Synology
Synology Inc. (Chinese: 群暉科技; pinyin: Qúnhuī Kējì) is a Taiwanese corporation that specializes in Network-attached storage (NAS) appliances. Synology’s line of NAS is known as the DiskStation for desktop models, FlashStation for all-flash models, and RackStation for rack-mount models. Synology's products are distributed worldwide and localized in several languages. Synology's headquarters are located in Taipei, Taiwan, with subsidiaries located around the world.
Native name | 群暉科技股份有限公司 |
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Private | |
Industry | Network-attached storage |
Founded | January 2000 |
Founder |
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Headquarters | , |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | |
Products |
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Subsidiaries | Synology America Corp. Synology France SARL Synology GmbH Synology UK Ltd |
Website | www |
In 2018, product review website Wirecutter described Synology as a longtime "leader in the small-business and home NAS arena", albeit still a newcomer in the field of Wi-Fi routers.[1]
Company history
Synology Inc. was founded in January 2000 when Cheen Liao and Philip Wong left Microsoft to pursue an independent project. Liao was a development manager in the Microsoft Exchange Server Group, while Wong was a Sales Director for Microsoft in Taiwan. The two began to write a new operating system called Filer OS based on Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD), which was to be used with Fastora NAS hardware to create a NAS solution. To integrate their NAS software tightly with hardware, Synology released its first complete solution in 2004, the DiskStation DS-101. Since the release of its first DiskStation, Synology Inc. has grown to about 650 employees worldwide. Liao and Wong are still with the company, with Liao serving as President of Synology America Corp. and Wong serving Chairman of Synology Inc.
Company milestones
- January 2000
- Synology Inc. founded
- March 2003
- Research and Development started for:
- DiskStation Manager (DSM), based on the Linux Kernel
- DiskStation DS-101
- Research and Development started for:
- March 2004
- DiskStation DS-101 launched[2]
- March 2005
- May 2006
- First Synology 4-bay NAS is released, christened the Cube Station CS-406[4] along with a rack-mounted version, the RackStation RS-406.[5] The RS-406 is Synology’s first product where its hard drives are hot-swap capable.
- The name "Cube Station" is currently no longer used on Synology's products and was present only for products released during 2006 and 2007.
- First Synology 4-bay NAS is released, christened the Cube Station CS-406[4] along with a rack-mounted version, the RackStation RS-406.[5] The RS-406 is Synology’s first product where its hard drives are hot-swap capable.
- June 2006
- Synology America Corp. opens in Bellevue, Washington, United States
- October 2006
- Launch of Synology Community Forum, a place where users can gather and post tips, tricks, and ask questions regarding how to use the DiskStation in their environments.
- October 2007
- Launch of Synology wiki, an extension of the Synology Community Forum, a place where community users, and Synology, can document various procedures in using the DiskStation on the network.
- February 2008
- Synology UK Ltd opens in Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom
- March 2008
- Release of DSM 2.0,[6] first DSM to feature AJAX-based technology and a complete redesign of the DSM GUI. Added an additional capability, Surveillance Station, effectively converting the DiskStation into a network video recorder (NVR).
- April 2008
- First DiskStation to feature 5-bays, the DS508, is released.[7] The DS508 is the first DiskStation to have its hard drives be hot-swap capable.
- March 2009
- DSM 2.1 is released.[8] New features: GUI update, RAID-5+Spare support, JBOD Support, and storage scalability.
- DS509+ and RS409+[9] released as storage scalable models, with their companion expansion enclosures, the DX5 and RX4.
- September 2009
- DSM 2.2 is released.[10] New features: iSCSI Target support, iPhone mobile access, additional management tools.
- January 2010
- First DiskStation to use x86 Architecture is released, the DiskStation DS1010+.[11]
- March 2010
- September 2010
- DSM 3.0 is released,[13] the first desktop-style, Multitasking DSM GUI. New features: completely revamped GUI supporting multi-tasking management, Windows ACLs, ext4, improved iSCSI Support, support for ONVIF and PSIA cameras, and IP cameras up to 5 MP.
