Introduction

Many small businesses today are working harder than ever to find new ways to reduce costs and streamline their operations. At the same time, these businesses are also generating more data throughout their organization than ever before. Data that must be protected while being more widely available. In the past businesses had only a few megabytes of storage on servers and desktop PCs to worry about. If they were diligent, they backed everything up daily onto tape drives.

Today, businesses are under growing pressure to insure that the data they produce is protected and available on demand. Large corporations use large scale data storage networks and clustered storage farms to manage and keep their data safe. But those solutions are far too costly and complicated for the average small business.

What can a small organization do that is looking for a reliable, flexible, cost-effective, storage solution? This article will look at the benefits to small business of integrating Network Attached Storage (NAS) solutions into their network infrastructure.

Network Attached Storage (NAS) Defined

Network Attached Storage (NAS) was introduced by Novell as a file-sharing system in 1983. Sun Microsystems created the UNIX based Network File System (NFS) protocol in 1984 which allowed network servers to share storage with networked client systems. The first dedicated NAS system was built by 3Com in 1985.

Today, a Network Attached Storage (NAS) system is basically a stripped down server that is designed from the inside out for high performance file-based data storage on your network. NAS systems come with all the major components of a server: a CPU, a motherboard, RAM, etc. And just like a server, a NAS unit is only as reliable as its components, software, and configuration. NAS units come in a variety of types and sizes from simple standalone units for the networked home PC and entertainment center, up to high capacity rack mounted units suitable for larger corporate data centers.

NAS systems can be connected to networks in a variety of ways: Ethernet, Fiber, iSCSI, Wi-Fi, and even using USB2. Generally though, NAS would be attached to your businesses network using Ethernet. Because the performance of NAS is tied to your network, it is essential that your infrastructure is working as efficiently as possible.

NAS Functionality

NAS functionality is targeted for heavy duty file-level, file-sharing. The most common NAS protocols and file systems in use include, though are not limited to Network File System (NFS), Common Internet File System / Server Message Block (CIFS / SMB), Multi Protocol File System (MPFS), VMware’s Virtual Machine File System (VMFS).

NAS can be setup to handle just about any client accessible files using whatever file-sharing system there is. Microsoft, UNIX, and Linux file systems for example are thoroughly supported. On the application side Oracle, Apache, MySQL, and more are covered.

The performance of a NAS device depends on a number of factors including the configuration of the hardware, the operating systems efficiency, the speed of the network connection, the amount of traffic on the network, and the number of clients accessing files on unit. Make no mistake, NAS performance is not going to be on par with Direct Attached Storage (DAS). However, when properly sized, and configured, NAS is a solid performer providing very good overall value.

Deciding which NAS solution is right for you depends on where, and how, you plan to use it.

What to look for in NAS

When you count data safety as your most critical issue, your NAS system choice at a minimum should have the following: redundant power supplies, redundant disk controllers, and have good RAID 5 support. Additionally, you should look for a NAS system where the operating system used is well supported and specifically tuned for the type of data storage and file serving you intend to use it for. Look for mixed file system support, multiple data paths, secure shared access to files, and simplified management of all these functions.

Because your NAS is going to be a popular resource on your network is would be a good idea to keep it on a Gigabit Ethernet connection. There are NAS units available that support wireless 802.11a/b connections but they are very limited due to the available bandwidth on these types of networks so use them with very small, low demand, groups.

Storage on a mid-range NAS unit, targeted towards small & medium sized businesses, will typically use multiple disks arranged into logical, redundant storage containers or Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disk (RAID) arrays. There are a number of different types of RAID systems available and some are geared towards performance of over safety. For example, while RAID 0 yields superior performance it offers no redundancy. If one of the disks fails, the entire array may be corrupt beyond recovery.

If data safety is important to you, a better choice would be to use the popular and well supported RAID 5. The drives in this type of configuration use a standardized redundancy system that allows a certain number of failed drives to be safely replaced. Once the replacement drive is in place RAID should rebuilt the data onto the new drive without losing any of your data. And while this is a slow process, especially if the system stays in production, it is a relatively safe process.

When sizing the capacity of a NAS unit, start with a rough measure by estimating the maximum amount of storage you think you’ll need and then double that figure.

NAS for Servers

Your servers can benefit from using NAS units in a number ways. First, NAS can increase your data serving performance. Servers gain performance from using NAS to remove the heavy I/O responsibility of file serving. This frees up the servers processor to do more for your applications.

