Backup TrueNAS to Z1 Storage with Cloud Sync Tasks

09 July 2026 Backup Clients

TrueNAS cloud sync task pushing to Z1 Storage

TrueNAS ships with built-in cloud sync, so your ZFS-protected data can also have an off-site, S3-hosted copy — no plugins required. This guide connects TrueNAS to Z1 Storage and sets up a scheduled push of your datasets, completing the off-site leg of the 3-2-1 backup strategy.

Z1 Storage settings at a glance: Endpoint: https://s3.z1storage.com | Provider: Amazon S3 (S3-compatible) | Access keys: from your client area

Prerequisites

  • A TrueNAS SCALE or TrueNAS CORE system
  • A Z1 Storage account with a bucket created for your NAS, plus your access key and secret key

Step 1: Add Z1 Storage credentials

  1. In the TrueNAS web UI, go to Credentials → Backup Credentials → Cloud Credentials (SCALE) or System → Cloud Credentials (CORE) and click Add.
  2. Configure:
    • Name: Z1 Storage
    • Provider: Amazon S3
    • Access Key ID / Secret Access Key: your Z1 Storage keys
  3. Open the Advanced Settings and set:
    • Endpoint URL: https://s3.z1storage.com
    • Region: leave empty
  4. Click Verify Credential — you should see a success message — then save.

Step 2: Create the cloud sync task

  1. Go to Data Protection → Cloud Sync Tasks and click Add.
  2. Choose the Z1 Storage credential; your buckets are listed automatically.
  3. Configure the task:
    • Direction: PUSH
    • Transfer Mode: SYNC keeps the bucket an exact mirror of the dataset (deletions propagate); COPY only adds and updates files, never deletes — safer if you want the bucket to accumulate history.
    • Source: the dataset or directory to protect
    • Target: your bucket and a folder for this system, e.g. truenas-office
  4. Under advanced options you can enable remote encryption (rclone-style client-side encryption — store the password safely; it cannot be recovered), set bandwidth limits, and adjust transfers for parallel uploads on fast lines.
  5. Set the schedule — nightly is a sensible default.
  6. Save, then use Dry Run to preview exactly what the task will transfer before the first real run.

Step 3: Run and verify

Run the task manually once and watch the transfer log. Afterwards, verify the objects arrived — via the Z1 web interface, Cyberduck or the AWS CLI — and do a small test restore by pulling a file back.

Notes

  • ZFS snapshots protect you from local mistakes; the cloud sync protects you from local disasters. Use both.
  • If you choose SYNC mode, consider enabling bucket versioning (managed in your client portal) so files deleted from the NAS remain recoverable from earlier versions in the bucket.
  • Data stays in South Africa: POPIA-friendly, low-latency, with uploads free and flat R0.30/GB/month pricing. Sign up — first 10GB free.
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