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HybridMount

Last modified date: 2020-12-26

About HybridMount

HybridMount is a QNAP application that enables low-latency access to cloud storage through remote mounting of cloud services and remote devices. HybridMount also allows you to use caching for cloud services.


Getting Started

  1. Install HybridMount on your NAS.

    For details, see Installing HybridMount.

  2. Create a remote mount.

    For details, see the following topics:

Installation

Availability and Requirements

  • HybridMount is available in the QNAP App Center.

  • HybridMount runs on QNAP NAS devices with QTS version 4.4.1 or later.

  • A minimum storage space of 20 GB is required to create cache space for HybridMount.

Installing HybridMount

Important:

Before installing HybridMount, ensure that a system volume is configured on the NAS. For details, see the volumes section of the QTS User Guide.

  1. Log on to QTS as administrator.
  2. Go to App Center, and then click .

    A search box appears.

  3. Type HybridMount, and then press ENTER.

    The HybridMount application appears in the search results.

  4. Click Install.

    The installation window appears.

  5. Select the volume where you want to install HybridMount.
  6. Click OK.

    QTS installs HybridMount.

Overview

The Overview screen displays the number of used and total licensed connections, cache space information, and information on mounted cloud services and remote devices. On this screen you can purchase licenses, create a File Cloud Gateway or a Network Drive Mount.

Note:

To use caching for a mounted cloud service, you must create a remote mount via File Cloud Gateway.

Mounting Modes

HybridMount provides two mounting modes to help you create a hybrid cloud environment on your NAS.

Mode

Description

File Cloud Gateway

File Cloud Gateway mode allows you to mount cloud services and access their data in File Station and through protocols such as SMB, NFS, WebDAV, and FTP.

File Cloud Gateway mode also allows you to use caching for mounted cloud services by creating a thick cache space.

Note:

HybridMount only allows the creation of thick cache spaces.

For details on mounting cloud services using File Cloud Gateway, see Mounting a Cloud Service Using File Cloud Gateway.

Network Drive Mount

Network Drive Mount mode allows you to mount cloud services and remote devices and access their data in File Station.

For details on mounting remote devices, see Mounting a Remote Device.

Mount Management

The Mount Management screen displays all mounted cloud services and remote devices and provides access to configuration options.

Cloud Services

The Cloud Services screen allows you to view all cloud service connections. On this screen, you can enable or disable the connections, test the connection speed, view connection information, update the list of cached files for the connection, edit connection settings, or delete a connection.

HybridMount supports mounting the following cloud services:

  • Alibaba Cloud OSS

  • Amazon Drive

  • Amazon S3

  • Azure Storage

  • Backblaze B2

  • Box

  • Catalyst Cloud

  • Cynny Space

  • DigitalOcean

  • DreamObjects

  • Dropbox

  • Google Cloud Storage

  • Google Drive

  • hicloud S3

  • HiDrive

  • HKT

  • Huawei Cloud OBS

  • IBM Cloud

  • luckycloud S3

  • Microsoft OneDrive

  • OneDrive for Business

  • Oracle Cloud

  • QCloud IT

  • Qiniu

  • Rackspace

  • S3 Compatible

  • SharePoint

  • Swift

  • Wasabi

  • WebDav Cloud/Server

  • Yandex Disk

Mounting a Cloud Service Using File Cloud Gateway

File Cloud Gateway mode allows you to mount cloud services and use caching by creating a thick cache space.

Important:

  • One HybridMount license is required for each connection that uses caching. HybridMount provides two free licenses. You can purchase additional licenses in License Center.

  • When using caching, QTS or other applications will be able to access files in cloud storage. These files will be downloaded to the cache space on the device. Depending on your cloud service provider, you may incur additional data transfer costs.

  1. Open HybridMount.
  2. Click Create Remote Mount.

    A dialog box appears.

  3. Click Create File Cloud Gateway.

    The File Cloud Gateway Wizard appears.

