Update

DSM Update

To improve the performance and stability of the system, Synology offers DSM updates when new features or security enhancements are available or when bugs are fixed. DSM updates may be in the form of either major or minor updates.

  • Major updates: Major updates mainly include brand-new features and performance enhancements in addition to critical bug fixes and security patches. When there is a major DSM version available, a message is displayed at the bottom of the DSM Update section. You can simply click Download to download the file. After the download has finished, click Update Now to complete the process.
  • Minor updates: Minor updates include security and bug fixes. When there is a minor DSM version available, a message is displayed next to Status.

Starting from DSM 7.0, Synology is offering an important update mechanism. When the update includes fixes of critical security issues or bugs, Synology labels the update as an important version. To ensure that your Synology NAS is always protected, click Update Settings and set your Synology NAS to automatically install important updates. This mechanism is only implemented when necessary.

Note:

  • Updating DSM does not affect the data on the Synology NAS. However, to ensure data security, we strongly recommend backing up your data before you start.
  • After you update to a newer DSM version, you cannot roll back to a previous one.
  • Synology NAS automatically runs a checklist to determine whether the new version is relevant to your system based on the services and system configurations. Therefore, available updates and latest versions may vary depending on your current DSM configurations.

Perform Manual DSM Update

You can download the .pat update file from Synology Download Center and update DSM manually.

To update DSM manually:

  1. Visit Synology Download Center to download new DSM update to your local computer. The .pat file does not need to be extracted.
  2. Click Manual DSM Update to enter Manual DSM Update Page
  3. Click Browse to select the update file.
  4. Click OK to start to update your DSM. The system will reboot automatically when the update completes.

Troubleshooting:

If you cannot update DSM, try the following solutions:

  • Check if the updating process was interrupted by users, or other unexpected events, such as a power failure.
  • Check the DSM version. You can only update the system with a newer DSM version.
  • Download the DSM update again because the update file might be corrupted.

If the problem persists, please contact Synology Technical Support.

Set Up Automatic DSM Update and Installation Preferences

To configure your update installation settings and check schedule, click Update settings.

To automatically install an important DSM update:

The Automatically install important updates option allows the system to automatically install a DSM update that has fixed critical security issues and bugs. To ensure that your system is always protected, we recommend setting your Synology NAS to this option.

To automatically install the latest DSM update:

The Automatically install the latest update option allows the system to automatically install the latest DSM update if the result of the check finds that there is a new update available. This only applies to minor updates shown in Status and not to major updates.

To have the system notify you when there is a new DSM update available:

The Notify me and let me decide whether to install the new update option allows the system to only notify you when there is a new version available. You may choose whether to download the update upon receiving the notification.

A desktop notification will be displayed when a DSM update is downloaded and ready to be installed. To stop DSM from being updated automatically, you can cancel it in the desktop notification. Moreover, DSM updates will be installed before the scheduled shutdown if you have enabled Shutdown at Power Schedule.

To set up check schedule:

The Check schedule lets you decide when the system should check for available updates. Select which days of the week and the time of day on the specified days to check for updates. For example, on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:00.

Troubleshooting:

If you see error messages in red text during checking or downloading the new DSM, please check the following:

  • Make sure your Synology NAS is connected to the Internet.
  • Synology's download server might be busy at the moment. Retrying download at a later time might solve the problem.

If the problem persists, please contact Synology Technical Support.

Expansion Unit Firmware Update

If you have SAS expansion units, a firmware update may be required from time to time. The system will automatically check for firmware updates and display one of these statuses: Need to update firmware immediately, The firmware of all expansion units is up-to-date, or No connected expansion unit.

  • Need to update firmware immediately: When this is displayed, we highly recommend updating your expansion unit firmware as soon as possible. Your expansion units will be unavailable until the update is completed. You are also unable to create new volumes on the expansion units during this time.
  • The firmware of all expansion units is up-to-date: This indicates that your system has completed the update and is operating in a stable environment.
  • No connected expansion unit: This indicates that your Synology NAS does not have any expansion units connected. Therefore, there is no need for firmware updates.

Important: Normally, updating firmware of expansion unit does not affect the data on the Synology NAS. However, to ensure data security, it is strongly recommended that you back up your data before you start.

Note:

  • Expansion unit firmware update is required for specific SAS models only.
  • Expansion unit firmware update is only available on DSM 6.2.2 or above.

To perform expansion unit firmware update:

Performing expansion unit firmware update only takes a few minutes and does not require restarting your system. Other services you are running will not be interrupted during the update.

  1. Click Update Now to start the update.
  2. A warning dialog will appear. Select either of the following options:
    • To continue with the update, click OK. A progress bar will appear.
    • To update at a later time, click Cancel.
  3. The system will display one of the following desktop notifications to inform you whether the update is successful: Expansion unit firmware update completed or Expansion unit firmware update failed.
  4. One of the below status messages will be shown in Status:
    • The firmware of all expansion units is up-to-date: This message is shown when the update is completed and successful. The system is operating in a stable environment and your expansion units are available for use.
    • Update failed: If expansion unit firmware update failed, click Contact Support to resolve your issue.

Note:

  • To ensure system stability, the service of expansion units is unavailable when the system detects that firmware update is required. The service will become available again once firmware update is completed.
  • If expansion unit firmware update failed, please do not try to restart or remove drives or expansion units. To fix this issue, please refer to this article and contact Synology Technical Support for further assistance.
DSM Update
Perform Manual DSM Update
Set Up Automatic DSM Update and Installation Preferences
Expansion Unit Firmware Update