Synology has outlined the next generation of its DiskStation Manager software and introduced ActiveProtect Manager 2.0. The updates extend its push into on-premises AI tools and broader backup coverage for business customers.
The revised DSM roadmap moves the software beyond its traditional role as a storage operating system. Synology positioned the platform as a way for organisations to use internal business data, system logs and metrics in AI workflows while keeping that information on-site.
Philip Wong, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Synology, said data control had become the main issue for companies adopting AI. "Enterprise AI adoption is no longer the challenge, data control is," Wong said.
He added: "The next generation of DSM leverages over two decades of expertise to create an AI-ready platform that keeps organisations firmly in control of their data."
Bie-i Chu, Executive Vice President of the Synology NAS Group, outlined the company's positioning for the updated system. "Built for both AI and enterprise demands, enabling private AI workflows with full governance, fleet-scale management, and the security controls IT teams need for regulation and compliance requirements," Chu said.
Private AI
Under the roadmap, DSM is designed to turn data already held by businesses into a private knowledge base for AI agents. Synology's Office Suite will include an AI Assistant, while GPU rack servers and dedicated AI appliances will run local inference without sending data off-site.
Synology also detailed a DSM Agent aimed at administrative automation. The software is intended to guide system-wide tasks and coordinate tools and skills into broader automated workflows.
IT governance is a central theme of the update. Built-in controls are intended to give teams visibility over how AI workflows access and use organisational data, an area that has become more sensitive as companies weigh privacy, compliance and cost concerns around cloud-based AI services.
Fleet management
For customers running multiple systems, Cluster Manager will bring them together under one management interface. Storage services and applications will be containerised into isolated workloads, supporting workload migration, Quality of Service policies and protection measures across fleets of devices.
Another addition is a mass deployment feature in Active Insight, intended to reduce the time needed to provision and configure systems in distributed environments.
Security and compliance changes are also part of the DSM plan. Synology is adding more granular role-based access control, revising Log Centre so operational and application logs can be viewed together, and enabling export to common observability platforms.
DSM will also include a secure element and is undergoing FIPS 140-3 certification. Those measures are aimed at customers in regulated sectors that need formal security assurance.
Backup update
Alongside the DSM roadmap, Synology announced ActiveProtect Manager 2.0 for its data protection appliances. The release broadens backup and recovery support across cloud and virtualisation platforms and adds AI-based threat detection.
Wong linked the product update to the changing cyber threat landscape. "AI has turned cyber threats into a force enterprises can no longer outpace, driving organisations to seek data protection that is both dependable and accessible," he said.
Jia-Yu Liu, Executive Vice President of the Synology Data Protection Group, said the release widens the range of supported systems. "Extends protection coverage to major clouds, hypervisors, and SaaS platforms, while introducing AI-driven threat detection that shifts data protection from reactive recovery to proactive defence," Liu said.
The new version adds backup and recovery support for Azure Virtual Machines, Amazon EC2, Nutanix AHV, Proxmox VE and Google Workspace. Users will be able to restore virtual machine instances across platforms to either cloud or on-premises environments, giving them more options for disaster recovery.
Backup copies to Azure Blob Storage are also included. Users will also be able to restore data from backup copy destinations directly into production virtual machine environments, with the aim of reducing recovery times and associated costs.
Threat detection
ActiveProtect Manager 2.0 introduces an anomaly detection engine that uses machine learning to examine historical backup versions. It can flag unusual change rates, large-scale deletions and entropy spikes as they appear.
Files identified as affected are quarantined automatically to prevent compromised data from being restored. The software also integrates with third-party antivirus products to scan backup data for malware, so only verified versions are available for recovery.
Another feature, Auto Fallback, is designed to revert automatically to the latest backup that does not contain known vulnerabilities if a chosen restore point is found to be compromised. The approach reflects a wider industry shift towards verifying backups before restoration rather than treating backup completion alone as sufficient protection.
Synology said the DSM features will be introduced progressively in upcoming releases. ActiveProtect Manager 2.0 is scheduled for release in the third quarter of 2026.