Brand New Value 4-Bay Rackmount RS819 for late 2018

Synology has really been cultivating a reputation for rackmount NAS in the last few years. I remember not so long ago when, if someone asked me to recommend a NAS for business in a rackmount chassis, the choice was clearly a QNAP server. This was because when push came to shove, the hardware was just better on a QNAP NAS. Yes, the software on the Synology seems more fluid, but it still just a more tweaked version of the DSM software home users were enjoying already and wasn’t as good as the 3rd party software enterprise users were using and what they wanted was a powerful platform on which to run it.

Fast forward a few years to 2018 and things have changed A LOT. Both brands have much more enterprise-level hardware and software options and alongside this, released a number of value and mid-range rackmount NAS that supplies the physical build the users needs, but leverages between internal hardware, storage and connections in different units, so you can spend more efficiently. A prime example of this kind of cost balancing is the Synology RS819 RackStation NAS – a new NAS that I have been informed of for much, much later in 2018. So, what makes this NAS so interesting and how does it compare with the older RS816?

The Core. The Power. The Lead.

Up to 18 cores with 36 threads and up to 4.5 GHz with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0, combined with up to 512 GB DDR4 ECC RDIMM 2666 MHz memory to deliver rapid workload loading and processing.

All-in-One AI Solution: The Combination of System and Software

The TS-2888X AI-Ready NAS is designed to optimize AI workflows, providing a hands-on, ready-to-use software environment to reduce time and complexity for implementation and management. Besides the exclusive AI developer package to quickly build, train and optimize AI models running on the NAS – QNAP's Container Station enables a range of open-source tools and frameworks for the AI workflows readily available to you. Being an all-in-one AI solution, the TS-2888X greatly simplifies the implementation of AI alongside providing greater cost-efficiency.
5 Reasons to Choose the TS-2888X

• Affordable, Cost-effective

  The TS-2888X is powerful yet affordable, making AI accessible to your business blueprint.

• Secure & Private

  Public cloud training is not suitable for confidential or sensitive data. Keep full control over all your data with the TS-2888X!

• Ready-to-use AI Environment

  QNAP’s exclusive QuAIcomputing platform simplifies implementing AI workflows.

• Huge Storage Potential

  Data is the key to AI, and the TS-2888X provides the potential for huge capacities to remove the storage bottleneck from AI development.

• Comprehensive Backup Solution

  Flexible backup tools and snapshot protection assure your data while also allowing efficient disaster recovery.

• Ryzen™-based rackmount NAS with up to 4 cores/4 threads and integrated dual 10GbE SFP+ ports to optimize system performance
• Powered by AMD’s powerful Ryzen™ processor, the TS-877XU is capable of boosting virtual machine performance with up to 4 cores/4 threads and Turbo Core up to 3.4 GHz. Four PCIe Gen.3 slots provides expandability to provide more potential applications and functionality for the TS-877XU.
• Two 10GbE SFP+ ports provide higher bandwidth to empower applications like virtualization, 4K video editing and file sharing.
• PCIe expandability allows for installing 10GbE/40GbE adapters, PCIe NVMe SSD, graphics cards, USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps) cards, or wireless network cards.
• Supports AMD Radeon™ and NVIDIA® graphics cards for video processing or GPU-passthrough to VMs.
• Qtier™ technology and SSD caching enable 24/7 optimized storage efficiency.
• Scalable storage supporting virtualization, containerized apps, centralized storage, backup, sharing, and disaster recovery.
• RAID 50/60 is recommended for NAS with over 6 disks to strike a balance between capacity, protection, and performance

New 10Gbe NAS – The QNAP TBS-453DX

For a long time on NASCompares, we have praised QNAP for being the true innovators of the network attached storage NAS industry. Everything from New CPUs and 10Gbe Innovation, to Thunderbolt 3 and combining Media types, you name it QNAP were almost certainly the first ones to do it. Today I want to talk about a brand new QNAP that has just been unveiled by the guys over in Taiwan, that continues to push their reputation for innovation. The brand new TBS-453DX NAS, the follow up to the TBS-453A designed for workgroups, collaboration and teamwork, is the latest 10Gbe enabled NAS that is being released in Q4/1. I know that sounds like I am reading straight from a press release, but this new variation of the Silent NAS and NASBook series is definitely a device for getting people working faster, safer and easier.

