Synology lets loose Disk Station Manager 2.2 beta

After teasing it at last month's COMPUTEX, Synology has today made available the first beta of its Disk Station Manager 2.2 firmware.

The long-awaited firmware, supporting a selection of Synology's 7-series, 8-series and 9-series NAS units, introduces a number of new features aimed at delivering a better multimedia experience.

Some of the firmware's highlights include support for DLNA-compliant devices, a built-in firewall, and integration with Apple's popular iPhone/iPod touch handsets. With free apps DS Photo and DS Audio, Synology users can now upload photos from their iPhone directly to Disk Station, as well as being able to stream music direct to their handset.

Interested in getting new functionality on your existing Synology NAS? Details of how to apply to join the beta are available by clicking here, and Synology tells us that it'll award three "valuable" beta testers with a free DS109 NAS when the beta program ends.

Synology lists the key enhancements of the Disk Station Manager 2.2 beta as follows, and a complete list of supported models can be found below.

1. DLNA Compliant Media Server: Compatibility between the Synology Disk Station and DLNA Home devices is now available – streaming media files from the Disk Station using DLNA complaint devices allows easy enjoyment of music, photos and videos. In addition, support for Windows Media Player streaming is provided.
2. iPhone Support: "DS photo" allows users to upload photos stored on their iPhone/iPod Touch to Disk Station easily while instantly sharing it with anyone online. "DS audio" allows users to stream music stored on Disk Station with their iPhone/iPod Touch where Internet access is available.
3. Mobile Photo Station and File Station: Remote Mobile Users can access their Synology DiskStation on Windows Mobile 6.0 (Internet Explorer Mobile or Opera 9.0 and onward) or iPhone OS 2.2.1 onward to view photos and read supported file formats around the world where Internet access is available.
4. iSCSI: Up to 10 iSCSI targets can be created on the Synology Disk Station, allowing the Virtual Storage Expansion for computers on the network. The iSCSI target can also grow on demand, as storage needs increase for the iSCSI Virtual Storage.
5. Firewall: The built-in firewall function allows the administrator to decide which services or IP addresses are allowed to access the Disk Station to prevent unwanted connections.
6. SNMP: SNMP protocol support allows the administrator to monitor the Disk Station with existing network management software.
7. Auto Block: Blocking an IP address after a pre-defined number of failed attempts further aids in the security of the Disk Station against unauthorized access. The Auto-block functions on the management UI, File Station, FTP Access, SSH, Telnet, rsync, and mobile devices.
8. Resource Monitor: Resource monitor allows the administrator to easily monitor Disk Station's CPU usage, memory usage, network flow and volume usage.
9. Apple Time Machine Support: Mac OS X users can easily back up their desktop data by simply choosing a destination folder on the Disk Station.
10. SMS Notification: By setting up SMS notification, users will be notified immediately if any critical event occurs on their Disk Stations and take appropriate action as needed.
11. Windows ADS Support Enhancements: With DSM 2.2, Windows ADS can now support 100,000 Domain Users and 100,000 Domain Groups as well as sub-folder privileges setup for domain users/groups in File Station 2. Individual "User Home" Folders can now be created with Windows ADS Users; these enhancements amount to further support for growing business environments, and for easy private folder storage for all ADS users.
12. Surveillance Station 2 Enhancements: 50 more camera models from 10 renowned brands are newly included in the supported list, making the total 189. SMS notification allows administrator to receive an immediate notice upon the occurrence of designated critical events. Live view, event playback and live view layout management are also enhanced.
13. Download Station Enhancements: RSS and RapidShare download are now supported. Users can create multiple eMule download tasks at once and assign the download service location to an external hard drive. An email notification will be sent to admin upon completion of a download task.
14. iTunes Server: iTunes Server now supports video playback and music album artwork.

Supported models: RS409+, RS409RP+, RS409, DS509+, DS409+, DS409, DS209+II, DS209+, DS209, DS209j, DS109+, DS109, DS109j, DS409slim, RS408, RS408-RP, DS508, DS408, DS108j, RS407, CS407, CS407e, DS207+, DS207, DS107+, DS107 and DS107e.