Network Attached Storage (NAS)

NAS refers to storage devices that connect to a network and provide file access services to computer systems. These devices usually consist of an engine that implements file services and one or more devices for storing data. NAS uses file access protocols such as NFS or CIFS.

Designers of software applications for smaller business environments tend to use file-based systems to achieve these goals, particularly flexibility, simplicity, and ease of management; and the availability of a variety of easy-to-use tools to provide security and powerful backup and recovery capabilities.

A popular choice for enterprises and small businesses across many industries, NAS systems are an efficient, scalable, and cost-effective storage solution. They can be used to support email systems, accounting databases, payroll, video recording and editing, data logging, business analytics, and more; NAS systems support a variety of other business applications.

Given the flexibility and popularity of NAS systems, most cloud providers offer NAS services; this makes it possible to mix and match NAS storage systems and cloud services in the enterprise, making it possible to optimize cost, management effort, and performance while giving the enterprise full control over location and security.

Some benefits of NAS include:

• Simple to operate; typically does not require dedicated IT professionals
• Lower cost; significantly less wasted space compared to other storage technologies such as SAN
• Easy data backup and recovery with fine-grained security features
• Provides secure and reliable centralized data storage for authorized network users and customers
• Supports multiple applications
• Allows access to data over the network, including cloud-based applications and data

With NAS, data is constantly accessible, and enterprise teams can collaborate easily, respond to customers in a timely manner, and improve data management and security because the information is all in one place. In addition, because NAS is like a private cloud and the same services can be provided in the cloud, data can be accessed remotely using a network connection, which means employees and applications can work from anywhere at any time.