How to migrate to a new Synology NAS
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When purchasing a new Synology NAS enclosure (we’ve rounded up thebest NASif you need help choosing), you don’t have to start fresh with clean hard drives. It’s possible to migrate between enclosures using a few methods. This guide will run you through steps to take to move between Synology NAS without losing data.
It’s always important to back up your data, especially before moving between server enclosures. Please back up all your data before carrying out these steps.
Hard drive migration
The easiest way to migrate from one Synology NAS to another is by swapping the hard drives. It’s possible to remove the drives from one NAS and simply insert them into another. The DSM OS (see ourDSM 7 review) will be able to detect the migration process and commence the switch.
Requirements
There are a few caveats, however:
Please see below for Synology NAS enclosures thatcannotbe used as the source for HDD migration:
So long as your current NAS isnotlisted above, you will be able to migrate to a new Synology enclosure. See the table below for what NAS you’ll be able to move to.
Please note that if your SSD cache will need to be removed before migrating the drives if:
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How to migrate hard drives (same NAS models)
The migration transfer process is now complete.
How to migrate hard drives (different NAS models)
That’s the migration process for different models complete. You’re now good to go!
Migration Assistant
Once complete, the new Synology NAS will need some configuration to take over the services from the old enclosure.
Seagate has a substantial collection of drives that are specifically designed for use inside NAS. The higher-capacity drives even have faster motors.
This range of official SSDs from Synology is perfect for the company’s NAS enclosures. If you want lower power draw, less noise, and better reliability than hard drives, look no further than the Synology SAT5200.
Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He’s been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at@RichEdmonds.
