This is recommended if there are a lot of files on the NAS share that haven't changed recently.

This uses a deterministic approach and performs file system scans efficiently.

Note: Phoenix initiates an automatic discovery of shares on the NAS device as soon as you add or edit the NAS device.

Note: Check for supported NAS vendors in the above article.

Note: Select a Windows / Linux Server with Good Resources and install the software package.

Note: The IPC$ share must be accessible with the provided device credentials.

Downloads Page

Settings Page

Management Console -> Protect -> NAS -> All Devices - > Add Proxy

Verify the connection between the server and Druva.

The Agent Client service should be in Running mode.

Windows: ​(start-run-services.msc)
​Agent Version 6.x.x: Hybrid Workloads Agent Client Service
​Agent version 7.x.x or later: Druva-EnterpriseWorkloads Service

Linux:
​Agent Version 6.x.x: /etc/init.d/Phoenix status
​Agent version 7.x.x or later: service Druva-EnterpriseWorkloads status

The status of the NAS proxy on Druva console should show “Connected”.​

Druva executables should be added to the exclusions of Anti-virus.
(If not done, the anti-virus keeps the .exe on HOLD and the backup will stay in Queued state)

A NAS Proxy must have at least 10% free space.

(This is a minimum requirement for the OS to run any operation smoothly).

Verify that you are able to map/ mount the NAS Share on the NAS proxy

Do not cancel the job as

If Encrypted files are scheduled for backup.

If an application has an exclusive lock.

Backups will run as per the backup schedule set in the backup policy.

To run manual backup, use the Backup Now option.

Management Console -> Protect -> NAS -> NAS Device - > Backup Sets

select the Backupset Name -> Backup Now

Don't map a NAS Proxy to multiple organizations: A NAS Proxy (Hybrid Workloads agent) can only be registered and configured under a single organization.

Don't use the wrong OS proxy for your share type: Do not attempt to map an SMB share to a Linux proxy, or an NFS share to a Windows proxy. SMB shares require a Windows proxy, and NFS shares require a Linux proxy.

Don't use unsupported filename patterns in exclusion rules: Do not use partial wildcards like img* or img*.jpg to include/exclude files. They are unsupported. Instead, use a full wildcard wrapper like *img*.

Don't cancel the initial backup job: The very first backup job will execute a full data scan and might take a significant amount of time if there are millions of small files. Do not cancel it, as it will deliberately bypass the defined backup window to ensure baseline completion.

Don't prefix the share name in custom paths: When defining a custom content path for an SMB share backup set, do not prefix it with the share name (e.g., enter Folder\Subfolder, not \ShareName\Folder\Subfolder).

Don't copy or duplicate a backup set name: While you can create multiple backup sets with identical configurations (content rules, proxies, and policies) across different shares, you cannot use the same backup set name. Every backup set name must be unique.

Don't let the NAS Proxy OS storage drop below 10%: Do not let the host operating system running the proxy fall below 10% free space, as this is the minimum requirement for the agent to process backups smoothly.

Don't run outdated agent versions: Druva stops supporting Hybrid Workload agents that are more than a year old from their release date. Avoid letting your proxy agents expire past the End of Support (EOS) window.
​

Do enable USN Journaling for empty folders: If you want to successfully back up and restore empty folders on SMB shares, ensure that the USN journal is explicitly enabled on the source environment.

Do create separate backup policies for SMB and NFS shares: Always segregate your policies by share type to optimize performance and scheduling.

Do add Druva executables to your Anti-Virus exclusions: Ensure your antivirus or third-party encryption software whitelists the Druva agent processes (Druva-EnterpriseWorkloads Service). If omitted, the AV scanner may hold the .exe files, causing backups to remain stuck in a "Queued" state.

Do leave "Ignore backup window for first backup" enabled: Keep this recommended setting active in your backup policy so that the initial full file system scan finishes completely without being cut off by a time window restriction.

Do configure exclusion rules for temporary files: To prevent backup jobs from concluding with a "Successful with errors" warning due to open or locked runtime application files (like Microsoft Office temporary files), add the wildcard pattern *~* under the File Exclusions section.

Do verify share mountability directly from the proxy: Before configuring Druva console settings, always manually verify that the proxy server itself can ping, map, or mount the NAS share (via Map Network Drive on Windows or mount on Linux).

Do leverage Smart Scan / Advanced Smart Scan: If your NAS share hosts a massive volume of files that rarely modify, utilize Druva's Advanced Smart Scan feature to optimize file system tree traversal and reduce backup windows efficiently.