Synology NAS for CAD, BIM & Engineering Firms Malaysia

Architecture, engineering, construction and manufacturing companies generate very different data from conventional office environments.

A single project may contain AutoCAD DWG drawings, Revit models, Navisworks coordination files, IFC models, point clouds, rendering assets, simulation results, CAM data and years of project archives.

As this data grows, simply purchasing a larger file server may not solve performance, collaboration or data-protection problems.

A properly designed Synology NAS for CAD, BIM and engineering firms in Malaysia should consider:

Storage Capacity → Network Performance → File Access → Snapshots → Backup → Disaster Recovery

3DTECH combines experience in CAD, BIM and engineering workflows with Synology storage, networking, backup and IT infrastructure, helping businesses design storage around the actual workload rather than simply choosing a NAS based on drive bays or capacity.

Why CAD & BIM Firms Need the Right NAS Architecture

Engineering data can be large, complex and business-critical.

Typical files include:

• AutoCAD DWG and DXF
• Autodesk Revit models
• Navisworks NWD and NWC
• IFC and BIM exchange files
• SketchUp and 3D models
• Point-cloud datasets
• High-resolution rendering assets
• Civil and infrastructure files
• Inventor and Solid Edge assemblies
• CFD and FEA simulation data
• CAM projects and CNC programs
• Project documentation and archives

The correct engineering NAS solution therefore needs to consider not only capacity but also concurrent users, network bandwidth, file behaviour, backup retention and required recovery time.

Centralised Storage for AutoCAD & DWG Files

For many engineering firms, DWG data is spread across individual workstations, shared folders, USB drives and ageing file servers.

A centralised Synology NAS for AutoCAD files can provide a structured location for:

DWG drawings, Xrefs, blocks, templates, standards, title blocks and completed project archives.

A project structure could follow:

Projects → Client → Project → Discipline → Working / Issued / Archive

User and group permissions can then control which project teams or departments have access to particular folders.

For organisations migrating from an existing Windows file server, 3DTECH can also review the folder structure, permissions and data before migration rather than simply copying an inefficient legacy structure onto the new storage system.

Synology NAS for BIM Project Storage

BIM projects can generate considerably larger datasets than conventional 2D CAD.

A typical project environment may contain:

Revit + AutoCAD + Navisworks + IFC + Point Clouds + PDFs + Rendering Files

A Synology NAS can be valuable for storing:

• BIM project archives
• Published Revit models
• Navisworks coordination files
• IFC exchanges
• CAD libraries
• Point clouds
• Render assets
• Project documentation
• Deliverables and historical records

However, there is an important technical distinction.

Important: NAS Is Not Automatically a Revit Worksharing Solution

A NAS should not automatically be presented as a universal solution for hosting live Revit central models.

Live Revit worksharing is sensitive to network architecture, latency and the collaboration method being used.

A configuration that performs well for a local team on a properly designed LAN may not be appropriate for users accessing the same model remotely across offices or WAN connections.

For geographically distributed BIM teams, Autodesk-supported collaboration architectures such as Revit Cloud Worksharing may be more appropriate.

Therefore, before deploying storage for Revit projects, 3DTECH recommends reviewing:

Number of users + Office locations + LAN/WAN topology + Latency + Model size + Collaboration requirements

The NAS can still play a major role in BIM archives, published models, project files, backups and disaster recovery, even where another platform is used for live model collaboration.

2.5GbE vs 10GbE for CAD & BIM Storage

One of the most common mistakes when upgrading storage is focusing on NAS capacity while ignoring the network.

A powerful NAS connected through an undersized network can still become a bottleneck.

For smaller teams, 2.5GbE NAS networking may offer a practical upgrade from standard Gigabit Ethernet.

For companies handling larger BIM models, point clouds, render assets, simulation results or many simultaneous engineering users, 10GbE Synology NAS infrastructure may provide significantly more network headroom.

However, a 10GbE network adapter alone does not guarantee 10GbE application performance.

The complete data path matters:

Engineering Workstation → NIC → Cabling → Switch → NAS Network Interface → Storage Array

NAS processor performance, HDD or SSD configuration, RAID design, file sizes and concurrent workloads also affect actual throughput.

Storage for Point Clouds, Rendering, CAM & Engineering Data

Engineering companies increasingly work with datasets that can quickly consume terabytes of storage.

These may include:

• LiDAR and laser-scanning point clouds
• High-resolution rendering textures
• Animation assets
• CFD and FEA results
• Mechanical assemblies
• CAM projects
• CNC programs
• Manufacturing documentation

Keeping all of this information permanently on workstation SSDs is expensive and difficult to protect centrally.

