Network Attached Storage As clients' hard disks grow, so do the volumes of data they want to store locally and share on a central server.
Some of our SME clients, that have not yet made the break into a SAN environment, choose to use NAS devices, such appliances can be quickly attached to the network with minimal configuration, creating an instant additional pool of storage.
NAS boxes are designed for file sharing rather than running applications, although they can also make useful backup devices, as users can copy the contents of their hard disks whenever required.
NAS systems usually contain one or more hard disks, often arranged into logical, redundant storage containers or RAIDs, as do traditional file servers. NAS removes the responsibility of file serving from other servers on the network.
NAS is also useful for more than just general centralised storage, as it can enable simpler and lower cost systems such as load-balancing and fault-tolerant email and web server systems by providing storage services.
Performance can also be increased by implementing a NAS device, this is due to the file serving being done by the NAS and not by a server responsible for also doing other processing. The performance of NAS devices, however, can depend on the speed of and traffic on the network and on the amount of cache memory (RAM) on the NAS computers or devices.
If you are looking at implementing a NAS solution in your environment and would like to speak to our team of consultants, then please do not hesitate to call one of the team on 01732 525889.
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