Synology Level 2 – Engineering

This course moves beyond first-time Synology administration and into the engineering decisions behind reliable file services, network design, identity integration and service delivery. It is aimed at administrators who are already comfortable with DSM basics and now need to design, configure and troubleshoot more capable Synology platforms.

The focus is on practical service engineering: SMB, AFP, FTP, SFTP and NFS, advanced permissions, storage pools, volumes and SSD cache, more complex networking with bonding and VLANs, DNS and LDAP integration, and collaboration and replication services such as Synology Drive and ShareSync, plus RADIUS awareness for authentication workflows.

Course purpose

Build practical Synology engineering capability so learners can design and support file-sharing services, configure more advanced networking and access models, make better storage decisions, and integrate Synology platforms more effectively with directory, DNS and remote office workflows.

Duration

1 day for experienced DSM administrators
2 days if you want deeper labs, service testing and design discussion

Target audience

Synology administrators responsible for service configuration
infrastructure engineers supporting storage and identity services
MSP and field engineers deploying business Synology platforms
support teams troubleshooting file access and synchronisation issues
technical staff who already know DSM basics but need deeper operational understanding

Prerequisites

Ideally learners will have:

completion of Synology Level 1 or equivalent experience
confidence with DSM navigation and basic administration
basic understanding of IP networking and file-sharing concepts
working knowledge of users, groups, shared folders and standard permissions

The course assumes the learner can already perform basic Synology setup tasks.

Learning outcomes

explain the role and trade-offs of SMB, AFP, FTP, SFTP, rsync and NFS services on Synology
configure advanced networking concepts such as bonding and VLANs at a practical level
apply more advanced permissions and export logic for mixed client environments
understand how storage pools, volumes and SSD cache influence capacity and performance decisions
integrate or reason about DNS and LDAP services in a Synology environment
design and troubleshoot Drive and ShareSync use cases for collaboration and branch sync
explain where RADIUS fits in authentication workflows
make more structured engineering decisions around access, identity, networking and storage layout

Detailed module structure

Unit 1: Engineering view of Synology services

Topics:

review of DSM from an engineering rather than beginner perspective
storage, identity, network and application layers on a Synology platform
how multiple services interact on the same appliance
capacity, performance and operational boundaries of a NAS appliance

Engineering framing: Synology is not just a box for files; it is a service platform where storage, access, identity and networking decisions all interact.

Unit 2: File services in practice

Topics:

SMB service fundamentals and common Windows interoperability expectations
AFP awareness, legacy Apple environments and when it still appears
FTP and SFTP service models and associated risk considerations
rsync awareness for replication and transfer workflows
matching protocol choice to client type and business need
service exposure, security and support implications

Unit 3: NFS exports and Unix-style access models

Topics:

what NFS is and where it fits
NFS export thinking and host-based access
read-only vs read-write export design
UID/GID and client identity awareness at a high level
mixed SMB and NFS environments
common failure causes with permissions and client mapping

Unit 4: Advanced permissions and access control

Topics:

user, group and share-level access interaction
deny precedence and unexpected permission outcomes
mixed protocol access complications
application privilege vs file permission distinction
designing access around departments, roles and services
troubleshooting complex access problems methodically

Key point: many access issues are design issues rather than single-setting mistakes, especially when multiple protocols and services are involved.

Unit 5: Advanced networking with bonding and VLANs

Topics:

link aggregation and bonding concepts
availability vs throughput expectations
switch-side coordination and design awareness
VLAN tagging and service separation
placing storage, management and replication traffic sensibly
common networking failure modes caused by poor design changes

Unit 6: Storage pools, volumes and expansion strategy

Topics:

revisiting storage pools and volumes from an engineering perspective
capacity planning for mixed workloads
performance considerations for file services and applications
expansion planning and operational impact
understanding what changes are simple and what changes are disruptive
failure and rebuild awareness

Unit 7: SSD cache and performance thinking

Topics:

what SSD cache is and what it is not
read cache vs read-write awareness at a high level
workload suitability and expectations
where cache can help and where it will not solve architectural problems
operational considerations around failure, monitoring and sizing

Important message: SSD cache is an optimisation tool, not a substitute for correct storage design, suitable disks or sensible workload placement.

Unit 8: DNS and LDAP integration

Topics:

DNS role in service discovery and reliable access
hostname planning and naming consistency
LDAP concepts at a practical level
central identity and directory-driven access models
why identity and name resolution problems often appear as file access issues
design awareness for integration with wider infrastructure

Unit 9: Synology Drive engineering concepts

Topics:

what Synology Drive provides compared with basic file shares
desktop and browser access models
versioning and collaboration awareness
capacity and performance considerations
mapping Drive into broader access and protection design

Unit 10: ShareSync and multi-site data movement

Topics:

what ShareSync solves
branch and remote office use cases
directionality and conflict awareness
bandwidth, latency and scheduling considerations
how sync differs from backup
operational risk if sync design is misunderstood

Unit 11: RADIUS and authentication services

Topics:

what RADIUS is
centralised authentication use cases
where RADIUS may fit around Wi-Fi, VPN or access workflows
credentials, policies and service expectations at a high level
understanding where Synology fits and where it does not

Unit 12: Troubleshooting and engineering good practice

Topics:

troubleshooting by layer: network, identity, protocol, permission, storage, application
using logs, service state and client symptoms together
testing one change at a time
documenting exports, shares, identity integrations and sync paths
knowing when a problem is architectural rather than operational

Labs

compare SMB, FTP, SFTP and NFS service choices for different client requirements
review and correct an NFS export or complex permission scenario
design a bonding and VLAN layout for management, user access and replication traffic
analyse a storage pool and SSD cache proposal for a mixed workload NAS
review a DNS or LDAP integration scenario and identify likely failure points
plan a Synology Drive deployment for shared team files
compare ShareSync and backup for a branch-office requirement

Assessment

Engineering scenario

select the right file service for a client and workload mix
explain a suitable network and VLAN design
justify storage pool, volume and cache choices
identify the likely cause of an access or sync problem and describe the next safe action

Engineering knowledge check

Explain how a Synology platform should be engineered for reliable file access, controlled permissions, sensible storage design, directory-aware identity, and multi-site file services using Drive or ShareSync.

Stronger Synology engineering - Better file service design - Safer identity and storage decisions

Built for administrators who need to move beyond DSM basics into practical service engineering and support

Training scope and tailoring

The training plan shown above is provided as a structured guide to the typical scope and direction of the course. Our training content is reviewed and refined over time, so the precise balance of modules, examples and exercises may vary when the course is delivered.

Where there are specific topics, technologies or operational outcomes that are particularly important to your team, these can normally be incorporated into the delivery plan by prior agreement. Training is not treated as a rigid, fixed package; it is adapted where appropriate to reflect the client environment, delegate experience level, group size and the objectives agreed in advance.