSM version
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The DSM version on the destination NAS must be the same as or newer than the version on the source NAS. After migration, the DSM version on the destination NAS will remain unchanged
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The DSM version on the destination NAS must be the same as or newer than the version on the source NAS (e.g., migrating from a DS920+ running DSM 7.0 to a DS920+ running DSM 6.2 is not allowed)
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File system
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Cannot be changed
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The destination NAS must support the required file system. If not, the volumes cannot be mounted and data stored on the volumes cannot be accessed
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Can be changed
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Storage type
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Storage Pool and RAID type can be configured based on the available drives on the destination NAS, but the file system of the volumes cannot be changed
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The settings of the storage pool and volume will remain the same
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Storage pool and volume can be reconfigured
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Items migrated
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Data (volumes and block-level LUNs), all packages, and most system configurations
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Data, all packages, and most system configurations
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Selected data, selected packages, and system configurations supported by Configuration Backup
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HDD migration limitations
Model limitations
Source/Destination model pairing
HDD/SSD Compatibility
SSD Cache
Notes:
- If you fit into any of the following scenarios, you may not be able to migrate even if your source and destination devices have the same drive number and capacity. Instead, use more drives or drives with higher capacity on the destination device to create a larger storage pool.
- Your source and destination devices have different RAID type and Multiple volume support settings in Storage Manager.
- The storage pool on the source device was created in DSM 7.0 or earlier, but the destination device has been clean-installed with DSM 7.1 or later.
- The storage pool on the source device was created in DSM 7.0 or earlier, but a Factory Reset has been performed via Control Panel > Update & Restore > System Reset on the destination device running DSM 7.1 or later.
- If your source NAS is broken and you force migrate when you are advised to remove SSD cache first, the data in the volumes will not be accessible after migration.
- For example, you cannot migrate drives from a DS1513+ running DSM 6.2 to a DS1010+ that had previously installed DSM 5.2, because DS1010+ does not support DSM 6.2.
- Always update the packages and the DSM version on the source NAS to the latest available versions.
- We recommend migrating to a Synology NAS with better hardware specifications to ensure that all packages and services will work properly after migration. Refer to the product datasheet of your destination NAS for DSM specifications.
- If the source NAS currently uses RAID F1, please ensure RAID F1 is supported by the destination NAS.
- M.2 SATA and M.2 NVMe are different types of SSDs. Refer to this article for more information.