As data continues to grow and evolve, storage becomes an essential part of any business. More often than not, this is done with traditional storage solutions like direct-attached storage (DAS) or storage area networks (SANs). But have you ever heard of network-attached storage (NAS)? In this blog post, we’ll be discussing the advantages that come with using a NAS over traditional storage solutions, exploring what is network-attached storage and how it can benefit your business.
What is Network Attached Storage?
Network Attached Storage (NAS) is a file-serving device that is connected to a network and provides access to data to authorized users. NAS devices are typically dedicated devices that are designed to be used for file storage and sharing.
Advantages of NAS devices over traditional file servers, including:
Easy Access
One of the most significant advantages of using a NAS is that it is a network-attached device, which means it is accessible from anywhere in the network. This also enables the whole team to access the same files at the same time irrespective of their location. This is beneficial to companies with a remote workforce, as they can quickly access the same data even when they are not in their office. In contrast, with a traditional storage solution like DAS or SAN, access is localized, meaning that access is limited to only the computer to which the storage is connected.
Scalability
Scalability is one of the key advantages of using a NAS. NAS storage solutions provide an excellent way to scale data as compared to traditional storage solutions like DAS or SAN. A NAS can start small and grow with your needs, making it an excellent investment for small businesses looking to expand their IT infrastructure. Also, NAS devices come with hard drive bays that can be filled with drives when more storage is needed. In contrast, traditional storage solutions come with limited drive bays, thereby limiting the storage capacity.
Enhanced Data Security
Another advantage of using a NAS over traditional storage solutions is enhanced data security. The security of data is of utmost importance in any organization, and a NAS device can ensure that your data is secure. NAS units provide file-level access controls, encrypt data, and are password protected, meaning that only authorized personnel can access stored data. Also, backups and snapshots can be easily taken, ensuring that data is protected against data corruption, viruses, and accidental deletion.
Cost-efficient
When compared to traditional storage solutions like DAS or SANs, NAS storage solutions are more cost-efficient. NAS storage is cheaper than a SAN storage solution because it uses standard network components like switches, routers, and Ethernet cabling. In contrast, SAN storage requires specialized hardware, which is more expensive to purchase and maintain, making it unsuitable for small businesses.
Faster backups and recovery
One of the most significant advantages of NAS over traditional storage solutions is the speed of backups and data recovery.Enterprise NAS backup and recovery times are faster than traditional storage solutions because they use data deduplication, compression, and data-aware storage management that eliminates duplicate data and stores only changes in large files. This reduces the amount of data to be backed up and simplifies the recovery process, ensuring minimal downtime in case of an unexpected data loss event.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a NAS storage solution is an excellent investment for small businesses looking to expand their IT infrastructure. It provides several advantages, including easy access, scalability, enhanced data security, cost-effectiveness, and faster backups and recovery. All these benefits make a NAS device a popular option for businesses that need to store and access large volumes of data. If you’re considering investing in a NAS storage solution, choose your NAS supplier wisely to ensure that you get the most efficient and reliable NAS storage solution for your business.
