Synology has recently launched a network storage device named DS1515 for professional users who need large-capacity storage and small and medium-sized enterprises with a large number of users. On this NAS body, not only does it have 5 sets of 3.5-inch hard disk installation space, users can also install DX513 or DX213 hard disk expansion kits according to their own storage needs, up to 15 hard disk installations. And in order to cope with the large-capacity file transfer and the simultaneous connection of multiple users, this NAS also directly built 4 sets of Gigabit network transmission ports, and supports the Link Aggregation function, which can connect the 4 sets of Gigabit on the fuselage. The network transmission port integrates bandwidth usage, allowing users to have more flexible bandwidth applications. In addition, this DS1515 also supports Synology High Availability (SHA) technology, which can set two DS1515s as primary and secondary servers respectively. Later, if the primary server fails, the secondary server can be used immediately to ensure that various network operations are not interrupted.

● Synology DS1515 unpacking and specification introduction

The DS1515 launched by Synology this time is also packaged in a low-key carton outer box.

On the sticker on the outer box, you can see that this DS1515 has features such as 4-core processor, flexible expansion design of hard disk, 4 sets of Gigabit LAN, SSD cache acceleration and DSM operating system.

On the other side of the box, it is also specially marked that this DS1515 network storage device integrates the function of connecting mobile devices, and can support monitoring management, file backup and data security tools.

After opening the outer box, the upper center is the storage space for the accessory box, and the bottom is the host of this network storage device, and it is also equipped with anti-collision foam to reduce the risk of damage to the machine.

In the included accessory box, two network cables, power cables, quick-release hard drive cage keys, and fixing screws for 2.5-inch hard drives are provided.

Synology's DS1515 is similar in appearance to the previously launched DS1515+. It is also a model with 5Bay hard disk space, and can support the installation of Synology's DX513 or DX213 hard disk expansion devices, with a maximum of 15 hard disks. . In addition, this DS1515 can also support SSD solid state drive cache function, allowing users to add small-capacity solid state drives as NAS cache storage space to accelerate the overall transmission performance of the NAS.

As for the core specifications, the difference between the DS1515 this time is that it uses the Annapurna Labs Alpine AL-314 quad-core processor with an operating clock of 1.4GHz, and only has 2GB of DDR3 memory, and there is no way to expand it like the DS1515+. to 6GB capacity.

The power switch of the DS1515 host is located on the upper edge of the front panel, and there are lights for host status, alerts, and network connections, allowing users to check the operating status of the NAS at any time.

There are mesh holes with the word Synology on the left and right sides of the host, which are the main cooling air intakes of this NAS.

There are two sets of 8 cm fans on the back of this DS1515 host to enhance the heat dissipation of the fuselage and hard disk.

There is already a built-in power supply in the NAS body. In actual use, there is no need for an external transformer. Just connect a normal 3-hole power cord to start using.

In terms of I/O support, the DS1515 provides two sets of eSATA, two sets of USB3.0, and four sets of RJ-45 wired network ports that support Gigabit bandwidth on the back of the fuselage, and these four sets of network ports can also Both failover and Link Aggregation usage modes are supported. The main function of the former is that when one of the network ports is damaged, the network connection of the NAS can be transferred to other normal network ports to maintain the connection status of the NAS. As for the Link Aggregation mode, in simple terms, it can combine the bandwidth of 4 network ports to increase the connection speed of the NAS.

When installing the hard disk in this DS1515, just click the hard disk cage to open the tenon.

In addition to supporting 3.5-inch hard drives, the included hard drive cage also has screw fixing holes for 2.5-inch hard drives, allowing users to install 2.5-inch hard drives or solid-state drives.

For 3.5-inch hard disk installation, the hard disk rack adopts a tool-free installation design. The hard disk can be fixed by snapping the tenon edge, and there is a rubber cushion on the fixing hole to reduce the vibration of the hard disk.

The four corners of the bottom of this NAS also have bottom pads to achieve the effect of non-slip and shock absorption.

There is a console port at the bottom of the fuselage, which should be used during maintenance and inspection. Generally, users will not use this port.

Then open the case to take a look at the hardware design inside this NAS!

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Both SATA and eSATA on the NAS are integrated and connected to the mainboard of the NAS through another PCB circuit board.

This DS1515 network storage device is equipped with a special motherboard, and an aluminum radiator is directly installed on the processor to enhance the heat dissipation effect.

The difference from the previous DS1515+ model is that the DS1515 uses the Alpine AL-314 launched by Annapurna Labs in the processor part, which is an ARMbase AOZ1282CI processor. The preset operating clock can reach 1.4GHz, and has 4 processing cores, and also supports hardware encryption technology. According to the official specification, when the data file is encrypted and transmitted, the transmission speed of reading 296MB/s and writing 150MB/s can be achieved through hardware encryption technology.

There is only one SO-DIMM memory slot on the motherboard, and a DSL DDR3-1600 2GB memory launched by Shangyue Technology has been pre-installed at the time of shipment. The timing specification is CL11 model > CL11 model > CL11 model " >CL11 Model">CL11 Model">CL11 Model">CL11 Model">CL11 Model">CL11 Model">CL11.

