DSM 8 vs DSM 9: What’s New and Why It Matters
What Changed in DSM 8 and DSM 9 and Why It Matters
Operating system versions set the standard for performance, reliability, security, and long-term support for IT managers and infrastructure architects in businesses. Synology NAS systems are powered by Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM). In the last few years, DSM 9 has changed a lot from DSM 8. These changes include bigger storage, better performance, and easier use for businesses.
What DSM Is and Why It’s Important
DSM is the operating system that runs Synology NAS units. It manages the storage layer, provides network services, backup and replication tools, virtualization support, security features, and the administrative interface. For businesses, DSM is more than just firmware; it’s the platform that backups, file services, collaboration, and compliance workflows all rely on. Changes between major versions can affect performance, automation, API integration, and the stability of long-term support.
Improvements to the user interface and usability
DSM 8
The classic DSM look was improved in DSM 8 with better responsiveness and navigation. It made the desktop-style menu cleaner, combined application launchers, and improved search indexing, which made it easier for administrators to find logs and settings.
DSM 9
DSM 9 goes even further with the interface, focusing on workflows in context and at the enterprise level. The administrative UI has more customizable dashboards, makes it easier to see the status of multi-node clusters quickly, and uses a more modern design language that makes it easier to run large deployments. For example, Storage Manager and Security Advisor have modules that are easier to use for keeping an eye on performance, sending alerts, and reporting on compliance.
Why It Matters: A better UI makes it easier to find problems, makes it less likely that new IT staff will make mistakes when setting up systems, and makes it easier for them to learn how to use them.
How well DSM 8 works
DSM 8 made RAID arrays work faster by optimizing storage throughput, improving I/O scheduling, and adding better caching methods for common workloads. These improvements helped with general file operations and virtualization targets, but big distributed environments still needed careful tuning.
How DSM 9 works
There are more optimizations for the storage stack in DSM 9. Better block-level caching, better handling of multiple client sessions at the same time, and better scheduling of parallel I/O all lead to measurable performance gains across all types of enterprise workloads, from high-throughput NAS clusters to multi-tenant file sharing services.
Why It Matters: Faster underlying performance means tighter recovery time objectives (RTO/RPO) and better support for virtualization, media workloads, and file environments with multiple users.
Snapshot and Replication in DSM 8
With version-aware replication and native integration tools, DSM 8 improved snapshot capabilities. This helped businesses create local failover and near-instant restore workflows.
Better security in SM 9
DSM 9 makes snapshot replication more reliable over longer distances and with bigger datasets. The update makes it easier to handle conflicts, cuts down on the extra work needed for replication, and adds automation hooks for managing snapshots in hybrid cloud workflows. These changes make DSM 9 better for businesses that have complicated rules about keeping data and following the law.
Why It Matters: Better handling of snapshots lowers the risk of data loss and speeds up recovery in distributed environments that span more than one office or datacenter.
Improvements to Security and Compliance
Businesses that set up storage and backup systems are most worried about security.
Security for DSM 8
With DSM 8, Security Advisor diagnostics got better, firewall tools got better, and package-level permission controls were added. These helped make NAS services safer and less vulnerable to attacks.
Security for DSM 9
DSM 9 has built-in anomaly detection, more detailed privilege models, and better management of encryption keys. Adding multi-factor authentication (MFA) and conditional access policies makes defense-in-depth strategies stronger. DSM 9 also adds more logging and auditing features, which makes it easier to follow rules like GDPR or industry-specific standards.
Why It Matters: Better security lowers the risk of unauthorized access, ransomware, and insider threats, making sure that enterprise storage stays safe and compliant.
Cloud Tools for DSM 8
With DSM 8, you can now back up, archive, and share files with public cloud services without having to install anything. Cloud Sync and Hyper Backup became strong ways to sync with third-party cloud targets.
Improvements to DSM 9 Hybrid
DSM 9 keeps this trend going by adding more hooks to hybrid service workflows, updating API support for cloud storage providers, and adding more automation to cloud tiering and cost-aware storage optimization.
Why It Matters: Businesses can save money by using flexible cloud integration that supports cost-effective tiers, automated retention policies, and extra offsite protection without having to do anything manually.
When to upgrade and things to think about when deploying
Businesses that want to upgrade from DSM 8 to DSM 9 should think about:
- Compatibility with hardware and resource needs
- Effect on replication topologies and syncing across multiple sites
- Check backups before big updates
- Testing in staging environments to see how performance changes
A controlled, phased rollout makes sure that things stay stable and that production workloads don’t have any problems.
About the Epis Technology
Using Synology NAS and DSM, Epis Technology helps businesses plan, set up, and improve their enterprise storage architectures. Epis Technology is an expert in large-scale storage solutions, backup plans for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, fully managed PC backups, Synology consulting and support, and business continuity planning that works.