NAS is also a solid solution for further increasing performance of virtual servers as NAS units can be configured to work with virtually any file system and can provide file serving resources across virtual platforms.

NAS can also provide for load balancing of high activity file server access like database, email, and web servers. Your web server or email content is stored on one or more NAS systems. The server load balancing system uses an algorithm to distribute file requests evenly across the system. The NAS will efficiently process all server and user requests from one central repository.

NAS for Workgroups

One of the issues I still run into from time to time is data stored for whatever reason on local hard drives. The main issue with this is that it rarely, if ever, gets backed up. When the PC hardware eventually fails or an application fault corrupts some data, it often takes all of this work with it. And data recovery services are still painfully expensive.

NAS and workgroups are made for each other. Configuring your various client systems to use NAS is a simple and fast way to consolidate valuable data and add a layer of protection for your data. Using NAS to consolidate data encourages and simplifies file sharing and collaboration. Another key benefit is that the data can be stored in a secure central location in your organization where it is easier to manage. NAS is also immune to many common client and server hardware failures. If a client system isn’t working the user moves to one that is and accesses their work from there. The same principle applies to servers.

And because NAS is flexible enough to work with many popular file systems like those used by Apple, Microsoft, Sun, and Linux, NAS is very cost-effective.

NAS for Backup

NAS is ideally suited as a backup solution. In comparison, NAS is superior in many ways to legacy tape systems. Performance of disk-to-disk backup and restoration is far greater with NAS than tape. And remember, when a tape or the tape drive goes bad it’s never good news. Replacing a tape in a series can be a daunting task and finding out a tape is bad several months down the road can catastrophic. NAS is a faster and more secure solution to your data backup needs.

Use NAS for temporary parking or staging of data that is out of the current production cycle. Once the data is ready for archiving it can be sent, via encrypted network transfer, to an online, off-site, data storage service. You can also backup servers to NAS using disk-to-disk or as a Virtual Tape Library (VLT). Or you can backup to a mirrored NAS unit (RAID1) with an attached tape drive for long-term archiving later.

As I mentioned a moment ago, using NAS with parked / staged data, ready to send to an encrypted online data storage service, preferably one that is outside of your geographic area, is a far better solution to local backup. In terms of disaster recovery and business continuity, it is a solution that can have your business back up and running again quickly.

One side note, if you decide to continue using tapes, be sure you have a way to get the tapes far enough away from the effects of any potential local disaster. (Can you tell I live earthquake country?) Either FedEx them to an out of state branch office or data storage facility. Because if your building gets damaged in a quake, or flood, or whatever, and your tapes are in your building, well, you get the idea.

Summary

Safely storing your companies data is critical in today’s productivity driven market. Having the information your company needs, when and where it needs it, can make the difference between making and keeping or losing customers. Small businesses can use the versatility, reliability of NAS systems as a cost-effective part of their network infrastructure in many ways. NAS is a tool that can help keep your business lean and agile while providing scalable solutions for the future.

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This video shows the actual operation of HP MediaSmart Windows Home Server Appliance when it comes to backup, system restore and remote secure access of data. Windows Home Server is a great product that works well. … windows home server raid WHS powerpack power pack console network attached storage nas whs jbod firewall router switch hub cisco extreme networks linksys netgear dlink d-link

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About Author

Mark H. Jessen has been an independent San Francisco Bay Area small business IT consultant for over 10 years offering a wide range of planning and implementation skills that help small and medium sized business’s increase their efficiency and profitability. He is also available for speaking engagements on this and other SMB IT topics. For more information visit: http://mhjessen.com

A Network Attached Storage (NAS) is a type of storage system that can be attached to a data network. A NAS is useful for storage related to non mission-critical data. It is cheaper and easier to maintain than a Storage Area Network (SAN) but does not quite deliver the performance an enterprise can obtain from a SAN.

File transfer protocols supported by NAS include Network File System, Common Internet File System, File Transfer Protocol, etc. NAS servers offer flexibility in terms of attachment to the network; this can be done either via the Ethernet or a fiber channel network. These days you can also get wireless 802.11 NAS devices. The beauty of NAS devices lies in their simplicity, they can be built using any disk technology though they are usually developed using Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI). NAS devices can also be used for other storage methods such as magnetic tape, CD, and DVD.