The four wired network ports on the DS1515 are all based on the RTL8211DN network controller chip launched by Realtek, which can support Gigabit transmission bandwidth.

Two sets of eSATA ports are set up on this NAS, and the PCIe channel is converted into a SATA interface through the Marvell 88SE9170 controller chip.

As for the two sets of USB3.0 transmission ports on the fuselage, the EJ168A control chip introduced by EtronTech is used.

The key specification table of this DS1515 is attached below for your reference.

●DSM system installation settings

The actual hard drive used this time is the NAS HDD launched by Seagate for NAS products, each with a capacity of 4TB.

After reading the introduction of hardware specifications, let's look at the software part! When using it for the first time, you can first install the Synology Assistant tool software provided by Synology to view the NAS IP location, and then double-click on the NAS display list, it will directly open the browser and connect to the NAS to install the DSM operating system .

When installing the DSM operating system, you can first download the Pat file from the Synology official website or download it directly from this installation interface.

After the system is installed, the web interface will start to guide the user step by step to set the account password, adjust the system update options and create a QuickConnect account.

●Function application introduction

The DS1515 launched by Synology this time can also support its own DSM operating system, and the operation and application are basically similar to the general Synology NAS models, but because this DS1515 is more aimed at professional users and small and medium-sized users, Therefore, in the DSM system, there are several more enterprise application functions such as Link Aggregation, SSD cache and High Availability management. Therefore, in the software introduction part, because of the interface operation, function options and multimedia applications of DSM, the editor has introduced it in detail in the previous article on Synology NAS products. function to apply it!

◆Link Aggregation technical support

The most special feature of this DS1515 is that it has built-in 4 sets of Gigabit wired network ports, and also supports Link Aggregation technology, allowing users to more flexibly adjust the transmission bandwidth of the NAS. When actually setting, the user can first select the option of adding a new Bond in the tab of the web interface.

On the start page of the Link Aggregation function, users can choose from four modes: adaptive load balancing, dynamic mode, Balance XOR, and start/standby according to their needs.

Then, after checking the network port to be integrated, you can see on the screen of the network interface that the original options of LAN 1 and 2 have been integrated into Bond 1. However, one thing to note is that if you want to enable the Link Aggregation function to integrate the NAS network bandwidth, you must also have a switch that supports the 802.3ad network protocol to increase the speed!

◆SSD cache function support

In the storage space application part of this NAS, there is also special support for adding SSD cache. Users can directly install 1~2 SSDs as storage space caches, thereby improving the overall access speed of the NAS. If you need to enable the SSD cache function, you can set it on the page of the storage space administrator. When creating SSD cache space, there are two modes: read-write cache and read-only cache. If you want to use read-write cache mode, you must install more than two SSDs to create RAID 1 cache space; If only one SSD is installed, only the cache-only mode can be selected.

When setting the SSD cache, you can adjust the required cache space by yourself, and the maximum capacity can be adjusted to 1TB. However, one thing to note is that the higher the SSD cache capacity, the more system memory it will occupy.

After the SSD setting is completed, you can view the current SSD cache usage and device information on the main screen. If you need to remove the cache in the future, you can also enter this page to operate.

◆Synology High Availability technical support

For this DS1515 NAS, Synology has also added Synology High Availability (SHA) technical support. When users have two DS1515s at the same time, they can set one as the primary server and the other as the secondary server. Because the two servers are mirror settings, if the main server suddenly fails or is disconnected in the future, the other secondary server can immediately connect to the operation and provide the same complete service as the main server, allowing users to perform various tasks. can maintain operation.

●Actual performance test

Since I don't have a switch that supports 802.3ad at hand, I can't actually test the transmission performance after turning on Link Aggregation. I'm sorry to everyone. This time, let's take a look at the actual performance of a single network port and USB3.0 on the fuselage. Transfer efficiency!

◆USB3.0 transmission test

When connecting the Plextor M6S 256GB solid state drive to the NAS via a USB adapter, and actually transferring a photo folder of about 20GB to the NAS, the writing speed can reach about 170MB/s.

Then, when transferring the same folder from the NAS to the M6S SSD, the transfer speed can reach about 100MB/s.

◆Network transmission speed test

When actually transferring a photo folder with a size of about 20GB from the NAS to the computer, the transfer speed is about 83MB/s. When transferring the same folder from the computer to the NAS, the transfer speed can reach about 103.7MB/s.

●Trial summary

In terms of specifications, the DS1515 launched by Synology this time has differences in the maximum number of connections and some transmission performance due to differences in CPU and memory specifications, but the support for various applications is basically the same as the DS1515+. , and also has 4 sets of Gigabit network ports, and can add hard disk expansion kits by itself. I believe this is for users who need storage capacity and network bandwidth, compared to purchasing a NAS with a 10Gb network card. It is indeed a relatively cost-effective option. However, one thing to note is that the processor on this NAS can only support up to 720P in audio and video multimedia applications, so if you focus on multimedia applications, it is recommended to choose a NAS with a processor with a higher conversion performance. would be more suitable.