Standard NAS-maker Synology has confirmed and barely clarified a policy that appeared on its German website earlier this week: Its “Plus” tier of devices, beginning with the 2025 sequence, would require Synology-branded arduous drives for full compatibility, at the least at first.

“Synology-branded drives shall be wanted to be used within the newly introduced Plus sequence, with plans to replace the Product Compatibility Record as extra drives could be completely vetted in Synology programs,” a Synology consultant instructed Ars by e-mail. “Intensive inside testing has proven that drives that comply with a rigorous validation course of when paired with Synology programs are at much less threat of drive failure and ongoing compatibility points.”

With no Synology-branded or accredited drive in a tool that requires it, NAS units may fail to create storage swimming pools and lose volume-wide deduplication and lifespan evaluation, Synology’s German press release stated. Related drive restrictions are already in place for XS Plus and rack-mounted Synology fashions, although work-arounds exist.

Synology additionally says it should later add a “rigorously curated drive compatibility framework” for third-party drives and that customers can submit drives for testing and documentation. “Drives that meet Synology’s stringent requirements could also be validated to be used, providing flexibility whereas sustaining system integrity.”