Computer Forum
Synology DSM 7 4 (Image © Synology)
Hardware support and version end-of-life
A major part of the DSM 7.4 release concerns the lifecycle of older Synology hardware. For a large number of FS, XS, Plus, Value and J series devices, DSM 7.4 is the last version supported by the hardware. Users of these older models should be aware that no further operating system upgrades will be available after this installation.
In addition, certain models will not receive an update notification via the standard DSM interface. Owners of these specific devices will need to manually download the update patch from the Synology Download Center to apply the update. Users are advised that once the installation is complete, the system cannot be reverted to a previous DSM version.
New features and system overview
DSM 7.4 introduces several functional improvements designed for power users and enterprise environments. An important new feature is the extended overview for LDAP server integration. When joining an LDAP server, the system now explicitly displays the supported SMB authentication methods so that administrators can check whether users can use Kerberos, NTLM or CIFS plain text authentication.
System monitoring has also been improved: GPU information is now displayed in the Info Center, providing better insight into hardware resources. In addition, Synology has updated the handling of KMIP (Key Management Interoperability Protocol) certificates to comply with the current guidelines of public certification authorities. These changes include the ability to export additional CA files for KMIP client authentication, as well as more detailed entries in the Log Center regarding certificate expiration. Software compatibility and discontinued functions
The update requires several core packages to be updated in order to maintain functionality. These include Synology Chat Server, High Availability, MailPlus Server, QuickConnect and Snapshot Replication.
Conversely, this release marks the end of support for several outdated components. PHP 8.1, Mail Station and Synology Mail Server are no longer supported in DSM 7.4, and users who rely on these tools will need to look for alternative solutions. Security patches and technical bug fixes
From a security perspective, DSM 7.4 fixes a critical vulnerability related to Ghostscript (CVE-2023-43115) and includes numerous other security hardening measures.
Update also fixes several technical stability issues:
- Network Stability: Fixed an issue where IEEE 802.3ad link aggregation could fail at certain interface speeds, as well as an issue where enabling IPv6 could cause erroneous system shutdowns.
- Authentication and SSO: Fixed a critical loop where systems configured as both an SSO server and client would enter an endless redirect cycle. Also fixed login errors for accounts whose usernames contained special characters.
- Storage management: Fixed a synchronization bug where files uploaded to WriteOnce shared folders via NFS were not being locked correctly.
- System Administration: Fixed an incorrect check for insufficient disk space that previously prevented some users from performing system updates, as well as issues with IPv6 connectivity in Package Center.
