Planning DSM updates — when to go ahead, when to wait

DSM updates are a double-edged sword. On one side: security patches should be applied promptly. On the other: major updates have repeatedly introduced bugs in Synology’s history that broke individual packages or entire setups. From our experience over the years:

• Security patches (3-4-digit versions, e.g. 7.2.2-72806 → 7.2.2-72806 Update 1): apply promptly, low risk.
• Minor updates (e.g. 7.2.1 → 7.2.2): wait 1–2 weeks, then apply — after the first reports on Reddit it’s usually clear whether it’s stable.
• Major updates (e.g. 7.2 → 8.0): wait at least 4–6 weeks, possibly longer. Synology’s major releases have gone through extended stabilization phases in the past.

DSM update settings

In Control Panel → Update & Restore → DSM Update:

• Download updates: can be automatic or manual.
• Install updates: definitely manual. Never auto-install for major updates.
• Maintenance window: the time window in which the update is applied — if you enable auto-install.

Our recommendation:

• Download automatically: yes, you’ll have the update file at hand and can decide when to install.
• Install automatically: only for security patches, not for larger updates.

If you want everything manual to be safe, disable both — DSM will only notify you that an update is available.

Before the update

Three things we always do before applying an update:

1. Take a snapshot

If Snapshot Replication is active (see Snapshot Replication): manually trigger a snapshot for every important shared folder. That way you can roll back to the pre-update state in an emergency.

2. Run Hyper Backup

Manually trigger your Hyper Backup job to your external target — for example our Hyper Backup Storage — so you have a fresh copy of your data in a different location. If the update really does break something, you have a genuine backup.

3. Note down the running packages and containers

An update can disable individual packages because they’re incompatible. Note down what’s running so you can check after the update whether everything is back online.

During the update

DSM restarts during installation. During installation and reboot:

• DSM is unreachable for 5–15 minutes.
• Synology apps reconnect automatically.
• With a large major update it can take longer, in extreme cases 30–60 minutes.

If it takes longer or the NAS still isn’t responding after 1 hour: open a ticket, we’ll check via VNC at the local DSM login what’s going on.

After the update

Checklist:

1. DSM login works — can you get back in?
2. Packages are running — check Drive Server, Photos, Mail Plus, Hyper Backup status.
3. Containers start — if Container Manager is running: do all containers start automatically?
4. Mail sending (if Mail Plus): test mail to an external address.
5. Drive sync on one device — does it still sync?
6. Backup job runs (if scheduled for today)?

If something doesn’t work: restart the packages individually first. If a package won’t start at all: reinstall (in Package Center), data is preserved. If that doesn’t help either: roll back the snapshot.

When we update on request

If you don’t feel like dealing with the update drama: open a ticket, we’ll do it for you. Standard procedure:

1. We check whether the update went smoothly for other customers with a similar setup.
2. We take a snapshot and verify Hyper Backup.
3. We apply the update outside your peak hours (typically 23:00–02:00).
4. We test the standard packages.
5. You get a mail saying “Update to X.Y.Z applied, everything checked, running”.

That’s not a standard service, but we’re happy to do it — just ask.

Major updates: what we pay special attention to

For Synology major releases (e.g. DSM 7 → DSM 8 in the future), we first run tests internally on a test NAS before switching customer NAS units over. From our experience:

• DSM 6 → 7 (2021) had 2–3 months of minor bugs, mostly in Hyper Backup and Photos.
• Point releases are usually stable.

When a major release comes out: we wait, and we’ll notify you proactively when it’s time.

What if an update really breaks something?

First of all, stay calm. Backups are there, snapshots too. Three options:

1. Reinstall the package: most of the time that’s enough.
2. Downgrade DSM to the previous version: difficult, often not directly possible. For serious problems, open a ticket — we can do a restore from our snapshot.
3. Contact Synology support: for clear DSM bugs, Synology has a functional support track. We’ll help out if needed.

From our experience: over 99% of updates go through without problems. The worry that everything might break isn’t statistically justified — but caution is still the right strategy, because that one percent really hurts.

Frequently asked questions

When is the next DSM major update coming? Synology rarely communicates that in advance. When a major release comes, we’ll reach out to you.

Are DSM updates free? Yes. DSM updates come directly from Synology, no extra money needed.

What happens to Surveillance Station licenses after DSM updates? They stay unchanged. Licenses are tied to the NAS serial number, not to the DSM version.

Can I have all updates installed automatically? Technically yes. We don’t recommend it — major updates want attention. Security patches you can set to auto.

What about updates for packages (not DSM itself)? Package Center → Update shows available package updates. Same rules here: security-relevant ones promptly, big new versions with a bit of caution. Drive Server and Hyper Backup are usually stable — Photos sometimes has update hiccups with larger releases.

How do I see which DSM version I’m currently on? Control Panel → Info Center. The DSM build and the model name are shown at the top.

Are updates applied while backups are running? DSM checks whether tasks are running before the update. With an active Hyper Backup it typically waits. But you can’t rely on that 100% — before a manual update, check that nothing is running.

What’s next

• Snapshot Replication for version protection
• Swapping disks and SHR expansion