The procedure to update Synology NAS is very easy to follow. Periodically Synology releases free updates. We can install updates automatically or even manually. There are different types of updates. These updates include new features, functions improvements, performance enhancements and last but not least also updates for the Apps available through Synology and third parties.
There are a number of reasons to update Synology NAS. This includes also the security bulletins that can potentially affect components like WiFi connections, VPN Services and other applications we might run on the NAS like LDAP, DNS and DHCP Servers.
In the previous article we have already covered the first time installation steps and how to create an iSCSI LUN optimised for VMware VAAI.
In this step we’ll review the options to update our Synology NAS. Some of these updates might require a full restart. It is therefore important that Data is backed up or eventually plan maintenance windows when to apply for these updates.
In my case I’m using the Synology NAS to store the VMs. For this reason I have opted for disabling automatic updates as we’ll cover later on.
Update Synology Apps
Synology NAS is periodically checking for new updates for all the installed Apps: System and installed Apps. Of course will provide notifications visible in the Synology DSM desktop as per screenshot below. From the Package Center icon we can have a view of all installed Apps.
In this case there are a couple of updates available. Universal Search is a built-in App. Whereas the DNS Server is a custom one. From this view we have the option to Refresh the information for all Apps irrespective of the type.
With the Settings we can configure other aspects including:
Notification: to the desktop and via email when an App update is available for download.
Trust Level: choose between Synology, Synology and Trusted Publisher or Any Publisher when installing Apps.
Payment: enable third-party payment processors for Apps which require purchase options .
Beta: option to experiment Beta versions (of course do not try this on your Production Data!).
Auto-Updates: Dictate which packages can auto-update overriding the global settings.
Package Sources: defines the URLs for additional Community Packages.
Certificate: imports trusted certificates from trusted Publishers.
At the end of the update the Package Center will show all updated Apps and current status.
Disk Station Manager Update
Another type of update of course is the update for the Synology Disk Station Manager (DSM) software itself. In this case from the Control Panel we have access to the pertinent icon under System settings.
This view shows the basic details including the current version of the DSM software installed along with the status. The latter generally showing new version updates available.
From the same view we can also take a backup of the current configuration which will output a “.dss” file. Very handy for Backup and Restore scenarios.
Last but not least also the option to Reset the device by issuing a Factory Reset which will delete all User Data and restore the Synology NAS to factory settings.
By clicking on What’s New link we get direct access to the intended KB article showing the content of the update. The screenshot below is an example.
In the Update Settings we can decide how and when to perform the updates. All these will be executed automatically unless otherwise stated.
The manual update Synology NAS is also possible. This is very handy for example when the Device does not have access to the internet. In this case it is possible to download a “.pat” file and run the update manually.
Another example includes the option to update multiple devices from a local share where we decide to store the .pat file. Of course is highly recommended to update multiple devices of the same type / model.
Once the new updates have been found and downloaded we can simply hit on Update Now. Of course this option is available when disabling automatic updates installation. Something I prefer for the simple reason in my home lab the Synology NAS is hosting my Virtual Machines.
A final message warns about system cannot be powered off and an immediate restart is required. Let’s make sure to shutdown or evacuate all our Virtual Machines and the Hosts are in maintenance mode!
At this point the Synology NAS restarts to complete the operations. In reality is taking a lot less than 10 minutes to finalise the update and be online.
This concludes a overview on the Synology NAS update. It is important to get the latest releases in order to benefit from the latest features and bug fixes for both Disk Station Manager software and all the Apps on top of it. At the same time let’s remember to shutdown or evacuate the Virtual Machines as a Synology NAS restart could affect them.
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