Overview

Synology Drive lets you mirror selected team folders between sites so each office can work locally and sync changes automatically.

Use it for distributed teams that share files daily and want the speed of local access.

When to use multi-site sync

Sync is best when edits happen in separate folders or when apps do not lock files extensively.

• Two offices collaborating on shared projects
• Studios with a main site and a satellite room
• Retail or clinic sites that need common reference files

Topologies that work

Pick a shape that matches your locations and governance.

• Two way between two offices
• Hub and spoke where a central NAS publishes to branches
• Separate sites linked over a VPN for private addressing

Requirements and preparation

Check versions, capacity, and connectivity before you start.

• Install Synology Drive Server on the primary and enable team folders
• Install Synology Drive ShareSync on partner sites
• Reserve free space for versioning and recycle bins
• Confirm stable DNS, time sync, and firewall rules

Plan folders, permissions, and conflicts

A little planning avoids surprises after go live.

• Sync only what sites truly need, keep local archives out of scope
• Use department based permissions and group membership
• Decide conflict behaviour and educate users on conflict files

Seeding and first sync

Shorten first sync windows and reduce bandwidth spikes.

• Seed by copying a baseline to portable storage and import at the remote site
• Run the first sync after hours and monitor logs
• Verify a sample set opens cleanly on both ends

Setup steps

A simple sequence to create a stable link.

• Enable team folders on the primary site
• On the remote site, add a connection in ShareSync and authenticate
• Map source folders to destinations and select versioning options
• Start sync and watch for initial errors

Bandwidth and scheduling

Keep links responsive for users while sync runs.

• Throttle during business hours and lift at night
• Exclude caches, temp files, and render folders
• Schedule parity checks and backups outside sync peaks

Monitoring and troubleshooting

Stay ahead of issues with light routines.

• Review ShareSync status and logs daily at first, then weekly
• Enable email alerts for failures and conflicts
• Document a rollback step using snapshots or backups

FAQs

Short answers to common questions.

• Is this for databases - avoid live databases, use app aware replication instead
• Can I pause a site - yes, pause and resume during maintenance windows
• Do permissions sync - user folders and permissions map when directory services align