Need to add a new NAS to existing SB network

[Enquiries]

We currently have a Synology DS415+ that we use exclusively as a file server. We are fast running out of drive space so it is time to add a new NAS. I am generally very happy with our old NAS and it has served us well. We have 8 workstations and 2 or 3 laptops on our network. We use an Asus AC3100 series router for DHCP and first line hardware firewall duties, but our workstations are on a static addressing scheme. One thing I would like to do is convert our old .mdb project database to a SQL database (or a compatible derivative) that would only be accessible from our intranet, if possible. Ideally, we could just extend our existing shares to create more space without having to move a bunch of data to the new NAS. We mainly store our project database (under 10 GB), documents, photographs, AutoCAD/Civil 3D dwgs, and 3D laser scans. I was looking at the Synology DS920+ with 4 10-TB drives about a year ago when I started thinking about this. Any ideas?

[ed]

Based on your requirements, the Synology DS920+ sounds like a good fit for your needs. It offers plenty of storage capacity and can handle the workload of 8 workstations and 2-3 laptops. The DS920+ also has a powerful CPU and upgradable RAM, which will be useful if you decide to run more demanding applications in the future.

Regarding the conversion of your .mdb project database to a SQL database, this can be done with various tools and services available. You could use Microsoft Access to convert the .mdb file to SQL Server Express, or use a third-party tool like Access to SQL Server or Access to MySQL to perform the conversion. Once you have a SQL database, you can install a database management system (DBMS) like MySQL or MariaDB on your Synology NAS to host the database. You can then control access to the database by creating a user account with appropriate permissions and configuring firewall rules to restrict access to the database from outside your network.

If you want to extend your existing shares to create more space, you can connect the new Synology NAS to your existing network and create a shared folder on the new NAS. You can then use Synology's built-in data migration tools to move data from your old NAS to the new NAS without having to manually copy files over the network.

Overall, I think the DS920+ is a good choice for your needs, but be sure to consider the amount of storage space you'll need in the future and plan accordingly. It's always a good idea to have some extra storage capacity to accommodate future growth.
It is now replaced with ds923+ which has no GPU, but you may be able to still get older model.