Synology: Data Storage, Backup and Business Continuity
Jonas Jakob | 17. May 2026
Who is Synology?
Synology is a global leader in Network Attached Storage (NAS) and data management solutions. Founded in Taiwan in 2000, the company has made a name for itself with user-friendly, innovative solutions - particularly in the SME and SOHO segment, but increasingly in the enterprise environment. There are over ten million Synology systems in use worldwide, each managing on average tens to hundreds of terabytes of data. This massive adoption speaks to the trust in Synology's DiskStation Manager (DSM) operating system, which combines sophisticated features such as backup, virtualization, replication and comprehensive security features with an intuitive user interface. Central to its success is the idea of “private cloud” storage: Synology enables companies to operate their own private cloud, i.e. h. Maintain control of company data in-house – with the flexibility and usability of modern cloud services. [blog.synology.com]
Synology NAS product series: DiskStation & RackStation
Synology's product range is broadly divided into two hardware categories: DiskStation (DS) and RackStation (RS). DiskStation models are compact desktop NAS devices that e.g. B. can serve as reliable data storage and multifunctional servers in small businesses, offices or domestic environments. A DiskStation NAS offers 2 to 12 drive bays, standard with 3.5″ SATA HDDs (also 2.5″ SSD compatible), and is particularly energy efficient and quiet – ideal for office environments. For larger requirements (higher data volume or integration into existing 19-inch server racks) there is the RackStation series. These rackmount NAS (1U to 3U, with 4 to 24 bays) are ideal for data centers or corporate technical rooms. State-of-the-art RackStation models such as the RS822+ offer e.g. B. in a compact 1U housing, four hard drive slots, expandable to eight with an expansion unit, flexible network options (4xGigabit Ethernet, optional 10GbE/25GbE) and up to 32GB ECC RAM for high data security. All devices - whether DiskStation or RackStation - run on the DSM operating system (current version DSM7.x), which enables uniform management and consistent functionality across all models. [synology.com]
Versatile file servers & protocols
One of Synology's hallmarks is its broad support of file services and protocols. A Synology NAS can be easily integrated as a file server and supports SMB (Samba/CIFS) for Windows environments, AFP for Mac, NFS for Linux/Unix, and WebDAV for cross-platform access. A Synology NAS can also be used as block storage (SAN): block-based LUNs (Logical Unit Numbers) can be provided via iSCSI targets, which servers access in the same way as local hard drives. This means that a DiskStation or RackStation NAS can serve as inexpensive shared storage for virtualization environments (VMware, Hyper-V, etc.). In addition, thanks to built-in tools such as File Station, Cloud Sync and Synology Drive, a Synology NAS acts as an internal company cloud solution that allows employees to conveniently synchronize, share and access files remotely - always with full data sovereignty within their own organization. [synology.com] [admin-magazine.com], [admin-magazine.com]
Backup & Replication
Data backup and business continuity are core functions of all Synology systems. Various integrated applications make it possible to back up all types of data and restore them in an emergency:
- Active Backup for Business (ABB): Centralized backups of PCs, servers, virtual machines and Microsoft365/Google Workspace - license-free, with features such as global deduplication and changed block tracking to minimize storage and bandwidth requirements. ABB is particularly interesting for SMEs and departments that want to carry out a complete backup of all end devices and cloud services on their own NAS without additional software or SaaS costs.
- HyperBackup: The classic backup tool for NAS data that can be used to back up data to different destinations based on rotation (e.g. external hard drives, second Synology NAS, public cloud offerings, etc.). Serves both as an internal backup tool (e.g. backup NAS configuration, shares) and for offsite backups according to the 3-2-1 rule.
- Snapshot Replication: Instant snapshots of data that enable point-in-time recovery. Snapshots are very resource-efficient with Btrfs - the modern file system in DSM optimized for data integrity - and can also be transferred to a second Synology as a replica via Snapshot Replication (e.g. hourly). In the event of a disaster, the replica can be activated quickly to minimize downtime.
Availability & Scaling
Synology systems offer comprehensive features for high availability and growth. For example, many models can be coupled to additional drives using expansion units - so a 4-bay NAS can be expanded to 8 or more drives. RAID technology is a given: DSM storage management supports various RAID modes up to Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR) – a flexible solution that efficiently combines hard drives of different sizes. For maximum reliability, Synology offers redundant power supplies on selected models (especially in the RackStation segment) as well as optional Synology High Availability (SHA): Two identical Synology servers are connected to form an HA cluster with automatic failover in order to practically avoid unplanned outages. The DSM firmware itself is developed with an astonishingly intensive quality assurance approach – Synology reports a QA:developer ratio = 1:4 to ensure the highest level of software stability and reliability. [blog.synology.com]
Security & Compliance
Data protection and IT security are given high priority at Synology. The DSM interface can be used, for example: B. Enable full encryption at the file or volume level, supported by Hardware Encryption Acceleration (AES-NI) in Plus and higher models. Other standard features such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) for login, user and folder-based access rights, and network firewall rules (e.g. IP blocking) are integrated into DSM. Through regular firmware updates delivered to over ten million devices worldwide, Synology ensures that security gaps are quickly closed. Synology supports compliance issues such as GDPR-compliant data storage. B. features such as audit logging, detailed rights management and the ability to manage sensitive data in a private data storage instead of in public clouds.
Integration and cloud connectivity
Synology recognized early on that local storage systems and cloud worlds were converging. That's why hybrid multi-cloud connections are an integral part of DSM: With Cloud Sync, users can synchronize or back up data between the NAS and public cloud services (AWS S3, OneDrive, Google Drive, Synology C2, etc.), e.g. B. as an offsite copy. For virtualization environments, Synology offers official integrations: Synology NAS are certified as VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V storage for VM backups (e.g. Veeam Ready Repository), you can integrate Synology volumes into ESXi via iSCSI or even host small virtualization environments directly on the NAS with the Synology Virtual Machine Manager (VMM). Directory services such as Active Directory are also supported: Synology can become part of a Windows domain - allowing domain users to be used for NAS permissions - or unify multi-OS environments using LDAP.
Typical use cases
The flexibility of Synology NAS opens up a number of application areas:
- File & Team Server: As a central file sharing platform in the network, DiskStation models replace e.g. Classic Windows file servers, for example in thousands of SMEs, score points with low energy consumption, easy backup and remote access at any time.
- Data Backup & Archive: Synology devices are ideal as backup targets (e.g. for Veeam backups, Mac® Time Machine or block-based via iSCSI) - thanks to high storage capacity and expandable storage as well as extensive backup policies (incremental backup, versioning, etc.). For long-term archiving, even large amounts of data can be stored securely thanks to Synology Hybrid RAID and ECC-RAM.
- Special roles & edge storage: With its SAN/NAS hybrids (e.g. line XS/XS+ or UC3200 Active-Active iSCSI system), Synology also offers high-performance solutions for larger medium-sized companies that want to implement primary production storage with Synology. At the same time, compact Synology systems are ideal as edge storage at remote locations (e.g. a branch) that is centrally managed and integrated into the company's IT.
Conclusion
With Synology, businesses choose a robust and flexible platform for data storage and backup that combines cloud-like efficiency with local control. DSM offers a wide range of enterprise features – from file services and virtualization, to backup/recovery and high availability, to security and compliance features. Thanks to cost-effective hardware, license-free software and additional cloud services (SynologyC2), even small and medium-sized companies can implement a comprehensive data strategy without relying on external data centers. Combined with user-friendly implementation, Synology has been setting standards for modern, reliable data storage in companies of all sizes for years. More about Synology / Request advice.
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