Synology announced on Thursday an update to firmware version 4.2 for its DiskStation Manager (DSM) Network Attached Storage device. The additions seem geared primarily for the SMB enterprise market, though personal users have not been left entirely out of the fun.
As always, DSM will run practically any service you would put on a Linux box, including iTunes. Apple users in particular have reason to celebrate, as DSM 4.2 adds the ability to stream video content from a DiskStation directly to Apple TV via AirPlay.
The more business-oriented improvements include support for Amazon Glacier, Synology High Availability (only on x86 models), LUN Clone and LUN Snapshot, VMware vSphere (also for x86 models) and Cloud Station 2, which now syncs up to 10GB with support for nearly unlimited folders for sharing.
Upgrades geared for personal users include Quick Connect, which bypasses port forwarding and will function with the soon-to-be released DS Cloud, DS photo+, DS file and DS audio. Video Station also will no longer require a plug-in to work in the browser.
First announced in January while the firmware was still testing in beta, 4.2 is now available in the downloads section of the Synology interface. Simply go to the control panel and install the package.
Administrative functions were also updated with DSM 4.2. IT administrators can access a disk usage report that will aid in network rightsizing and ensure storage space is being properly utilized. There is also a task scheduler, which allows the administrator to automate assigned tasks that will be executed at regular intervals.
