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To test the DiskStation DS1520+ we used version 6.2.3-25426 (update 2) of Synology’s DSM (DiskStation Manager) OS. DSM has a graphically rich interface with all the major features of the OS clearly listed. Synology updates it at regular intervals to add more features and apps.
The basic start page just lists four items; Package Center, Control Panel, File Station and DSM help. Clicking on the left-hand top tab opens a small window with more advanced menu choices than the basic one.
Along the top right-hand side of the main window are shortcuts to four useful tools. The first of these is the notification tool which can be customised to show different system notifications. Next up is the admin drop-down menu which allows access to personal details (log on password etc) and to shut down. log off or restart the system.
Clicking on the furthest right-hand icon at the top of the window opens the very useful System Health and Resource Monitor widget. Various items such as System Health, Resource Monitor, Storage and Scheduled Tasks can be added to the widget so you can keep an eye on the NAS without having to delve deeper into the OS.
There’s a choice of control panels, Basic which displays the features most people will want to get to grips with, while the Advanced option offers plenty of scope for those that want to delve deeper into the system to take advantage of all the features the software offers.
At the heart of DSM is Storage Manager. Storage Manager looks after RAID setups, volume creation and all other disk management duties and is a powerful tool without being overly complicated to use.
Creating storage volumes and pools is easy and straightforward thanks to the easy to follow setup wizard.
File Station is a multi-platform file manager supporting Windows, Mac and Linux PCs as well as Android, iOS and Window Phone mobile devices. With it, you can access and share your files on the DiskStation from anywhere.
By using Dropbox, Box, Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive mounted to File Station you can access remote data in the same way as locally stored files via a variety of different protocols (FTP, STFP, WebDAV, and WebDAV HTTPS).
Synology Universal Search is a search tool that includes multimedia files and apps and offers previews of metadata and contents of files with just a mouse click. USB Copy 2.1 auto copies data to a from a USB storage device and can be configured to set backup destinations, copy mode and any file filters.
Package Center is where you’ll find all the add-in apps and with over 120 apps in it already you should be able to tweak the DS1520+ to meet your own needs.
A very useful and easy to use tool for keeping an eye on the DiskStation’s resources is the Resource Monitor. With it, you can monitor CPU usage, memory usage, disk utilisation and network flow in real-time or historically. It can also be added to the widget section of the main window so that it's easier to access.
Helping to keep the NAS safe is Security Advisor. As you might have guessed from the name, Security Advisor scans the NAS providing detailed reports on any security problems it finds and lists any actions that might be needed to be taken. So it’s quick and easy to find out where and what’s needed to correct any errors.
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