    Tip:

    If there is no existing file cloud gateway, you can also click the Create File Cloud Gateway button under Cache Space on the Overview screen to access this window.

  4. Select a cloud service.
  5. Configure the selected cloud service.
    Important:

    Depending on the selected cloud service provider, you may need to log in, authenticate, or configure settings through a third-party interface.

  6. Specify a connection name that contains 1 to 64 characters.
  7. Select a destination folder.

    • All folders: Select all folders

    • Single folder: Select one folder

    • Multiple folders: Select several folders

  8. Select an upload policy.

    Policy

    Description

    Check for conflicts and rename local files

    Before uploading files, HybridMount checks if any of the files on the cloud have been modified by other users. If any files have been modified, HybridMount renames the local versions of the modified files before uploading them so that important modifications are not overwritten in the cloud.

    Important:

    • Selecting this option may affect update speed.

    • You may incur additional costs when checking files on the cloud.

    Update files without checking

    HybridMount overwrites existing files in the cloud without checking whether they have been modified.

    This option is recommended if no other user accesses this cloud service account. Selecting this option maximizes efficiency.
  9. Optional: Configure the file list update schedule.

    This option allows you to set a schedule for automatically updating the list of cached files.

    Note:

    This option is not available for some cloud services.

    1. Select Enable scheduled updates for file lists.
      Note:

      If scheduled updates are disabled when the file list is created, HybridMount will only update it once. You can manually update the file list in Mount Management.

    2. Select the frequency, days, and time period.
  10. Optional: Enable Use system proxy settings.
  11. Click Next.
  12. Create a cache space.
    1. Select a storage pool for the cache space.
    2. Specify the capacity of the cache space.
    3. Click and drag the sliders to modify the proportion of allocated cache space.

      • Maximum reserved cache: The maximum available space for reserved cache. Reserved cache is dedicated cache space for high-priority files, which are always kept in the local cache space.

      • Maximum write cache: The maximum available space for write cache

      • Minimum read cache: The minimum available space for read cache

  13. Select an auto-download setting.

    • Pre-download all recently edited files: Automatically download all recently edited files

    • Download all new versions stored in the local cache: Automatically download only modified versions of existing files in the local cache

    • Disable auto-download (Files will be downloaded only after they are accessed): Do not automatically download any files

  14. Click Create.

    The creation summary appears.

  15. Click Close.
    Tip:

    Click Create More to mount additional cloud services or remote devices.

  16. Click Close.

The mounted cloud service appears on the Cloud Services screen in HybridMount and in File Station as a shared folder.

Cloud storage mounted using the File Cloud Gateway mode are likewise considered shared folders and you can edit the Shared Folders settings in the Control Panel.

File Cloud Gateway Actions

You can perform any of the following actions for File Cloud Gateway connections on the Mount Management > Cloud Services screen.

Action

Steps

Re-establish the connection to a mounted cloud service

Click .

Important:

Depending on the selected cloud service provider, you may need to log in, authenticate, or configure settings through a third-party interface.

View cache space information

Click .

The Cache Space window appears.

The Cache Space window displays the real-time status of the cache space: its location, total capacity, allocated read, write, and reserved cache, and free space. It also displays the percentage of storage space used over time for the past seven days.

Tip:

Click Manage Cache Space to view the details of the cache space in Storage & Snapshots.

Configure advanced cache settings

  1. Click .

    The Cache Space window appears.

  2. Click Advanced Cache Settings.

  3. Click and drag the sliders to modify the proportion of cache space allocated to Maximum reserved cache, Maximum write cache, and Minimum read cache.

  4. Optional: Select Auto-download setting.

  5. Click Apply.

View connection information

  1. Click More.

  2. Select Information.

    The connection information appears.

Update the list of cached files for the connection

  1. Click More.

  2. Select Update Now.

Note:

This option is only available for object cloud storage connections.