Building on the incredible reception of the HS-453DX silent NAS being released very soon, QNAhasverevisited the NASBook compact, portable and easy to deploy NAS device and merged the two into a new powerhouse of productivity. Unlike most NAS devices drives for desktop, the core concept of the QNAP TBS-453DX is portability and fast easy deployment. Most QNAP NAS devices in tower chassis form are made to be set up in a single location and largely ignored in a physical sense. Most NAS’ are designed to live in a single location and access is made via the network or the internet with the users being portable. The QNAP TBS-453DX NAS book flips things around a bit and although it can be used the same as any other NAS in a central non-moving location, the lightweight, portable chassis (under 1KG) and fast access and express speed SSD media inside, mean that this device can be carried around as easy as a laptop and deploy on a desk between users in minutes. With this, it provides access via 10Gbe and 1Gbe, as well as many USB ports and HDMI 2.0a for perfect 4K output.

• Use a single interface to allocate storage space and networking resources. Easily manage and view sub systems when multiple Mustang-200 are installed in the NAS.
• Mount host storage space easily through iSCSI or VJBOD to ensure you don’t have to worry about running out of space when operating multiple applications.
• Equipped with dual CPUs, the Mustang-200's computing power equals two NAS. Developers can create various applications on the card without interfering with other applications.

This year has been a big year for network attached storage. Although NAS has already made its way into the home and business market, in 2018  we have seen some genuinely innovative pieces of hardware be developed that can result in a NAS featuring in almost every aspect of your personal and professional life. Of all the devices that have been announced this year, the one that left by far the best impact on me was the QNAP HS-453DX NAS. When I first stumbled across this particular NAS, QNAP were incredibly tight-lipped about it and what little information I could find out came from the fact it had won a design award – yes, you heard right, it won an award based on its physical design. That only made me more interested, as most NAS (though interesting) is typically rather ugly blighters! That was back in June and since then I have discovered more and more information about it and have decided to put it all together below in one giant information blowout! Trust me, when you get through it all, you will be as excited as I am.

The new HS-453DX features a new and improved chassis, based on the previous silent NAS HS-251+, it now arrives in white and rose gold, supports a combination of Hard Drive and Solid State drive, has a brand new CPU that it makes it’s NAS debut on this device and aside from all of that, also features a 10GBe port, HDMI 2.0a for 4K playback and a remote control. All of this with an incredible discreet design, both in terms of size and noise. It does not feature an operational fan inside and instead favours a large heatsink top panel (the rose gold lid) and this results in incredibly low operational noise. it doesn’t completely remove all noise (as Hard Drives generate their own minor hum noise), however, this is avoidable with the use of SSD or less mechanical HDD. Luckily the HS-453DX arrives with 2 Hard Drive bays and 2 SSD bays, so you can choose the best media for you, or use BOTH and take advantage of SSD caching and a system of tiered storage whereby files you are editing live on the NAS (likely through that 10GBe port) have important/regular accessed files moved over to the SSD to combine increased internal speeds and external speeds – AKA Remove the bottlenecks!

More than 25% of Synology enterprise users are currently using iSCSI services. To provide a more stable infrastructure, Synology has launched a new product line in the UC300 and it is the first iSCSI dedicated server with dual active controllers internally, with twin internal motherboards and each with its own PSU. The Active dual architecture allows enterprises users not to suffer disrupted service, in the event of a system critical event occurring (CPU failure, Memory burnout, PSU failure, motherboard damage, etc – basically the GAME OVER issues) the system has a whole second hardware system running in tandem and it automatically takes the primary lead

The result is that your RAID-enabled storage, that is already supported with a multitude of local/network/cloud backup options (as well as all the advantages of DiskStation Manager) is able to without a system-wide critical hit! That is the kind of hardware assurance that is almost unheard of in NAS.

