Synology DP7200 overview
During Computex 2024, Synology showcased its new backup appliance, ActiveProtect, for the first time. By the end of that year and into the first half of 2025, the company released a total of three models.
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Full review of the 12-bay DP7400 backup appliance
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Along the rack-based models, Synology also offers desktop versions of the DP series in a two and four-bay format. This is the DP320 2-bay version review
At Computex 2025, Synology, alongside other refreshed and new products, introduced the upcoming second rack-based ActiveProtect model, the DP7200.
With no visible changes externally, the DP7200 uses the same enclosure as the DP7400. The primary differences are in price and specifications, with the DP7200 offering more conservative capabilities.
Cyber-resilient Data Protection Solution for Data Centers
Synology will once again employ an AMD CPU, likely from the V1000 series rather than the EPYC, while the rest of the configuration is expected to remain nearly identical to that of the DP7400.
This means the unit will feature 12 bays, prepopulated (assembly required) with a pair of SAT5200 SSDs for caching and ten HAT5300 drives in a RAID6 configuration, with one serving as a hot spare. Given the advertised maximum capacity of 84TB and the recommended 56TB of usable space, it can be deduced that the drives are 12TB versions, as opposed to the 20TB standard with the DP7400.
For a quick comparison, the HAT5300-12T disk models are also 7200 RPM SATA drives, like the HAT5310-20T in the DP7400, and come with a 5-year Synology warranty. The differences lie in a slightly slower data transfer speed (254 MB/s vs. 281 MB/s) and lower power consumption (approximately 4.25W vs. 4.38W for the HAT5310).
To prevent ransomware attacks, the DP7200 protects data backups and backup copies with immutability and write-once-read-many (WORM) storage to ensure that no one can modify data that has been backed up during the specified retention period
The 2U model will support up to 2500 servers in its APM cluster, offering single-point dashboard control through the new ActiveProtect Manager OS.
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ActiveProtect Manager OS, the heart of the new ActiveProtect Appliance lineup
The unit is similar in many respects to the more powerful model, particularly when looking at the port setup on the back. The DP7200 features a dual 10GbE network interface and an additional 1GbE management port. It also includes dual USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, one COM port, and a PCI slot for further upgrades such as 10 or 25GbE network cards. Like the DP7400, the DP7200 is backed by a 5-year warranty, which also covers the drives.
The price point remains unknown, but since the unit is 90% identical in specification to the DP7400 and can back up 40% less data, the price might also be 40% lower. Given that the DP7400 costs €39,000, this would be a considerable discount for smaller businesses seeking a turnkey backup appliance that can manage smaller DP and Synology NAS devices.
However, this is speculative; the actual price will be determined by Synology or an official reseller. ActiveProtect models are not available through usual retail channels, so the final price will vary by project.
With the DP7200 joining the ActiveProtect Appliance lineup, the total number of devices rises to four, offering a balanced selection of desktop and rack-based models for smaller and larger businesses based on their backup needs.
More detailed information will be posted in a separate article or a review should this model arrive for testing this year.
