Understanding NAS Storage in this Modern Era

NAS storage has been around for quite some time now and it is only getting stronger and more popular. The reason behind this is the many benefits that NAS storage offers which cannot be overlooked.

However, as time passes, the needs of enterprises also change. scale-out NAS storage is a reliable solution and it takes care of the modern needs of the enterprises. Let us see exactly how does NAS benefit the modern enterprises and how does it work.

NAS Storage Hardware

The hardware of the NAS storage or NAS storage appliance is pretty simple. It comes with a pre-configured storage software that is installed on dedicated hardware. This dedicated hardware is known as a NAS box, NAS unit, NAS server, or NAS head. It is just a server containing storage disks, processors, and RAM.

NAS Storage Software

The main differences between NAS and general storage lie in the software. There is no software in general storage whereas NAS storage is deployed on a lightweight OS that is embedded in the NAS storage hardware.

General-purpose storage receives many requests and this makes them very slow to respond. NAS storage, however, receives and sends only two types of requests- data storage and file sharing.

NAS Storage Protocols

A NAS storage box is formatted with different data transfer protocols. These protocols are standard ways of sending data between devices and applications. These protocols can be accessed by users through a switch which is a central server that connects to everything and routes requests.

Data transfer protocols basically let users access another computer’s files and data as if they were on their own computer.

There are basically three types of protocols:

- Network File Systems (NFS)

- Server Message Blocks (SMB)

- Apple Filing Protocol (AFP)

NAS Storage Benefits

- Scale-Out Scalability: Scalability is one of the most influential benefits of NAS storage systems. Enterprises can easily add more storage capacity by adding more hard disks. There is no need to upgrade or replace servers and new storage can be added without disruption of any operations.

- Performance: NAS storage is dedicated to serving files. This removes the need for file serving from other networked devices. This way, users can expect better performance.

- Easy Setup: NAS systems are usually ready to use and are fairly very easy to setup. With easy usability and simple OS, NAS storage systems are very easy to use and manage.

- Fault Tolerance: With features like erasure coding and redundant array of disks, make NAS storage very fault-tolerant.

Conclusion

NAS storage has been at the forefront for so many years and with good reason also. This is because it offers so many benefits and convenience for enterprises. This makes NAS storage solutions a good option for modern enterprises.