About Synology Multi-Site Synchronization

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How to ensure Data Consistency Across Distributed Environments?

Maintaining data consistency across multiple locations is crucial. Synology’s Multi-Site Synchronization feature offers a robust solution for organizations looking to keep their data synchronized across different geographic locations. In this blog, I will talk about the technical details of this powerful tool.

What is Multi-Site Synchronization?

Before we start, we need to know what is Multi-site synchronization.

Multi-site synchronization is a feature available on Synology NAS devices that allows for real-time or scheduled data replication between multiple Synology units located on different sites. This ensures that all locations have access to the most up-to-date files and folders, improving collaboration and data redundancy.

Synology offers all the essentials for multi-site deployments to seamlessly synchronize data so that teams can access whatever they need, wherever they are.

Key Components

Shared Folder Sync: The core mechanism that replicates data between Synology devices.
Synology Drive Server: Manages file versioning and conflict resolution.
Encrypted Connections: Ensures data security during transmission.

How It Works

Multi-Site Synchronization utilizes a combination of block-level and file-level synchronization:

Initial Sync: A full copy of the data is transferred to the target Synology NAS.
Incremental Sync: Only changed blocks or files are transferred thereafter, reducing bandwidth usage and sync time.
Bi-directional Sync: Changes made on any site are propagated to all other connected sites.

A solution for every scenario

There is a perfect private cloud design for every type of office. Synology solutions let any organization secure its data, streamline workflows, and use resources more efficiently. Let’s see examples below:

Multi-site syncing through hybrid cloud storage

Synchronize data between multiple locations with Synology Hybrid Share, the one-stop hybrid cloud service that leverages the power of Synology C2.

On-premises solutions for multi-site synchronization

Keep data synchronized between two or multiple Synology systems, or distribute files one-way to branches using only on-premises solutions.

Cloud service synchronization

Connect Synology systems to popular public cloud services for one-way or two-way synchronization, scheduled backups, and cross-site collaboration.

Synchronization and streaming to endpoints

Stream and synchronize files to devices intelligently and on-demand to save disk space and conserve network bandwidth.

Configuration Steps

Enable Shared Folder Sync on all participating Synology NAS devices.
Create sync tasks, specifying source and destination folders.
Configure sync schedules or enable real-time synchronization.
Set up bandwidth control to manage network usage (optional).

Multi-layered user management

Regulates different user types’ access to shared resources and services.

Directory service integration: Leverage Active Directory and LDAP integration with Access Control List (ACL) support to maintain unified management of users, groups, and permissions.
Advanced storage management: Manage access, editing, and sharing permissions for users and groups in detail, audit user behavior and resource use, and set storage quotas in Drive Admin Console.
File sharing for individuals: Give users intuitive tools to safely share files and folders, set file and folder permissions, and manage team storage, making collaboration effortless and secure.

Advanced Features

Conflict Resolution: Automated handling of conflicting changes with customizable policies.
Versioning: Keeps multiple versions of files for easy recovery.
Selective Sync: Allows synchronization of specific subfolders or file types.
Compression: Reduces data transfer size for improved performance over slower connections.

Best Practices

Use a dedicated high-bandwidth, low-latency network connection for synchronization.
Implement proper access controls to manage data modifications across sites.
Regularly monitor sync status and resolve any conflicts promptly.
Perform periodic integrity checks to ensure data consistency.

Limitations and Considerations

Synchronization performance depends on network conditions and data change rates.
Large files or frequent changes can impact sync times and network usage.
Proper planning is required to avoid circular synchronization conflicts in complex multi-site setups.

Conclusion

Synology’s Multi-Site Synchronization offers a powerful and flexible solution for organizations needing to maintain consistent data across multiple locations. By leveraging block-level replication, encryption, and advanced conflict resolution, it provides a robust framework for distributed data management.

Would you like me to elaborate on any specific aspect of Synology’s Multi-Site Synchronization? Click here.