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Virtualization has become the backbone of modern IT, and Proxmox VE stands out as one of the most popular open‑source platforms for running virtual machines and containers. But virtual machines are fragile—hardware failures, software corruption, ransomware attacks, or simple human errors can wipe out critical data in seconds. That’s why a robust backup strategy is non‑negotiable.
A Network Attached Storage (NAS) device offers an ideal destination for Proxmox backups—it’s centralized, scalable, and cost‑effective. But how exactly do you set up backups from Proxmox to a NAS? And which approach gives you the best balance of simplicity and protection?
In this guide, we’ll answer those questions by walking through two distinct approaches. The first is a straightforward, built‑in method that works right out of the box. The second is a professional solution that adds advanced capabilities for those who need them. By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of both options and be able to choose the one that fits your environment and requirements.
Storing backups on a Network Attached Storage (NAS)device offers several compelling advantages over local disks or public cloud storage:
Centralized & Scalable Storage – NAS consolidates backups from multiple Proxmox hosts into one location. As your data grows, you can easily expand capacity by adding more disks.
Hardware Redundancy – Most NAS devices support RAID (e.g., RAID 1, 5, 6, 10), protecting backups against a single disk failure.
Offloading Primary Storage – Keeping backups on a separate NAS frees up local storage on your Proxmox nodes and improves overall performance.
Cost‑Effective – Compared to public cloud storage with recurring fees, NAS offers a one‑time investment with predictable expansion costs, making it ideal for SMBs and homelabs alike.
Whether you’re running a small lab or a production data center, a NAS device provides the perfect balance of affordability, capacity, and reliability for your Proxmox backup needs.
Before diving into either backup method, you need to set up a shared folder on your NAS that will serve as the backup destination. The native Proxmox method requiresNFS, while i2Backup can work with eitherNFS or SMB. To keep your options open, we’ll configure both protocols in this section. Here we use a Synology NASas an example (steps are similar for QNAP, TrueNAS, etc.).
Step 1. Log in to your Synology DSM (or QNAP QTS) web interface.
Step 2. Open Control Panel → Shared Folder → Create → Create Shared Folder.
Step 3. Enter a name (e.g., Proxmox_Backup), select a volume, and set permissions.
Step 4. Note the folder path (e.g., /volume1/Proxmox_Backup) — you’ll need it later.
Step 1. In DSM, go to Control Panel → File Services → NFS → enable NFS.
Step 2. Click Edit next to your shared folder, then NFS Permissions.
Step 3. Add a rule:
Hostname or IP: Enter the IP address of your Proxmox host (or * for testing, but use specific IPs in production).
Privilege: Read/Write.
Squash: No mapping (or “Squash all users” depending on your DSM version).
Security: sys (or krb5 if you use Kerberos).
Step 4. Save and note the export path — this is the NFS mount point you’ll use in Proxmox (e.g., /volume1/Proxmox_Backup).
If you plan to use i2Backup (Method 2), your NAS also needs to support SMB file sharing:
Step 1. In DSM, go to Control Panel → File Services → SMB → enable SMB.
Step 2. Set the appropriate workgroup and advanced settings (SMB 3.0 recommended for encryption).
Step 3. Assign read/write permissions to a dedicated service account (e.g., backup_user) for the Proxmox_Backup shared folder.
Step 4. Record the UNC path: \\192.168.1.100\Proxmox_Backup — you’ll need this when configuring the backup repository in i2Backup.
Your NAS is now fully prepared for both backup methods. Next, we’ll start with the native Proxmox approach.
This method uses Proxmox VE’s built‑in backup functionality, which is simple, free, and reliable for small to medium environments. It stores full and incremental backups as .vma or .vma.zst files on an NFS share.
Step 1: Add the NFS Share as a Storage in Proxmox
1.In the Proxmox web GUI, select Datacenter → Storage → Add → NFS.
2. Fill in the details:
NAS-Backup).192.168.1.100)./volume1/Proxmox_Backup).3. Click Add. Proxmox will mount the NFS share automatically.
Step 2: Perform an On‑Demand Backup of a VM
1. Navigate to a VM in the Proxmox tree, select the Backup tab.
2. Click Backup now.
3. Configure the job:
NAS-Backup).
4. Click Backup. The task will start, and you can monitor progress in the Tasks panel.
5. Once completed, you’ll see the backup file in the NAS shared folder under dump/.
Step 3: Restore a VM from NAS Backup
1. Select the VM, go to the Backup tab, and choose a backup from the list.
2. Click Restore.
3. You can restore to the original VM or create a new VM with a different VM ID.
4. Adjust storage, disk format, and bandwidth limits if needed.
5. Click Restore and wait for the process to finish.
Step 4: Create a Scheduled Backup Job
1. Go to Datacenter → Backup → Add.
2. In the General tab:
3. In the Retention tab, set how many backups to keep (e.g., keep last 7 daily, 4 weekly, 6 monthly).
4. Click Create. The scheduled job will run automatically.
No built‑in deduplication or compression at the source.
Limited to NFS (no SMB support for backup storage).
