Computing on Demand PC News & Reviews
Harnessing big data and the wonder of streaming
Synology today released the official version of DiskStation Manager (DSM) 4.2. “Synology has once again pushed the possibilities of NAS servers to new dimensions by releasing DSM 4.2,” said Vic Hsu, CEO of Synology Inc. “It helps businesses achieve agility as well as productivity in big data storage, and reshapes users’ multimedia experience with a suite of advanced features.” DSM 4.2 delivers:
Agile, reliable storage: DSM 4.2 features LUN Snapshot and Clone to provide up to 256 snapshots per LUN and near-instant duplication of virtual copies of a LUN, with no impact on system performance and minimal extra storage space. Synology High Availability (SHA) now supports more DiskStation/RackStation, and together with Global hot spare disks, ensures business continuity across enterprise and SMB environments. Two-step verification reinforces security with a pre-defined password and a one-time six-digit code.
Optimized manageability: RADIUS Server enhances Wi-Fi security and offers centralized authentication for access control. DNS Server allows users to own domain names of their choice and centrally host different services. Disk Usage Report visualizes storage usage for IT admins, generating storage reports to ensure best storage utilization. Server management is further simplified with Task Scheduler, which performs assigned tasks according to users’ pre-defined schedule. Moreover, Synology NAS can provide TFTP service to create a PXE environment, allowing users to boot up systems over the network.
Streamlined cloud architecture: The enterprise-ready Cloud Station supports nearly unlimited user accounts and merges easily into LDAP and AD environments. Amazon® Glacier BackupBeta provides a budget-friendly data archiving and backup solution. Data management becomes more efficient with up to 52% of performance gains in file transfers to Mac. File Station has made file management even easier by supporting hotkeys and Thumbnail View.
The wonder of multimedia streaming: Video Station supports soundtrack selection, HDHomeRun® DVB-T TV tuner and multi-channel TV streaming and recording. It also allows users to watch movies on AirPlay® and DLNA devices, with their mobile device as a remote control. With a revamped user interface that realizes simplicity in design, Audio Station supports Bluetooth A2DP technology to empower music lovers with the ability to enjoy high-quality sound all around. Photo uploads are more efficient with not only the intuitive drag-n-drop feature in Photo Station but also Photo Station Uploader that additionally accelerates thumbnail conversion.
Full control over data at fingertips: All the data can be automatically and securely synced over SSL encryption via DS cloud, where iOS/Android users can specify sync rules by file type and size, as well as the option to sync only on WiFi connection. DS video is an easy way to stream movies to mobile devices, where users can continue from where they were left off on the last device. DS photo+ can automatically and instantly uploads iOS/Android users’ photos onto Photo Station. QuickConnect now supports DS photo+, DS audio, and DS cloud to remove the hassle of configuring port forwarding and make remote data access even more effortless and easier.
