Synology Active Backup for Business: Protecting PCs, Servers and Virtual Machines

Active Backup for Business is Synology's backup software for organisations. Installed on a supported Synology NAS, it makes the NAS a central backup server that pulls copies of company computers on a schedule: Windows and Mac PCs, Windows and Linux servers, virtual machines and file servers. Synology provides it without a per-device licence fee on compatible models, which is its main attraction for small and mid-sized businesses that would otherwise pay a subscription for every machine. It keeps multiple versions, stores unchanged data only once to save space, and can restore a single file or an entire machine. It is a backup tool; it still needs an off-site copy and a tested recovery process around it.

What can it back up?

Supported operating system and hypervisor versions change with each release. Check Synology's current compatibility list for the exact versions you run before planning around it. Cloud services are handled by separate Synology packages; see Synology NAS for Microsoft 365 backup.

Source: Synology Active Backup for Business documentation. Compiled 12 Nov 2026.

How does it work?

1. Install the package on the NAS and activate it with a Synology account.
2. Add devices. PCs and physical servers get a small agent; virtual machines are added by connecting to the hypervisor; file servers by address and credentials.
3. Set a template. Schedule, how many versions to keep, and which volumes.
4. First backup is full; later ones copy only what changed.
5. Deduplication stores identical blocks once across all devices, so twenty PCs with the same operating system do not consume twenty copies of it.
6. Restore through a portal for single files, or with recovery media for a whole machine.

Administration is central: one console shows which machines are protected, which jobs failed and how much space is used.

What does it need?

• A compatible NAS. The package runs on selected models, generally the Plus series and above, with volumes on the Btrfs file system. Entry-level models are not supported. Confirm the model on Synology's package compatibility page.
• Capacity. Enough for the first full backups plus retained versions.
• Memory. Deduplication and many simultaneous jobs benefit from more RAM in the NAS.
• Network. The first full backup of every machine is the heavy one. Wired connections and a multi-gigabit NAS link shorten it.

CALC. Twenty PCs with an average of 150GB in use: 20 x 150 = 3,000GB before deduplication. Add two servers at 500GB each: 3,000 + 1,000 = 4,000GB. Deduplication will reduce this, but by how much depends on how similar the machines are, so plan capacity on the undeduplicated figure plus room for versions: 4,000 x 1.5 = 6,000GB, about 6TB usable, as a starting estimate.

What are its limits?

• It is one copy. If the NAS is lost, so are the backups. Replicate to a second device or a cloud target. See the 3-2-1 backup rule.
• Laptops must be reachable. A notebook that is rarely in the office or on the VPN is rarely backed up.
• Version support lags. Very new or very old operating systems may not be covered.
• It does not make the NAS immune. Protect the NAS's own accounts and use protected snapshots where the model supports them. See ransomware and backups.
• Restores still need testing. Especially full-machine recovery to different hardware.
• Large enterprises with many sites, strict compliance reporting or very large virtual estates may need a dedicated backup platform.

Its value is not a clever feature. It is that every machine in the company is backed up to one place, on a schedule, without anyone having to remember.

How does it compare with other approaches?

The fuller comparison is in NAS vs cloud backup vs external SSD.

Does it suit AI workstations?

Partly. It can image a Windows or supported Linux workstation, which protects the system and configuration. For large model files and datasets, a scheduled file-level sync to a NAS share with snapshots is usually the better fit, since those files are huge and change in different ways. See how to back up AI models, datasets and checkpoints.

Buying in Singapore

Plus-series NAS suited to central backup: the Synology DS925+ 4-bay (S$1,260), DS1525+ 5-bay (S$1,800) and DS1825+ 8-bay (S$2,148), with Seagate IronWolf Pro drives from S$390. For a purpose-built backup appliance, the Synology ActiveProtect DP320 (S$2,611.20) or DP340 (S$6,526.80) (listed 12 Nov 2026; prices change; ask for a current quotation). Tell us how many PCs, servers and virtual machines you have and we will confirm package support for the model before quoting. To start, use Request for Quotation on the product page, call (65) 6978 3502, email Sales@sourceit.com.sg or use our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

What is Synology Active Backup for Business? It is Synology's backup software that runs on supported NAS models and centrally backs up PCs, physical servers, virtual machines and file servers, with versioning and deduplication.

Is Active Backup for Business free? Synology provides it without per-device licence fees on compatible NAS models. You pay for the NAS and drives. Confirm current terms and model support with Synology.

Which Synology NAS models support Active Backup for Business? Selected models, generally the Plus series and above, using Btrfs volumes. Entry-level models are not supported, so check the package compatibility list for the specific model.

Does Active Backup for Business replace off-site backup? No. It creates a backup on the NAS. A second copy on another device or in the cloud is still needed to survive loss of the NAS or the site.