Synology NAS, for no doubt, is an amazing device that helps to replace existing subscription-based services to some extent, including cloud storage, photo management, office utility, etc. If you are a Synology user, you might know that Synology devices work pretty well if you have a decent specs device. It is fast enough to handle the regular usage of an average user.
However, in heavy usage, when multiple users are accessing the NAS, the performance may get a bit lower, and you may face delays in accessing the contents from the NAS. No need to worry; most of the latest Synology NAS, like the DS420+, comes with dedicated Nvme SSD slots in which you can install an SSD storage that will act as a cache memory to speed up the performance.
NVMe SSD Cache on Synology NAS
For Synology NAS to work, there is no need to add additional SSD storage. The default storage disk will be enough to store and access the Synology NAS data. However, an additional NVMe SSD storage is added to most of the Synology devices like the Synology DS 420+, DS 920+, etc.
This SSD storage will act as caching area where the frequently accessed files will be stored in the cache area. Once the user tries to access the data, Synology will directly deliver the content from the cache storage rather than from the actual volume storage.
Since the cache storage is NVMe SSD, the speed is higher. By avoiding the search within the HDD volume, data retrieval is fast, eventually making the Synology NAS even quicker.
How to Find the Cache Memory Need on Synology NAS?
NVMe SSD storages are available in capacities like 128GB, 256GB, etc. But how much cache memory do you need for the Synology NAS? Since the NVMe SSD stots available on the Synology NAS are only used for caching, a larger SSD won’t make any difference. The free space can’t be utilized for storage. It will be a cache-only memory.
Therefore, rather than spending more money on buying a higher-capacity SSD, you need to find the exactly needed cache memory for your Synology NAS. It will make your Synology NAS faster, and you can save money by getting the correct SSD storage.
Synology SSD Cache Advisor
We can’t exactly find how much cache memory we need for the Synology NAS. The cache requirements will be different for each device based on usage. Therefore, Synology offers an option to find the cache requirement automatically using the inbuilt cache advisor on the Synology NAS.
The cache advisor will analyze the usage of the Synology NAS and estimate the need for cache storage. Finally provides information regarding the cache requirements.
How to use Synology Cache Advisor to Find the Cache requirement in Synology NAS
Synology offers a service called Cache Advisor to analyze and understand the correct cache memory needed for the Synology NAS based on usage. Follow the steps below to use the Synology cache advisor on the NAS.
Step 1: Log in to the Synology NAS control panel and go to the Control Panel.
Step 2: From the control panel, click on Storage Manager.
Step 3: On the next screen, you will be within the Storage Manager and then click on the Storage menu from the left side.
Step 4: On the next screen, you will see details regarding the disk, its condition, etc.
Step 5: Click on the SSD Cache Advisor option from the top.
Step 6: Now, you will see a popup window where you can see the SSD Cache Advisor details.
Step 7: Click on the Analyze button.
Step 8: Another window will appear, showing the information regarding the SSD analyzing process. Click on the Start Analysis button.
Step 9: The process will start, and you can see the progress.
Now, the analysis started, and it will take a few days to complete. Since the advisor needs to analyze Synology usage based on the custom usage of various applications on Synology NAS, it may take more time. Usually, the analysis will take 10-20 days, and once it is completed, you will get a notification within the control panel or the DS Finder app on your mobile.
Step 10: Once the analysis is completed, you can navigate to the Cache Advisor section (Control Panel > Storage Manager > Storage > SSD Cache Advisor). You will find the Analysis Results, which will show the required cache capacity and the time taken for the analysis.
Now, you can buy the necessary cache memory rather than a bigger capacity.
We always recommend buying a slightly higher SSD capacity than the recommended capacity, as the usage might increase in the future.
For example, if the SSD Advisor shows a 100GB requirement, you can buy a 128GB or 256GB capacity. If it shows a 200GB result, you can buy 256GB or 512GB NVMe SSD Storage for your Synology NAS.