- March 2011
- April 2011
- May 2011
- Synology GmbH opens in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
- June 2011
- September 2011
- DSM 3.2 is released.[17] New features: LDAP directory support, integrated HTML5 & CSS3, improved SHR-volume build speed, improve support for Mac OS X Lion.
- February 2012
- Synology launches DS1812+,[18] Synology’s first native 8-bay scalable DiskStation that can scale to 18-bays worth of storage, up to 72 TB with 4TB hard drives
- March 2012
- DSM 4.0 is released.[19] New features: GUI refresh, Cloud Station to synchronize files between various client computers, Package Center for managing modular DSM Applications, enhanced mobile device support including Amazon Kindle Fire, and fisheye camera support in Surveillance Station.
- Synology France SARL opens in Suresnes, France.
- August 2012
- March 2013
- Synology France moves from Suresnes, France to Courbevoie, France.
- DSM 4.2 is released[21] New Features: LUN Snapshot and Clone, Global Hot Spare Disks, S.M.A.R.T. Test Scheduler, Volume Creation and Expansion Enhancements, performance improvements on AFP, network backup, rysnc, Share Folder sync, addition of SMB2, TFTP, PXE, Two-step verification, and other management improvements.
- August 2013
- January 2014
- DSM 5.0 Beta is released (2014-01-24)
- March 2014
- DSM 5.0 is released.
- November 2014
- DSM 5.1 is released. (2014-11-07)[24]
- May 2015
- DSM 5.2 is released. (2015-05-12)[25]
- October 2015
- March 2016
- DSM 6.0 is released. (2016-03-24)[28]
- November 2016
- February 2017
- DSM 6.1 is released. (2017-02-21)[31]
- October 2017
- DSM 6.2 Beta is released. (2017-10-05)[32]
- May 2018
- DSM 6.2 is released. (2018-05-23)[33]
Product overview
Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM)
Synology’s primary product is the Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM), a Linux-based software package that is the operating system for the DiskStation and RackStation products. The Synology DSM is the foundation of the DiskStation, which integrates the basic functions of file sharing, centralized backup, RAID storage, multimedia streaming, virtual storage, and using the DiskStation as a network video recorder. Synology also provides free mobile applications for its users, including support for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, and Kindle Fire.
Synology DiskStation
The Synology DiskStation is the network attached storage (NAS) appliance which is produced to run the Synology DSM OS. The DiskStation is a pedestal/tower embedded NAS appliance, which ranges from one bay to as many as twelve bays within a single enclosure. Some models feature storage scalability, where physical units may be tethered together for additional storage, without the need for volume recreation or loss of availability.
Synology FlashStation
The Synology FlashStation is an all-flash version of the DiskStation.
Synology RackStation
The Synology RackStation is a rack-mounted version of the DiskStation. It features all of the same abilities of the DiskStation with the exception that it is meant to be enclosed in a 19-inch rack cage. Some of Synology's rack models feature redundant power supplies. As with its desktop-oriented brethren, select models of the RackStation also feature storage scalability.
Synology Router Manager
The Synology Router Manager (SRM) was derived from the DiskStation Manager (DSM). The Wi-Fi router RT1900ac[34] comes without a modem, but users can connect an ADSL or cable modem on the WAN port, or a variety of 3G/4G modems on the USB port.[35] The RT2600ac supports up to 2.53Gbps while running a 1.7 GHz dual core CPU. It uses MU-MIMO and beamforming with a hardware acceleration engine.[36]
DSM extensibility
Synology's software architecture allows for third-party add-on application integration. Hundreds of third-party applications are available in addition to Synology's own catalog. Command line access via SSH or Telnet is available. Access to development tools and APIs are also available on Synology's website. Third-party applications can be written in an interpreted programming language such as PHP or compiled to binary format. Public APIs allow custom applications to integrate into Synology's web-based user interface. Installers using the SPK format can install third-party applications directly on the DSM operating system.
