Network Storage - NAS and SAN

Network Attached Storage (NAS) - is a storage device that can be accessed over a computer network (usually TCP/IP), rather than directly being connected to the computer (internal hard drives or external USB/SCSI drives). NAS devices enable multiple computers to share the same storage space at once. These devices are assigned an IP address and can then be accessed by clients (PCs or laptops) via a server that acts as a gateway to the data.

Some of the big advantages of NAS include the expandability; if you need more storage space, add another NAS device and expand the available storage. NAS systems also bring an extra level of fault tolerance to the network. NAS systems often contain more than one hard disk drive, often arranged into logical, redundant storage containers or RAID arrays for added redundancy/security - thus protecting data in the case of disk failure.

Network Attached Storage has emerged as a powerful, proven technology for storing data that needs to be shared in the office. NAS devices enable home and business users to easily share large amounts of data in a cost-effective and efficient manner.

 

A number of factors are accelerating end user demand for NAS offerings:

Cost benefit. NAS offers an affordable and expandable solution for end users requiring network shared storage in an office environment. It is an effective strategy for extending an existing investment in server technology. NAS architecture allows these businesses to add storage on the network without requiring any upgrade and/or replacement of existing servers.

Administrative convenience. NAS offers a simple solution for files, e-mails and large documentation stored in one central location, accessible to anyone in the office by PC/laptop. NAS-based storage offers administrative features that simplify or eliminate manual disk expansion and archiving functions, user and application partitioning, data protection, and other time-consuming storage maintenance activities. NAS can be a simple storage solution to an otherwise complex IT problem!

Storage Area Networks (SANs) are revolutionizing information storage and management in the same way that Local and Wide Area Networks (LANs/WANs) transformed information sharing across the enterprise. As storage capacity continues to grow at a dramatic annual growth rate, so do the demands for external storage under centralized management. To properly satisfy these demands, a minimum of features, including continuous data availability, resource sharing, system scalability, and ease of management are all required.

SAN, NAS and NAS architectures are the current prime candidates used to fulfill your storage requirements.