Synology flagship DSM 5.0 NAS operating system now live

Two months after the beta was announced, Synology's DiskStation Manager (DSM) 5.0 is now live.

Since its inception, DiskStation Manager has been by far the most advanced operating system for NAS server and helped Synology NAS sever to win many of CNET's Editors' Choice awards, such as the Synology DiskStation DS1513+.

The new upgrade brings in a totally revamped user experience. The interface has been overhauled with lots of improvement with a Control Panel that incorporates a new ease of use collectively found in other native operation system, such as Windows, Mac OS, and even iOS. It even comes with a high-resolution mode that's available when the interface, which work within a Web page, is accessed on a computer (or mobile device) that's equipped with an Ultra HD or Retina display.

The new version also comes with a new QuickConnect service, a customized and free DyNDNS service provided by Synology, which works with all mobile apps and most packages from Synology and makes access the server over the Internet extremely easy. You don't need to mess with the router's configuration anymore.

Other new features and improvements in DSM 5.0 include:

• Versatile cloud solutions: Cloud Sync maximizes data protection by allowing users to sync files stored on Dropbox, Google Drive, and Baidu Cloud with Synology NAS. Two-way sync between different Synology NAS servers is now available with the introduction of Cloud Station Client for DSM, providing efficient data utilization as well as automated data redundancy.
• More efficient backup: Synology Snapshot Manager, the new software plug-in available for VMware vSphere and Windows, provides application-consistent snapshot to guarantee data consistency. Block-level incremental backup technology is integrated for multiple backup versions, greatly increases storage efficiency.
• All-around performance boost: SSD read-write cache is supported to reduce I/O latency. In our testing, iSCSI random read. Memory-compression technology is adopted to provide smoother user experience for applications running on DSM.
• Optimized multimedia and mobile experience: Tree view of albums and options to share videos and photos to YouTube and Flickr are available for Photo Station. Video Station now supports AC3 pass-through on Apple TV for better audio quality. DS file is revamped in an intuitive interface, bringing thumbnail view, file archiving, and sharing links on-the-go. DS video now allows users to save videos for offline viewing. DS photo+ for Android can now stream photos to big screen via Apple TV, while DS audio and DS video for both Android and iOS now support Chromecast.
• Streamlined IT management and scaled-out deployment: Synology Central Management System (CMS) offers flexibility and convenience for IT administration to manage hundreds of NAS through a single interface. CIFS scale-out cluster solution is also made possible, enabling enterprises to scale storage capacity up to a petabyte quickly and easily,

Synology DSM 5.0 is a free upgrade for users who own a DiskStation (or RackStation) servers released in 2010 and later. You can upgrade to the new version from within the server's Control Panel or manually download it here.