Firmware Update: Synology Disk Station Manager 2.3 build 1139

Synology has completed the development of version 2.3 of Disk Station Manager, the management software that runs on several of the company’s NAS products, and has now officially released it. The Disk, Cube and Rack drives offer more than just extra storage space. They can also make backups of all clients on the network and download files via http, ftp, BitTorrent, Usenet and eMule, so that, for example, the energy-hungry PC can be turned off at night while the download is still coming in. Furthermore, audio and video files can be streamed over the network via the built-in iTunes server, a dynamic website can be hosted using PHP and MySQL and it can act as a print server.

Version 2.3 brings a large number of changes. This makes it easier to create Raid volumes and new types are also supported. Also new is that folders can now be encrypted and there is an app for the iPhone that can show images from cameras attached to the Synology. Various improvements have also been made to Backup, File Station, Surveillance Station, Photo Station and Audio Station. Below is the full changelog for this release:

New Features

New Volume Manager:

• The Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR) simplifies the RAID setup, allowing the DiskStation to maximize the available storage of varying disk capacities yet with data protection. Experienced administrators may still use a manual option of creating a storage volume.
• RAID10, 3-way RAID 1 and 4-way RAID 1 volume types are supported.
• The Volume Manager User Interface has been updated with additional graphics and illustrations.
• RAID 5 to RAID 6 migration is supported.

EZ-Internet:
The EZ-Internet Wizard is now available for guiding through the steps to establish access to DiskStation from the Internet, including firewall settings, PPPoE setup, DDNS registration, and router port forwarding configuration*. The “Router Configuration” feature is also available on the management UI under “Internet Connection” category, which accomplishes the port forwarding tasks on the router for you. View the supported router list here.

Backup Enhancements:

• In addition to the existing “shared folder” level backup, “sub folder” level backup is now supported.
• NetBackup shared folder is supported to act as the backup source. This allows backing up the data sets from DiskStation A to DiskStation B, and from DiskStation B to DiskStation C, and so on.
• Amazon S3 is now supported as a backup target.
• The Backup Wizard now allows backing up Surveillance Station event recordings with all the settings, including notifications, privileges and licenses.

FileStation 3:

• Local file browsing is supported (Java Runtime Environment is required) for easy browse and upload the local folders or files to DiskStation with drag-n-drop actions.
• Multiple tasks are now supported. Upload tasks are performed in the background and with the upload queue listed at the bottom of the File Station.
• Files and folders on the DiskStation can be compressed directly from the File Station.
• .7z and .iso compressed files extraction is supported.

Surveillance Station 4:

• 162 more IP camera models from Sony, Mobotix, JVC, IQeye, Edimax, Siemens and other brands are now supported. View the complete list here.
• H.264 video format is now supported.
• Intelligent PTZ now supports preset positions, patrol paths, and guard schedules on each camera.
• Manual recording is supported during camera live view.
• E-Map is supported, which allows assigning an uploaded image to each live view layout, and deploy corresponding cameras or sub-maps to the image.
• Enhanced user accounts privilege allows deciding not only the privilege of each user (manager vs. spectator), but also which IP cameras each user can access.
• Event export function is supported to allow archiving the recorded events to an external storage device or another shared folder. At a later time the events can be mounted back for review on Surveillance Station.
• More advanced camera settings are supported, including direct live-view streaming from the IP cameras, different image resolutions and frame rates settings for recording and live view, along with pre- and post-recording time and more flexible recording schedule configuration.
• The sync event player is improved with better time accuracy.
• Motion detection setting is improved with threshold testing utility.

iPhone Support:
A new iPhone app, DS cam, is available on Apple® App Store for free. DS cam allows users who own an iPhone/iPod touch to live view the IP cameras (in MJPEG format), take snapshots, and view recorded events on your Surveillance Station whenever network connection is available.

Photo Station 4:

• Browsing photos with a photo wall or an image flow view is now supported.
• Adjusting photo thumbnail size with a sliding bar when browsing photos is now supported.
• Uploading photos and creating sub-folders through Photo Station UI is supported (Flash 9 is required). Enhanced privilege control allows customizing which albums each user accounts can access or upload photos.
• Virtual albums are now supported, including albums of recent photos or videos.
• Google map function is integrated, allowing browsing the location where the photo is taken if the geo-information is available in the photo, or manually edit the Google map location.
• Enhanced album access permission allows easily setting the public/private attribute of all albums.
• 1024X768 blog layout is supported and 10 new banners are newly provided.
• Photo Uploader utility is available in the new Synology Assistant to allow uploading photos and videos to the DiskStation which photo thumbnails and H.264 movies pre-generated with the client computer.
• RAW image files are supported including *.arw, *.srf, *.sr2, *.dcr, *.k25, *.kdc, *.cr2, *.crw, *.nef, *.mrw, *.ptx, *.pef, *.raf, *.3fr, *.erf, *.mef, *.mos, *.orf, *.rw2, *.dng and *.x3f.

Audio Station 2:

• Audio Station 2 now also utilizes AJAX technology. It allows browsing the music library by folder, album, artist or genre, browsing the albums in thumbnail view or cover flow view, and managing the playlist and the now-playing queue with right-clicks.
• M4A music is now supported in streaming mode.
• Streaming music from other UPnP/DLNA media servers within LAN is supported.
• Internet radio (MP3 only) is now supported in streaming mode.
• SHOUTcast and RadioIO Internet Radio are supported with automatic updates.
• iTunes Server Smart Playlist is supported to be played on Audio Station.
• In addition to USB mode and web-streaming mode, Audio Station 2 now supports streaming music, stored on DiskStation or other UPnP/DLNA media servers, to an UPnP compatible digital media renderer (DMR). View the supported DMR list here. Streaming music simultaneously in the 3 modes is allowed.

Download Station Enhancements:

• MegaUpload download with a premium account is supported.

Management UI Enhancements:

• A thin UI header option is available for maximizing the operation area of ​​all applications.
• Directly entering a specific application after login is supported.
• Left-hand menu items are now customizable where menu options which are infrequently used can be hidden from view.
• Items in the My Favorites are now also available as a list on the top of the left-hand menu for quick access.

Added PHP Modules:

• FreeType
• PDO
• dba
• dbase
• pdo_sqlite
• SQLite
• shmop
• wddx
• xmlrpc
• zip

Enhanced Mac Compatibility:

• Mac Decomposed Unicode character sets handling is enhanced.

Major Changes of Synology Data Replicator 3 (v.142)

• (780) Enhanced Windows Live Mail backup on Windows 7.
• (782) Enhanced My Documents backup on Windows 7.