Edit connection settings

  1. Click More.

  2. Select Edit.

    The Edit Mount window appears.

  3. Modify the settings.

  4. Click Apply.

View file upload information

  1. Click More.

  2. Select Uploads.

    The Uploads window appears.

    From this window, you can view the upload status of each file as well as the list of upload errors.

Note:

This option is only available for cloud services mounted via File Cloud Gateway mode.

Perform a speed test

  1. Click More.

  2. Select Speed Test.

    The Speed Test window appears.

  3. Click Speed Test.

    The system performs a speed test and displays the results.

    Tip:

    Click Speed Test again to perform another speed test.

  4. Click Close.

Modify cache priority settings

  1. Click More.

  2. Select Cache Priority.

    The Cache Priority window appears.

  3. Configure the priority of cached folders. Lowering the priority of infrequently used folders allows more efficient use of the cache volume.

    1. Click a cached folder.

    2. Select a priority:

      • Always keep in reserved cache: Files are always kept in the local cache.

      • Normal: Least-accessed files are removed first.

      • Low priority: These files are removed first.

  4. Click Apply.

Modify permissions for the cached folder

  1. Click More.

  2. Select File Share permission.

    The Edit Shared Folder Permission window appears in Control Panel > Privilege > Shared Folders.

  3. Modify the permissions for the folder.

  4. Click Apply.

    A confirmation message appears.

  5. Click Yes.

Switch to Network Drive Mount mode

Switching to Network Drive Mount mode allows you remove the cache for the connection.

Warning:

Removing the cache deletes all the cached data.

  1. Click More.

  2. Click Switch to Network Drive Mount mode.

    A confirmation message appears.

  3. Click OK.

Delete the connection

  1. Click More.

  2. Select Delete.

    A confirmation message appears.

  3. Click Yes.

Mounting a Cloud Service Using Network Drive Mount

  1. Open HybridMount.
  2. Click Create Remote Mount.

    A dialog box appears.

  3. Click Create Network Drive Mount.

    The Network Drive Mount Wizard appears.

  4. Select Cloud Services.
  5. Select a cloud service.
  6. Configure the selected cloud service.
    Important:

    Depending on the selected cloud service provider, you may need to log in, authenticate, or configure settings through a third-party interface.

  7. Specify a connection name that contains 1 to 64 characters.
  8. Click Create.

    The creation summary appears.

  9. Click Close.
    Tip:

    Click Create More to mount additional cloud services or remote devices.

The mounted cloud service appears on the Cloud Services screen in HybridMount and in File Station as a network drive.

Network Drive Mount Actions

You can perform any of the following actions for Network Drive Mount connections on the Mount Management > Cloud Services screen.

Action

Steps

View connection information

  1. Click More.

  2. Select Information.

    The connection information appears.

Edit connection settings

  1. Click More.

  2. Select Edit.

    The Edit Mount window appears.

  3. Modify the settings.

  4. Click Apply.

Perform a speed test

  1. Click More.

  2. Select Speed Test.

    The Speed Test window appears.

  3. Click Speed Test.

    The system performs a speed test and displays the results.

    Tip:

    Click Speed Test again to perform another speed test.

  4. Click Close.

Switch to File Cloud Gateway mode

Switching to File Cloud Gateway mode allows you to create and use a cache space for the connection.

Important:

  • One HybridMount license is required for each connection that uses caching. HybridMount provides two free licenses. You can purchase additional licenses in License Center.

  • When using caching, QTS or other applications will be able to access files in cloud storage. These files will be downloaded to the cache space on the NAS. Depending on your cloud service provider, you may incur additional data transfer costs.

Warning:

Switching modes will temporarily unmount and remount the connection. This may cause ongoing processes to fail.

  1. Click More.

  2. Click Switch to File Cloud Gateway mode.

    A confirmation message appears.

