Synology Releases Beta of Disk Station Manager 5.2

Synology has released a beta version of Disk Station Manager 5.2. The updated firmware for the brand’s NAS systems includes support for Docker containers and various improvements in applications on the NAS as well as the accompanying mobile apps.

Docker is a method of running applications virtualized within so-called containers. This makes quickly enabling and disabling software easier by eliminating the need for guest OS. DSM 5.2 provides support for the open source Docker software, and through the Docker registry, hundreds of applications can be installed on a Disk Station NAS.

Synology has also improved the backup software. For example, with the Backup & Replication application it is now possible to restore individual files from a backup instead of complete folders. Outdated backups can also be automatically deleted to save storage space.

For the Note Station tool, Synology has released the corresponding Web Clipper tool. This takes screenshots of web pages in a Chrome window, after which the user can optionally add annotations. Furthermore, to-do lists can be created and Note Station data is easier to exchange between NAS systems.

According to Synology, Cloud Station’s smart polling feature used to check for changed files on cloud storage services has been made significantly more efficient. This limits network traffic and reduces CPU load. Furthermore, developers can use single sign-on, which makes it easier to log in to different services after starting the NAS.

The multimedia applications within DSM have also been adapted. For example, DS Photo has been given a new design and the photo tool is compatible with Chromecast and devices that access content via DLNA. DS Audio has been given an equalizer and from now on individual files can be selected within a torrent file in the download tool DS Download. Small improvements can also be found in the various additional mobile apps.

Disk Station systems that offer possibilities for link aggregation, or the combination of multiple network connections, will receive a number of new modes in DSM 5.2: active-standby, 802.3ad dynamic, balanced xor and adaptive load balancing. According to Synology, these modes make it possible to receive and send data more efficiently, often eliminating the need for a high-end switch.

DSM 5.2 also supports Microsoft’s smb 3 protocol. Among other things, this version of smb makes it possible to encrypt data, making it easier to use more secure communication between, for example, a Windows Server 2012 machine and a Windows 8 client.

The beta of DSM 5.2 can be installed on Disk Station systems with model number x10 or higher. It is unknown when the final will be released.