Paperless-ngx Backup to Synology NAS via NFS

Overview

This guide sets up automated, daily, incremental backups of Paperless-ngx running in a Proxmox LXC container to a Synology NAS.

The architecture ensures that even if the Proxmox host fails, all documents, metadata, and configurations are safely mirrored to external network storage.

Technical Implementation

1. Infrastructure (NFS & Mounts)

Detailed steps for creating the Synology shared folder, configuring NFS permissions, and mounting the share permanently on the Proxmox host.

• Guide: NFS Setup & Mount Proxmox to Synology

2. Automation (Rsync & Cron)

Detailed steps for installing prerequisites, creating the backup script, and scheduling it for daily execution.

• Guide: Paperless-ngx Rsync Backup Script & Automation

Backup Summary

• Frequency: Daily at 2:00 AM.
• Method: Rsync (Incremental Mirror).
• Storage: Synology NAS (paperless-backup shared folder).
• Paths:
  • Inside LXC: /data/paperless/ (Source) → /mnt/paperless-backup/ (Target)
  • Proxmox Host: /mnt/paperless-backup/

Recovery Process

To restore from backup:

1. Stop containers: docker compose down.
2. Sync data back: rsync -av /mnt/paperless-backup/media/ /data/paperless/media/.
3. Restart containers: docker compose up -d.

Troubleshooting & Maintenance

• Logs: Check /var/log/paperless-backup.log on the Proxmox host.
• Verification: Run du -sh /mnt/paperless-backup/ periodically to check growth.
• Security: NFS access is limited to the local subnet.

System Architecture

graph TD
    A[Paperless in Docker LXC] -->|/data/paperless/| B(Bind Mount to Host)
    B -->|/mnt/paperless-backup/| C{Proxmox Host}
    C -->|NFS Protocol| D[Synology NAS]
    D -->|volume1/paperless-backup/| E[Final Storage]