Serve Cloud Files from NAS

[chuckygobyebye]

Hi, I see that there's lots of apps I can install that will sync files with my Qnap NAS, but my NAS is filling up and I want to archive files to the cloud but serve them up to users in much the same way I do now.

The Remote Mount feature in the File Manager performs this function but it's per-user. What I'd like is to be able to link a cloud storage account to the NAS, make it read-only for users and share it out either via File Manager or SAMBA. Does anything like this exist?

Thanks in advance,

Dan

[OneCD]

Hey Dan.

I’m not aware of a supported method to do this (but it’s a feature that has been requested a few times).

An unsupported method might be to bind-mount from the remote mount-point used by File Station into one of your existing shares.

[chuckygobyebye]

Thanks for your reply.

It would be really nice to have cloud storage served out transparently via the normal methods on the Qnap without the need to sync the files locally. I'm planning to use the cloud for nearline storage so users don't have to bug me every time they want to look in the archive.

I'd like to give bind-mount a go as the data will be read-only and will only get looked at occasionally. Do I need to do this from the shell and where do I find the remote mount point in there?

Cheers,

Dan

[OneCD]

Do I need to do this from the shell

Yes. And you'll need to be familiar navigating the directory tree and working at the CLI.

... and where do I find the remote mount point in there?

After remote-mounting your share via File Station, SSH into your NAS as the 'admin' user and check this location:

Code: Select all

/mnt/rf/cd/500/(then what appears to be a session ID)/

[chuckygobyebye]

Thanks for that. I did have a look in fs but saw a folder called cd and thought typing 'cd cd' would cause a hole in the space-time continuum.

I've managed to mount a dropbox account into a share and browse to it via File Manager. I'm not sure if it's working in SAMBA because I didn't have the right permissions at first and applying the correct ones seems to be a bit funny. But otherwise it looks like a great way to set up nearline storage via our Qnap.

[chuckygobyebye]

So I've been fooling around with this and have run into a problem. Everything works fine, for me, but I can't change the permissions on the new mount -- I believe it's read only? So I'm kind of back where I started. I don't think i can set the permissions on the remote mount to make them readable to other users.

[OneCD]

So I've been fooling around with this and have run into a problem. Everything works fine, for me, but I can't change the permissions on the new mount -- I believe it's read only?

Can you please post the current permissions, and how you attempted to change them?

[chuckygobyebye]

Hi OneCD,

Thanks for your reply. I create a new share and set appropriate permissions and then mount the cloud folders in it. The result is that permissions remain the same on the share but the new folders have permission for me only. If I try to re-apply permissions via the web interface (apply changes to files and subfolders) which grinds away for a while but doesn't change anything.

I believe that what's happening is that the permissions are coming from the initial mounting of the cloud drive, but I can't change the permissions there. Is it possible to control the permissions presneted via SAMBA from the command line?

Cheers,

Dan

[OneCD]

I believe that what's happening is that the permissions are coming from the initial mounting of the cloud drive, but I can't change the permissions there. Is it possible to control the permissions presneted via SAMBA from the command line?

Sorry, I don't know. This was an untested idea, so I've not had to troubleshoot it.

Maybe someone else can advise?