  3. Click Confirm.

  4. The File Cloud Gateway Wizard appears.

  5. Optional: Modify the upload policy for the cloud service.

    • Check for conflicts and rename local files: Before uploading files, HybridMount checks if any of the files on the cloud have been modified by other users. If any files have been modified, HybridMount renames the local versions of the modified files before uploading them so that important modifications are not overwritten in the cloud.

      Important:

      • Selecting this option may affect update speed.

      • You may incur additional costs when checking files on the cloud.

    • Update files without checking: HybridMount overwrites existing files in the cloud without checking whether they have been modified.

      This option is recommended if no other user accesses this cloud service account. Selecting this option maximizes efficiency.

  6. Optional: Configure the file list update schedule.

    This option allows you to set a schedule for automatically updating the list of cached files.

    Note:

    This option is not available for some cloud services.

    1. Select Enable scheduled updates for file lists.

      Note:

      If scheduled updates are disabled when the file list is created, HybridMount will only update it once. You can manually update the file list in Mount Management.

    2. Select the frequency, days, and time period.

  7. Click Next.

  8. Create a cache space.

    1. Select a storage pool for the cache space.

    2. Specify the capacity of the cache space.

      The volume type determines the maximum cache space capacity.

    3. Click and drag the sliders to modify the proportion of allocated cache space.

      • Maximum reserved cache: The maximum available space for reserved cache. Reserved cache is dedicated cache space for high-priority files, which are always kept in the local cache space.

      • Maximum write cache: The maximum available space for write cache

      • Minimum read cache: The minimum available space for read cache

  9. Click Apply.

    The mounted cloud service appears on the Cloud Services screen in HybridMount and in File Station as a shared folder.

    Cloud storage mounted using the Network Drive Mount mode are likewise considered shared folders and you can edit the Shared Folders settings in the Control Panel.

Delete the connection

  1. Click More.

  2. Select Delete.

    A confirmation message appears.

  3. Click Yes.

Cache Status

You can check the cache status for each File Cloud Gateway connection on the Mount Management > Cloud Services screen.

Status

Description

The list of cached files is up-to-date.

HybridMount is updating the list of cached files.

An error occurred while updating the list of cached files.

Remote Devices

The Remote Devices screen allows you to view all remote device connections. On this screen you can view connections by owner, enable or disable the connections, view the connection status, hostname, IP address, and other information, edit the connection settings, or delete a connection.

Mounting a Remote Device

  1. Open HybridMount.
  2. Click Create Remote Mount.

    A dialog box appears.

  3. Click Create Network Drive Mount.

    The Network Drive Mount Wizard window appears.

  4. Select Remote Devices

    The remote device settings appear.

  5. Perform one of the following actions.

    Action

    Steps

    Manually specify the device

    Specify the IP address, hostname, or webDAV URL of the device.

    Select a device

    1. Select a remote device from the table.

      Tip:

      Click to refresh the device list.

    2. Specify the account name.

    3. Specify the password.

    4. Click Connect.
    Tip:

    Click Change Host to specify a different remote device.

  6. Select a protocol.

    Protocol

    Description

    User Actions

    CIFS/SMB

    Microsoft Networking (CIFS/SMB) supports online streaming and thumbnail display. It allows a single folder to be mounted through your local network or when the NAS connects with a VPN service.

    1. Specify the account name.

    2. Specify the password.

    3. Specify the destination folder.

    4. Specify the connection name.

    5. Select Support multimedia playback and thumbnail display.

      Note:

      • The system will generate thumbnails on the remote device and allocate storage space for them.

      • If the remote device is a QNAP NAS, it must be running QTS 4.2 or later.

    6. Optional: Enable Share access to this mounted folder.

    FTP

    FTP allows you to mount remote folders to your NAS for easier access to remote data. You can mount either the FTP root folder or a specific subfolder inside the FTP root folder.

