mago277 thanks for the feedback. I'd agree - it's great that Synology are offering Docker on DSM6 but only their flagship rackmount models seem capable of handling even light loads.
Your custom built 1U server with 8x 2.5" drives sounds interesting.
- Is it all custom install software or a distro like Proxmox?
- Do you use any sort of WebUI to manage it?
- Any reason you didn't go for ZFS instead of BTRFS?
Synology supports Docker on all Intel based NAS, You are confused with DSM ON Docker (running an DSM 6 image on a Docker container) this feature is reserved to new NAS Based on Intel.
Docker is exceptionally efficient, I use half dozen images and the system never touch 2gb ram neither more than 20% (my ds716+).
My custom built server is based on supermicro 1018D-73MTF I got at Amazon on less than 500$ with cpu and 16gb ram didn't touch 1 Grand, my HDD all are 2 tb each for 12 tb usable with double failure redundancy, I plan to move to full ssd on next 18mo, and a 16GB sata DOM, no sata pci card all 8 hdd are wired to the motherboard, later maybe I add a mellanox card or a 10GbT card (I installed a Zotac GeForce 710 to drive video to our meeting / training / party room).
The server software from scratch is custom, it ran centos 7 with kvm-webVirtMgr.
Centos 7 is managed by command line (in this setup is rare need to touch main host os).
I ran a RancherOS vm for Docker.
I considered webmin as Web gui for main centos, no actual need yet, only complicated task is to create a new Btrfs pool, this is done 100% on scripts or using the text based interface, some IT managers would opt for ISPConfig since it manage Btrfs and s bunch of functions, even Plesk, I don't consider actual need, command line for Btrfs is not as complicated
My sever configuration w/o hdd from Synology or qnap start close 2000 w/o comparable quality and attached to 3.5“ hdd.
I Don't go on zfs since I'm concerned on its long term development, seems the industry/it developer community it's better aligned behind Btrfs. Whatever I don't use dedup if so I'll Ned 64GB Ram on my serverr.