A practical architecture can use:

Workstation SSD
↓
Active working files

Synology NAS
↓
Central engineering and project storage

Snapshots / Secondary NAS / Cloud Backup
↓
Data protection and disaster recovery

This allows high-performance workstation storage to remain focused on active workloads while the NAS provides centralised capacity, permissions and data protection.

Snapshots Are Not the Same as Backup

Snapshots are particularly useful for CAD and engineering environments because users frequently update, overwrite and revise project files.

Synology Snapshot Replication can provide point-in-time recovery for supported storage configurations.

Examples include:

DWG accidentally overwritten → Restore previous version

Project folder deleted → Recover from snapshot

Files damaged or encrypted → Restore earlier clean data

However, snapshots should not be treated as the entire backup strategy.

If the production data and all snapshots remain on one physical NAS, a major hardware failure, theft, fire or site-level incident could still affect both.

Build a 3-2-1 Backup Strategy for Engineering Data

For critical CAD and BIM information, 3DTECH recommends evaluating a broader 3-2-1 backup strategy.

A typical design may include:

Production Synology NAS

Primary CAD, BIM and engineering storage.

↓

Snapshots

Fast recovery from accidental deletion or file modification.

↓

Secondary Synology NAS

Replication to another device or office.

↓

Cloud or Off-Site Backup

Additional protection against site-level incidents.

The appropriate configuration depends on the organisation's RPO, RTO, project importance, data growth, internet bandwidth and recovery requirements.

Backup design should therefore be considered at the same time as NAS sizing—not after the storage system has already been deployed.

How to Size a Synology NAS for Engineering Firms

There is no single Synology NAS configuration suitable for every engineering organisation.

3DTECH recommends evaluating five core factors.

1. Current Data and Growth

Consider current project storage plus expected growth over the next three to five years.

2. Number of Users

Ten CAD users have very different requirements from fifty engineers accessing the same storage simultaneously.

3. Workload Type

DWG files, BIM models, render assets, point clouds and simulation data place different demands on storage and networking.

4. Network Performance

Determine whether 1GbE, 2.5GbE or 10GbE is appropriate for the actual workload.

5. Backup & Recovery

Decide how much historical data must be retained and how quickly critical projects need to be restored following an incident.

This produces a much more reliable design than choosing a NAS purely by drive-bay count or advertised capacity.

Why 3DTECH for Synology CAD & BIM Storage?

The key difference for engineering customers is understanding both sides of the infrastructure.

Engineering Application Knowledge

3DTECH works with technologies and workflows covering:

AutoCAD, Revit, BIM, CAD/CAM, visualisation, simulation and engineering design.

IT & Storage Infrastructure

3DTECH also provides:

Synology NAS + Networking + Storage + Backup + Cloud Backup + Disaster Recovery + Managed IT Services

This enables storage projects to be approached as an integrated engineering workflow:

ASSESS → DESIGN → SIZE → IMPLEMENT → MIGRATE → PROTECT → TEST → SUPPORT

Rather than simply supplying NAS hardware, 3DTECH can assist with storage sizing, network requirements, user permissions, file-server migration, snapshots, backup architecture, disaster recovery and ongoing maintenance.

Is Synology NAS Suitable for Your Engineering Company?

Synology NAS can be considered when your organisation wants to improve:

• CAD file storage
• BIM project storage
• Engineering file sharing
• Point-cloud storage
• Rendering asset management
• Manufacturing data storage
• Project archiving
• File version recovery
• Backup and replication
• Disaster recovery

The important point is selecting an architecture that matches the real engineering workflow.

A NAS should not be selected based solely on capacity or price.

Storage performance, network architecture, concurrent users, backup strategy and recovery requirements should all form part of the design.

Request a CAD, BIM & Engineering Storage Assessment

Planning to replace an existing file server or deploy a new Synology NAS for CAD, BIM or engineering data in Malaysia?

3DTECH Solutions Sdn Bhd can assess your current environment and recommend an appropriate solution covering:

Synology NAS + Storage Capacity + RAID + 2.5/10GbE + Permissions + Data Migration + Snapshots + Backup + Disaster Recovery

Talk to 3DTECH about your CAD/BIM storage requirements.

Request a Synology CAD, BIM & Engineering Storage & Backup Assessment.

Synology for AEC Industry Malaysia | CAD, BIM, Project Storage & Backup