Step-by-Step Synology NAS on VMware ESXi Installation

Understand What You Are Building

You are not installing a Synology product the normal way. DSM normally ships only on Synology hardware. This method boots DSM inside an ESXi virtual machine using a small community bootloader image that presents the VM to DSM as if it were a Synology box, and then installs the genuine DSM system file (the .pat file) downloaded from Synology's official Download Center. The build has three moving parts: the ESXi virtual machine, the bootloader disk that starts DSM, and the data disks that hold your files.

Prepare the ESXi Host and Files

You need a working ESXi host with enough free resources: at minimum 2 vCPU and 2 GB RAM that you can spare for the VM (4 GB RAM is more comfortable), plus storage for the data disks. Before starting, collect three things: the community bootloader image for the DSM model and version family you plan to run; the matching DSM .pat installer file from Synology's official Download Center — the bootloader and the DSM version must be a pair that is known to work together; and a browser on the same network, for the find and setup pages in Step 6.

Create the Virtual Machine

In the ESXi web client choose Create / Register VM → Create a new virtual machine. Pick a guest OS family of Linux / Other Linux 64-bit — DSM is a Linux-based system and this template gives it compatible virtual hardware. Give the VM 2 vCPU and 2–4 GB RAM to start; you can raise both later while the VM is powered off. Do not oversize it on day one — a lab DSM idles happily on modest resources, and the host usually has other VMs to feed.

Attach the Bootloader and Data Disks in the Right Order

This is the step most failed installs get wrong. Upload the bootloader image to a datastore and attach it as the first SATA disk (SATA 0:0). It is tiny and it never holds your files — it only starts DSM. Add your data disks after it, on the same SATA controller (SATA 0:1, SATA 0:2) — two data disks let you build a mirrored pool later. Set the boot order so the bootloader disk boots first, every time.

Network Adapter and First Boot

Attach the VM to the virtual switch or port group that your normal LAN uses, so your PC can reach it. The safe adapter choice is E1000E, which DSM recognises with its built-in drivers. VMXNET 3 is faster on paper but only works if the DSM build you run includes a driver for it — if the NAS never appears on the network, the adapter type is the first thing to check. Power on the VM and watch the console: the bootloader runs, then DSM's kernel takes over. Give it a few minutes on first boot.

Find the NAS and Install DSM

From a PC on the same network, open this address in a browser, or use the Synology Assistant desktop tool:

find.synology.com

The new system appears as a Not installed device. Connect to it and the Web Assistant asks for the DSM installer: upload the .pat file you downloaded in Step 2. The install formats the system partitions on the data disks and takes roughly ten minutes, followed by a reboot. After that you create the admin account, name the server, and — this matters — skip or delay automatic DSM updates when the setup wizard offers them, for the reason in Step 8.

Create the Storage Pool and First Shared Folder

Open Storage Manager and create a storage pool from the data disks. With two disks, SHR or RAID 1 gives you one-disk fault tolerance; with one disk you get capacity and no protection at all. Then create a volume and your first shared folder. Copy some test files, reboot the VM once, and confirm everything comes back on its own — a lab you have not reboot-tested is a lab you do not actually have yet.

Set the Update Rule Before You Walk Away

Finish with the rule that keeps this lab alive: in Control Panel → Update & Restore, turn automatic DSM updates off. On real Synology hardware an update is routine; on a virtualised install, a new DSM version can change what the bootloader must emulate, and the NAS may simply not boot afterwards. Update only deliberately: snapshot the VM first, check that your bootloader supports the target DSM version, update, and test.