Network Attached Storage (NAS) is a fast growing innovation that is being utilized by most major companies today. This technology was meant to deal with the challenge that companies had, where several applications and files were competing for the same processor resources. In other words, network attached service is the technology that allows the saving of data onto another computer system that is attached to the company computers through a network, or onto a special server that is attached to the network.
This service follows a client-server design that is much like the traditional file servers, where a single hardware device acts as the interface between NAS and network clients, or remote computers. The hardware device is called the NAS box or NAS head, but unlike the traditional file servers, requires no hardware to access. These servers run an embedded operating system, and one or more disks or drives can be attached to many NAS systems to increase the total capacity.
Usually, when a company uses network attached storage, there is a mainframe computer that is linked to a number of workstations. This mainframe is used to save all the files, and the workstations get access to it through special links. This technology offers a practical alternative to the traditional file server approach, providing an effective system that ensures that processes are fast. The network attached storage can be compared to a computer that is specifically set up for file storage only, excluding the space needed to run applications.
The network attached storage is normally accessed using a browser, and is also a way to secure data. Since the data is stored on the NAS computers rather than the file servers, this means that there is less risk of lost or breached data. In addition, it also reduces the cost of hardware that would have otherwise been required to provide storage space for data. The cost of maintenance for this particular service is cheaper than that of file servers.
One of the advantages of NAS is that file sharing is made easier. The computers that are attached to the same network can each access files saved on NAS, as long as access is granted. This means that for corporations, where information data is meant to pass from one person to the other constantly, the whole process is made much easier, time is saved, an ultimately, productivity increases. In addition, it also allows devices such as printers to be shared among the computers within the same network.
This type of service can store any data that appears in the form of files, such as email boxes, web content and remote system backups. This technology also includes built-in features such as disk space quotas, secure authentication and even automatically sending an email alert in case an error is detected. Although network attached service is parallel to that of traditional file servers, is comes with advantages that the former lacks, including more reliable operation and easier administration.