Vulnerabilities
In 2014, a piece of ransomware emerged, dubbed "Synolocker", that targeted Synology devices.[37][38][39]
References
- Salter, Jim; Santo Domingo, Joel (2018-10-30). "The Best Wi-Fi Router for 2018". Wirecutter. Retrieved 2019-01-06.
- "Synology Inc. Reveals Synology Disk Station DS-101 at CeBIT". Synology.com. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- "Synology presents new storage solutions (Synology DS-101g Disk Station, Synology DS-401 Disk Station, iUSB) at CeBIT 2005 in Hannover". Synology.com. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- "Release Notes of CS-406". Synology.com. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- "Release Notes of RS-406". Synology.com. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- "Synology® Announces The New Synology Disk Station Manager 2.0 Software". Synology.com. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- "Synology® announces the New Disk Station DS508 and Rack Station RS408/RS408-RP". Synology.com. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- "Synology® Unveils Disk Station Manager 2.1 Software and ..." Synology.com. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- "Synology® Launches 09-series Disk Station Models". Synology.com. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- "Synology® Announces the Official Release of Disk Station Manager 2.2 ..." Synology.com. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- "Synology® Launches High-performance and Scalable DiskStation DS1010+ For SMB Users". Synology.com. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- "Synology® Announces the Official Release of DiskStation Manager 2.3 Firmware ..." Synology.com. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- "Synology® Officially Releases its Revamped NAS Server OS – DiskStation Manager 3.0 ..." Synology.com. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- "Synology® Announces the Official Release of DiskStation Manager 3.1". Synology.com. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- "Welcome". Blog.synology.com. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- "Synology® Launches XS Series NAS Servers". Synology.com. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- "Synology® Announces Official Release of DiskStation Manager 3.2". Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- "Synology® Launches 2012 XS Series NAS Servers, Introduces First 8-bay DiskStation DS1812+". Synology.com. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- "Synology® Announces the Official Release of DiskStation Manager 4.0". Synology.com. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- "Synology® Announces Official Release of DiskStation Manager 4.1". Synology.com. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
- "Synology® Officially Launches DiskStation Manager 4.2". Synology.com. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
- "Synology® Officially Launches DiskStation Manager 4.3". Synology.com. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
- "Windows Offloaded Data Transfer (ODX)". msdn.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
- "DSM 5.1". Archived from the original on 2014-11-09. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
- "DSM 5.2". Archived from the original on 2015-09-08. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
- "DSM 6.0". Archived from the original on 2016-01-21. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
- "Synology® Announces Synology Router RT1900ac". Synology.com. 2015-10-01. Retrieved 2017-01-05.
- Synology Inc. "Synology® Announces Official Release of DiskStation Manager 6.0". www.synology.com. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
- Synology Inc. "Synology® announces DSM 6.1 and several packages for beta testing". www.synology.com. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
- Synology Inc. "Introducing FS3017, Synology's First All-Flash NAS". www.synology.com. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
- Synology Inc. "Synology® Announces Official Release of DiskStation Manager 6.1". www.synology.com. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
- Synology Inc. "Synology® Releases DiskStation Manager 6.2 Beta". www.synology.com. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
- Synology Inc. "Synology® Announces Official Release of DiskStation Manager 6.2". www.synology.com. Retrieved 2019-07-02.
- "Synology Router RT1900ac". Synology.com. Retrieved 2017-01-05.
- "Synology Products Compatibility List". Synology.com. Retrieved 2017-01-05.
- Synology Inc. "Synology Router RT2600ac". www.synology.com. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
- "Synology Advises Users of SynoLocker Ransomware". anandtech.com. Retrieved 2017-01-05.
- "Ransomware attack hits Synology's NAS boxen". theregister.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-01-05.
- Liam Tung. "SynoLocker demands 0.6 Bitcoin to decrypt Synology NAS devices". cso.com.au. Retrieved 2017-01-05.