Synology Introduces FlashStation FS1018

Synology launched FlashStation FS1018, its first-ever all-flash desktop NAS, in addition to officially releasing Virtual Machine Manager and DiskStation DS218. FS1018 is a blazing fast and compact 12-bay, low-latency, all-SSD desktop NAS. 

It is powered by an Intel Pentium D1508 dual-core CPU and 8GB DDR4 EEC memory, expandable up to 32GB. The four plug-and-play Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports can be expanded with higher performance options. FS1018 supports network add-on cards with a PCIe 3.0 x8 slot, providing over 40K 4K Random Write IOPS.

"Designing a form factor that satisfies the need for both performance and drive capacity was crucial. FS1018 offers 12 SSD bays on a scale optimal for any desktop," said Jason Fan, Product Manager at Synology Inc. Another exciting feature of the new FS1018 is its ability to run Virtual Machine Manager. Synology's new virtualization software provides the ability to install and run multiple virtual machines including Windows, Linux, and Virtual DSM on Synology NAS.

Virtual Machine Manager not only allows users to virtualize different services and resources, but also back up virtual machines using with the powerful data protection tools that come with the Btrfs file system, such as the ability to complete virtual machine snapshots and replication in just a few seconds. The meticulously engineered clustering architecture also allows operations run on virtual machines scattered across Synology NAS devices to be managed from a single portal. 

"In recent years we saw the rising demand for virtualization needs of SMBs and professional users. In 2015, we pioneered the Virtual DSM Manager Beta which introduced NAS OS virtualization capabilities to the Synology ecosystem. Now Synology NAS can support more diverse operating systems with the fully evolved Virtual Machine Manager, allowing IT staff to easily create an efficient and professional server virtualization environment." said Chen Feng Wang, Product Manager of Virtualization at Synology. 

DS218 is a 2-bay NAS equipped with a 64-bit quad-core processor delivering sequential throughput at over 112 MB/s reading and 112 MB/s writing. It comes with 2 GB DDR4 memory, four times the capacity of its predecessor. DS218 is also optimized for 10-bit 4K H.265 video transcoding via Video Station.

"4K video content is becoming more and more common. DS218 is also optimized for 10-bit 4K H.265 video transcoding. If your device is not capable of 4K video playback, DS218 provides online 4K video transcoding to 1080p and below for a smoother experience," said Michael Wang, Product Manager at Synology Inc.

FS1018 and DS218 both run on Synology's DiskStation Manager (DSM), the advanced and intuitive operating system for Synology NAS devices. The award-winning OS can now run as a virtual machine on Virtual Machine Manager via Virtual DSM. By separating multiple Virtual DSM virtual machines on a single Synology NAS, users can achieve NAS server virtualization while creating a highly resilient, easy-to-manage, and multi-tenant environment.