NAS offers the following advantages –

1. Faster access to stored data via the LAN.

2. Low costs since the RAID arrays are a part of the LAN.

3. Easy to install, can be up and running in less than thirty minutes.

These properties of NAS storage plus its low cost of ownership make it ideal for SMBs. A dual advantage of NAS is that it allows administrators to either increase or consolidate the storage infrastructure. Storage expansion is virtually unlimited as one is freed from the limitation of storage capacities of individual servers and the number of disks they can hold. At the same time, one NAS set-up is good enough to replace several file servers that are operating individually, this leads to consolidation. NAS can be run on commonly available operating systems such as Windows. NAS status can be checked from anywhere on the LAN, this gives storage administrators the ability to diagnose issues and change NAS configurations when required.

NAS system performance depends on the drive support, the number of drives in use and the overall capacity. SATA drives that offer excellent low-cost bulk storage are most preferred. SCSI drives are also available. Since the NAS makes use of the LAN for data transfer there is always a chance of a bottleneck developing somewhere along the LAN, usually it is the network interface that causes problems. If implementing a NAS, look for products that support Gigabit Ethernet for quick data transfer and multiple connections so that network load is distributed and interface redundancy is provided.

When purchasing a NAS solution always keep security in mind and look for vendors that offer native encryption with the system.

For more information visit Best Price Computers

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Eagle Consus W-Series NAS (Network Attached Storage) RJ-45/USB External Hard Drive is a cost effective network attached storage solution designed for the home or small office user. Connect the W-Series NAS directly into your network switch through the network port located on the back of the system. Share music, photos, movies and your data with everyone on the network simultaneously. Designed for home users, creative professionals, workgroups, and anyone looking for shared storage. Use as an …

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Techwriter writes for Best Price Computers

In the administration of a large business network, data storage solutions can have significant impact on network speed and user satisfaction. Conventional network data storage systems are attached to servers but as needed storage capacities and connection speeds increase, many businesses are discovering that network attached storage or NAS is an economical and easy alternative to the file server model.

In traditional network data storage, users access data stored on large capacity file servers. These servers are versatile but quite expensive and sometimes difficult to maintain. Servers often also serve other purposes such as running applications or managing printers; and the overhead from these operations slows file access.

Network attached storage uses specialized devices that serve only as dedicated file servers. NAS devices are self-contained units with large network data storage capacity and dedicated data management software. They run a heavily stripped down version of the operating system so are substantially faster than even a dedicated file server.

Installation can be as simple as connecting a network cable and turning on the power. NAS devices are less expensive than servers of the same capacity are since they don’t require the same hardware such as video cards or a powerful processor.

Network attached storage provides high density storage capacity that makes the most efficient use of data center space. Even low end NAS systems include features such as RAID and data replication which improves their speed and reliability even further.

As network data storage needs grow, network attached storage easily grows with it. NAS is not limited by the number of ports on a server’s data bus. Since each device plugs directly into a network port, any number of devices can be added giving your network a data storage capacity that is potentially unlimited.

Network attached storage is no longer only for large businesses. NAS devices have become so inexpensive that they are a feasible solution even for a home network, costing about the same as an external hard drive but with built-in file management functionality.

Data storage needs are increasing at an exponential rate, particularly when it comes to large amounts of multimedia data, and it seems impossible to have too much space. A home user of limited technical ability might not be capable of adding or replacing a hard drive to their computer, but could manage the plug and play installation of network attached storage.

When evaluating network data storage options, network attached storage is economical, fast, and easy. If you need large storage capacities, high speed data transfer, reliable storage equipment, or a scalable storage solution that will meet your future needs, NAS might be the best network data storage option.

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Visit tiger.tv for more on this NAS storage device. At last, there is a Network Attached Storage device for small businesses and home offices that allows you to quickly and easily add capacity or swap out drives without down time. The automated RAID expansion is made possible by our patent pending X-RAID technology while hot swap support allows you to replace a disk without powering down the system. Leading performance is assured with our custom network storage microprocessor and a Gigabit …

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The reason I want to do this is because I have lots of hds, both external and internal. On my OSX laptop my USB ports start to complain (overheat) if I plug too many devices in and this has let to lots of data loss.

Can I keep all my data together in a NAS, but still have Mac able to access everything like iTunes library . Time Machine Backups etc..?

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