Synology has shown a long-term vision when they released DSM 6.0. While DSM 6.1 is just a point release, it is a very strong release. A foundation that was laid in DSM version 6, has been fortified, stabilized and ready to take on new challenges. The following improvements will excite many people, including IT admins.
DSM 6.1 is Enterprise ready beast
Synology has placed its future in the BTRFS Linux files system. BTRFS is a next generation Linux file system which enables all the advanced features seen on a proprietary NAS boxes.
One of the benefits of BTFRS file system is self-healing, which can autodetect and recover corrupted files. That functionality is supported on RAID volumes type: RAID 1, 5,6,10 and SHR.
DSM 6.1 is a revolution for SOHO. Why do you ask? You won’t need a Microsoft Server for the Active Directory in your environment as you can install Active Directory server application on the DSM. That means that you can add users and join computers to a Synology directory server by joining a Windows PC to the domain hosted on a Synology DSM.
In addition to the awesome features, latest DSM features Encrypted folders for enhanced security. Just in case, Synology box goes to the wrong hands.
You can encrypt shared folders whenever you need. To make things easier, you can now auto-mount encrypted folders automatically by using a USB drive without memorizing encryption keys.
Resource Monitor enhanced
Resource monitor has seen many enhancements so that you can see a detailed report which applications utilize the most resources.You can see much more detailed information now. In addition, a new function called Performance Alarm is a new notification tool which will notify administrators about potential problems.
Storage manager
One of the additions in storage manager is one of the most requested features – migration from SHR-1 to SHR-2 disk redundancy. That means that you are no longer limited to your initial choice of SHR. Now you can improve protection by adding another HDD for increased data protection.
You will also be able to instantly copy file over SMB on your computer if both source and destination use the same Btrfs volume. To increase Account protection, Synology introduced brute-attack prevention, meaning that users accounts will have an additional layer of protection. Mac users will be glad to know that SMB is supported on Time Machine for MacOS Sierra OS. The best minor improvement is called Flexible update. It enables installation for minor fixes to be installed without a reboot, while updates that do require updates can be scheduled for the next maintenance window.
Private Cloud galore
Synology started a private cloud vision when they released Note station in DSM 5.2. They improved that vision by adding a Spreadsheet and Mail app. In the future, you can expect a full blown office package. Shared editing is now coming to the package, meaning that teams can work together, to create something amazing.
For the enterprise market, Synology introduced four new packages. The first is the updated Snapshot Replication application which introduces management tools to monitor and pauses ongoing tasks. In addition, it has the ability to replicate to a local volume for greater flexibility.
The second application is the latest version of Hyper Backup, it keeps backups safe with advanced integrity checks. It reduces storage consumption with enhanced data de-duplication. It allows users to customize and fine-tune versioning with retention policies
The third application is the latest version of Synology High Availability which finally supports running S.M.A.R.T. tests and enabling SSD TRIM on the master and the slave servers. It allows users to add a quorum server to reduce the chances of split-brain situations.
In the end, the latest beta release of Virtual DSM Manager lets users seamlessly migrate virtual instances of DSM between two Synology NASes. It can keep data stored on a third machine in order to avoid service downtime.
While only a point release, It’s one that I am really waiting for in order to improve the reliability of our data. What’s more, those features are only a fraction of all improvements. We ‘ll know more once they push out final release.
Leave a Reply