Synology ActiveProtect DP Series vs Synology DSM

Synology have been showcasing their ActiveProtect DP series in recent months. We saw it most recently in Gitex in October. The anticipated release is expected around mid-January. With ActiveProtect, Synology is leaning towards a subscription-based model in contrast to DSM which is free.

The best way to define ActiveProtect DP series is "an Enterprise Grade Backup appliance with subscription". Here's an overview of its features and how it contrasts with Synology's existing DiskStation Manager (DSM) platform.

DP Series has a Unified Backup Management , a single clean interface to manage everything

DP Series has a Unified Backup Management, a single clean interface to manage everything.

The ActiveProtect DP Series offers a centralized interface that consolidates backups across various platforms, including virtual machines (VMs), servers, PCs, and SaaS applications. This unified view simplifies management and monitoring.

In contrast, DSM requires separate applications for different backup tasks like Active Backup for Business for physical machines, Active Backup for Microsoft 365, and Active Backup for Google Workspace.

This single pane of glass view significantly enhances efficiency by reducing the complexity of managing multiple backup solutions and providing a unified experience, which is in line with several other vendors who also emphasize a simplified, consolidated management approach.

This brings us to the second point: it is a device designed to perform one specific task exceptionally well.

DP Series is built for one job

The DP Series is engineered exclusively for backup and restoration purposes, eliminating additional functionalities and applications. There is no app store, because everything needed for backup and restoration is already included. This device is not meant to do anything else beyond this core function. This streamlined approach contrasts with DSM's broader capabilities, which include an app store for expanding functionalities beyond backup tasks.

DP Series has a Subscription Model, unlike Perpetual DSM

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, the DP Series operates on a subscription basis, while DSM and its Active Backup suite are available without additional licensing fees.

The subscription model can be seen as either an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on perspective. With subscription I would think that synology will be incentivized to offer better service since you are paying continuously.

DP Series ships Pre-Populated with drives

DP Series appliances come with Synology's own hard drives pre-installed. This is the very first series of appliances from Synology (not counting beestation) that comes with hard drives. I would think they will have lots of caching on these drives too for optimal performance but we wont know till they are launched. My guess is also that they will have the HAT5310 drives which are Enterprise Grade drives.

3 Models launching initially

The DP Series will be available in three configurations: DP320: 2-bay model, DP340: 4-bay model and DP7400. How they would scale out is still to be seen, I would think that they will either let you add one more say DP320 as a node, or have expansion units.

Additional Features Exclusive to DP Series That DSM Lacks

Here are a few features that DP series has and DSM + ABB doesnt.

DP Series will have Air-Gapped Backups

The DP Series introduces software-based air-gapped backups, enhancing security by isolating backup data from network access. There is no air-gapped backup option in DSM so far. Air gapped backup is getting popular and its just recently that QNAP also launched their Air Gap+, so my guess is that eventually DSM would have the AirGap solution too, but for now its exclusive to DP .

Database Backup Support:

The DP Series includes support for database backups, catering to businesses with complex data management needs. DSM doesnt have database backup support yet and you have to backup to a file to take your database back in DSM as of now.

Shared Features Between DP Series and DSM

Both the DP Series and DSM platforms offer these features

• Protection for VMs, SaaS applications, and physical devices.
• Capabilities for bare-metal, file-level recovery, and instant recovery to Synology Virtual Machine Manager (VMM), hypervisors, or VMware environments.
• Support for immutable backups, ensuring data integrity and protection against unauthorized modifications.

In summary, Synology's ActiveProtect DP Series provides a specialized, subscription-based solution for comprehensive data protection, distinguishing itself from the more versatile, free-to-use DSM platform.