All the while the UC300 RackStation is providing well over 100,000 IOPS of high performance before, during and after a critical event (with all targets and locations unchanged from the hundred/thousands of connected users POV)

The new DS1819+ Diskstation sits on the shoulders of the popular 8-bay network attached storage that came before it, released in 2 year cycles (DS1817+, DS1815+, DS1813+, etc) and with each generation, the external changed marginally, but the internal hardware grew more and more (always maintaining a near identical price point too, which is pretty impressive in technology). With network storage drives being increasingly popular and home/business users want a good sized capacity in their NAS drive, a solid 8 HDD/SSD RAID equipped desktop NAS drive, that provides smooth storage is always in high demand.

Although the hardware is equipped almost all Synology first-party and third-party applications, the DS1819+ is geared more towards users looking for fluid, reliable file access and general file management for hundreds of users.

Likewise, it features great memory upgrade options, 10GBe utilization at a later date via the installation of the E10G18-T1 and E10G18-T2, SSD performance upgrades with the M2D18 and NVME SSD media and already arrives with 4 RJ45 LAN to enable upto 425MB/s speeds via link aggregation. In short, if you need fast, reliable access to your files, folders and directories for hundreds of users at once, the DS1817+ is a great entry point for you.

There have already been some great advancements in the Synology Surveillance station application, with features such as LiveCam view with your mobile, YouTube camera streaming, improved time-lapse view and more. However, the Synology DS1419dva is designed to support AI these features, PLUS support new analytical and deep learning applications being introduced into Surveillance station 8.

These live and archival features (such as the system recognizing an object or person in searching, then actioning as needed) require a good chunk of rendering power and the DS1419dva arrives with an NVidia GeForce GPU component to assist in Deep Video Analysis (DVA). There is still not real confirmation whether the DS1419dva is a Surveillance ONLY device (such as the NVR1218) or if it is a DSM 7.0 enabled NAS like others (as I can see a lot of functionality for that GPU in non-surveillance applications).

• Dual-port 12 Gb/s SAS interface for the highest level of enterprise reliability, availability and scalability
• Industry-leading storage density range up to 15 TB in a 2.5-inch form factor
• Ultra-fast performance of up to 400K IOPS and 2.1 GB/s that saturates both 12 Gb/s links
• Endurance options to match the needs of a wide range of enterprise workloads
• Enhanced enterprise reliability, data protection and data security

• Connects Your Peripherals with One Cable—Plug in peripherals to the dock with their cables, connect the dock to your computer with the included Thunderbolt 3 cable
• Eleven Interfaces—Five USB 3.0, two Thunderbolt 3, Gigabit Ethernet, audio, and HDMI 2.0 ports; SD card slot
• macOS and Windows Compatible—Works with any Thunderbolt 3 Mac or Windows(4) computer
• Computer Charging Port—Main Thunderbolt 3 port provides power to computers that accept charging over Thunderbolt 3, supporting them at the maximum power they will accept; leave your computer’s power adapter packed away!
• USB Charging Port—Front panel USB port can charge an iOS device, or other device that charges via USB, even while the computer is off or disconnected
• 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 Interface—Fastest interface available, supports daisy chain connection of additional devices
• Supports Up to Two 4K Displays—Connect one display to the HDMI 2.0 port, another(6) to the second Thunderbolt 3 port or at the end of the Thunderbolt 3 device chain
• Wide Range of Second Display 
• Connection Options—Select from a variety of inexpensive Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C to popular display interfaces such as HDMI, DVI, etc.
• SD Card Slot—Reads SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards
• Backward Compatible with Thunderbolt 2 and Thunderbolt Macs—When used with an Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter