SMB / CIFS

Store backups on a Windows share, NAS, or any SMB/CIFS-compatible network storage.

Configuration

Credential Profile required

SMB requires a Credential Profile of type USERNAME_PASSWORD. Create one in Settings → Vault → Credentials before saving the destination. For anonymous access, the credential profile username defaults to guest with no password.

Field	Description	Default	Required
Name	Friendly name for this destination	-	✅
Address	UNC share path (e.g. //server/share)	-	✅
Primary Credential	USERNAME_PASSWORD credential profile (username + password)	-	❌
Domain	Windows domain / workgroup	-	❌
Max Protocol	Highest SMB protocol version to use	SMB3	❌
Path Prefix	Subfolder within the share	-	❌

Protocol Versions

Protocol	Notes
SMB3	Default, recommended - encrypted transport
SMB2	Fallback for older NAS devices
NT1	SMB1 legacy - use only if required

Setup Guide

1. Create a USERNAME_PASSWORD credential profile in Settings → Vault → Credentials (guide)
2. Ensure the SMB share is accessible from the DBackup server
3. Create a dedicated user with write access to the share (recommended)
4. Go to Destinations → Add Destination → SMB / CIFS
5. Enter the Address in UNC format: //hostname-or-ip/sharename
6. Select the credential profile in the Primary Credential picker (or leave empty for anonymous access)
7. (Optional) Set Domain if authenticating against a Windows domain
8. (Optional) Set Path Prefix for a subfolder within the share
9. Click Test to verify the connection

NAS Devices

Synology, QNAP, TrueNAS, and OpenMediaVault all support SMB shares. Create a dedicated share and user for backups in your NAS admin panel.

How It Works

• DBackup mounts the SMB share temporarily for each operation, then unmounts
• Files are written directly to the share - same behavior as local storage
• All credentials are stored AES-256-GCM encrypted in the database
• smbclient must be available in the DBackup container (included in the default Docker image)

Troubleshooting

Connection Refused

NT_STATUS_CONNECTION_REFUSED

Solution: Verify the server address and that SMB is enabled. Check the firewall allows port 445.

Access Denied

NT_STATUS_ACCESS_DENIED

Solution: Check username, password, and domain. Ensure the user has write permission on the share. For guest access, ensure the share allows anonymous connections.

Protocol Negotiation Failed

NT_STATUS_INVALID_NETWORK_RESPONSE

Solution: Try lowering Max Protocol to SMB2 or NT1. Some older NAS firmware doesn't support SMB3.

Share Not Found

NT_STATUS_BAD_NETWORK_NAME

Solution: Verify the share name is correct. List available shares: smbclient -L //server -U username.

Next Steps

• Enable Encryption
• Configure Retention
• Storage Explorer