No application‑aware backup for databases (only crash‑consistent).
No granular file‑level restore without extra tools.
No encryption at the backup source (only during transfer if you enable TLS).
For production environments or larger deployments, you may need a more advanced solution. Let’s explore that next.
i2Backup by Info2soft is a comprehensive backup and recovery platform designed for heterogeneous IT environments. Unlike the native Proxmox approach, i2Backup uses a lightweight agent deployed inside each VM to capture data with application‑aware precision, ensuring that databases and transactional systems are backed up in a fully consistent state. It supports a wide range of storage destinations—including SMB/CIFS shares on Synology, QNAP, and other NAS devices—making it a flexible and powerful choice for Proxmox backup to NAS.
Here are 4 highlightsthat make i2Backup an ideal choice for Proxmox environments.
Application‑Consistent Backups
It integrates with Windows VSS and Linux pre‑/post‑scripts to freeze application I/O during backup, guaranteeing that databases and transactional systems are captured in a recoverable, transaction‑consistent state.
Advanced Deduplication & Compression
It features source‑side variable‑block deduplication and compression that can reduce backup data size by up to 90%, dramatically lowering storage costs and network bandwidth usage.
Flexible Storage Options
While native Proxmox only supports NFS, it can write backups to SMB/CIFS shares, NFS, S3‑compatible object storage, local disks, ZFS, tape, and deduplication appliances—allowing you to use your existing NAS without changing protocols.
Comprehensive Recovery Choices
Beyond full VM recovery, it offers file‑level recovery, instant recovery (booting a VM directly from the backup repository), cross‑platform restoration (e.g., Proxmox to VMware), and object‑level recovery for databases.
| Feature | Native Proxmox Backup | i2Backup |
|---|---|---|
| Backup Type | Agent‑less (crash‑consistent) | Agent‑based (application‑consistent) |
| Supported Protocols | NFS only | SMB, NFS, object, local, tape, etc. |
| Deduplication | None | Source & target deduplication |
| Compression | Basic (ZSTD) | Advanced (multiple levels) |
| Encryption | Transfer only | At‑source, at‑rest (AES/SM4) |
| File‑Level Restore | Limited | Full file granularity |
| Instant Recovery | No | Yes (boot from backup) |
| Cross‑Platform Restore | No | Yes (Proxmox → VMware, etc.) |
| Cost | Free | Commercial (paid) |
| Best For | Homelab, small deployments | Enterprise, compliance, hybrid clouds |
Regardless of which method you choose, follow these guidelines to ensure reliable recoveries:
Separate backup network – Use a dedicated VLAN or physical NIC to isolate backup traffic from production, improving performance and security.
Enable NAS snapshots – If your NAS supports periodic snapshots (e.g., Synology Snapshot Replication), enable them to protect against ransomware that might encrypt the backup share.
Test restores regularly – Schedule quarterly restore drills to verify backup integrity and RTO.
Retention strategy – Balance storage costs with RPO: keep daily backups for 7 days, weekly for 4 weeks, and monthly for 6 months.
Monitor backup health – Set up alerts (email, Slack, etc.) to notify you of job failures.
Secure the NAS – Use strong passwords, disable default admin accounts, and restrict access by IP address.
Q1: Does i2Backup support agent‑less backup for Proxmox?
No—Proxmox does not expose a native API for agent‑less snapshot orchestration that i2Backup can leverage. i2Backup uses a proven agent‑based architecture to deliver application‑consistent backups, block‑level incrementals, and granular recovery. For Proxmox environments, this is the best practice for enterprise‑grade reliability.
Q2: Can I backup Proxmox VM to Synology NAS using the native method?
Yes. Simply configure an NFS share on your Synology and add it as storage in Proxmox. Follow Method 1 above for step‑by‑step instructions.
Q3: Does i2Backup support incremental backups of Proxmox VMs?
Yes. i2Backup supports full, incremental, and differential backups. Incremental backups are block‑level and capture only changed blocks, dramatically reducing backup time and storage footprint.
Q4: What about backing up Proxmox containers (LXC)?
Both native Proxmox and i2Backup can back up LXC containers. Native backup works similar to VMs; i2Backup can use agents inside the container (if privileged) or perform file‑level backup from the host.
Q5: Is i2Backup compatible with Proxmox VE 8?
Yes, i2Backup v9.1 supports Proxmox VE 7 and 8, including the latest kernel and QEMU versions.
Q6: How do I migrate from native Proxmox backups to i2Backup?
You can run both in parallel initially. Once i2Backup has created a full backup, you can remove the old NFS‑based storage and rely on i2Backup for all restore needs.
Backing up your Proxmox VMs to a NAS is a critical step in any data protection plan. The native Proxmox method is free, easy to set up, and sufficient for simple environments—especially when you only need NFS and basic scheduling. However, for production workloads, database consistency, granular recovery, and long‑term retention, i2Backup offers an agent‑based solution that unlocks enterprise features while still using your existing NAS hardware.
Whether you choose the simplicity of native tools or the robustness of i2Backup, the key is tostart backing up today—don’t wait for a disaster to test your backup strategy.