    1. Select a character encoding option.

    2. Specify the port number.

    3. Specify the account name.

    4. Specify the password.

    5. Select the destination folder.

    6. Specify a connection name.
    SFTP

    SFTP allows you to mount remote folders to your NAS for secure access to remote data via SSH.

    1. Specify the port number.

    2. Specify the account name.

    3. Specify the password.

    4. Select the destination folder.

    5. Specify a connection name.

    WebDAV

    Accessing files through WebDAV is similar to downloading files from a webpage as they both use the same tunnel. It allows a single folder to be mounted through local network or over the internet. WebDAV uses the HTTP protocol and the same HTTP port.

    1. Specify the port number.

    2. Specify the account name.

    3. Specify the password.

    4. Select the destination folder.

    5. Specify a connection name.

    NFS

    Network File System (NFS) allows you to access files on a remote device as if they were local files.

    1. Specify the destination folder.

    2. Specify the connection name.

    3. Optional: Enable Share access to this mounted folder.
  7. Optional: Select Automatically try to connect with other IPs of the device when disconnected.
    Note:

    This option is only available when you select a device from the list

  8. Click Create.

    The creation summary appears.

  9. Click Close.
    Note:

    Click Create More to mount additional remote devices.

The mounted device appears on the Remote Devices screen in HybridMount and in File Station as a network drive.

Remote Device Actions

You can perform any of the following actions on the Mount Management > Remote Devices screen.

Action

Steps

View connection information

  1. Click More.

  2. Select Information.

    The connection information appears.

Edit the connection

  1. Click More.

  2. Select Edit.

    The Edit Mount window appears.

  3. Modify the settings.

  4. Click Apply.

Enable shared folder access

  1. Click More.

  2. Select Enable shared folder access.

Note:

This option is only available for CIFS/SMB and NFS connections.

Disable shared folder access

  1. Click More.

  2. Select Disable shared folder access.

Note:

This option is only available for CIFS/SMB and NFS connections.

Delete the connection

  1. Click More.

  2. Select Delete.

    A confirmation message appears.

  3. Click Yes.

Enabling or Disabling a Connection

  1. Open HybridMount.
  2. Go to Mount Management.
  3. Click Cloud Services or Remote Devices.
  4. Under Connection Name, identify the connection that you want to enable or disable.
  5. Click the toggle switch.

Connection Status

You can check the status for each connection on the Mount Management screen.

Status

Description

Disabled

The connection is disabled.

Failed

HybridMount failed to connect to the remote device or cloud service.

Invalid

There is an error in the connection configuration and needs to be remounted.

Mounted

The cloud service or remote device is mounted and ready for use.

Mounting

HybridMount has created the connection and is currently mounting it.

Logs

Log Type

Description

Mount logs

These logs contain the summary of all successfully mounted remote devices and cloud services. On the Mount Logs screen, you can view and delete the latest 200 logs by owner. You can also remount devices or cloud services.

Speed test logs

These logs contain the summary of all speed tests performed for each mounted connection. On the Speed Test Logs screen, you can view or delete the 50 latest logs by owner and by connection.

Event logs

These logs contain the summary of all cache-related events. On the Event logs screen, you can view logs by severity level or search logs using keywords.

You can also configure notification settings. For more details, see the Notification Center section of the QTS User Guide.

Licenses

The Licenses screen allows you to view license details.

To purchase HybridMount licenses, click Purchase License. You will be redirected to QNAP Software Store, where you can browse and purchase licenses.

Permissions

The Permissions screen allows you to modify access permissions for HybridMount.

Modifying HybridMount Access Permissions

  1. Open HybridMount.
  2. Click Permissions.
  3. Select an option.

    Option

    Description

    Administrator

    Only the administrator can access HybridMount.

    Administrator group

    Only members of the administrator group can access HybridMount.

    Specific users

    Only specified users can access HybridMount.

    1. Select local or domain users.

    2. Select the users.
  4. Click Apply.

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