Storage, NAS, SAN, DAS

We will help you understand what storage, NAS, SAN, DAS and other terminologies mean and how they affect your network decisions.

One of the things that few people opening a business think about is the complex nature of setting up a reliable, secure network. Any size business has to be concerned with the safety of their data and how it will be stored. At i-Tech Security and Network Solutions, we understand that few business owners understand the terminology, such as storage, NAS, SAN, DAS, and similar acronyms. The good news is that we are here to demystify all of it and guide you to put together the right network for your needs now with room for future growth. Let’s look at what each of these terms mean:

• Storage– This one is relatively easy to understand as it is the same as what you’d have on your smartphone or home computer. It relates to how much space you have to store data in your network, such as your accounting records, customer database, employee files, and more.
• NAS– NAS stands for Network Attached Storage. It is a system by which everyone on your network shares storage on your local area network. It is a standard network with certain file sharing protocols. It is most commonly used for companies that want a large amount of centralized storage available for many users. The disadvantages include limited scalability and low performance. It can also experience congestion during the backup process.
• SAN- SAN stands for Storage Area Network. This type of network works on blocks, rather than files like the NAS system does. It has more efficient storage utilization and a high degree of fault tolerance. It is also ideal for situations in which you need a great deal of storage and will be accessing it from multiple sources simultaneously. Backups and restorations are fast and efficient with an SAN, and it also offers dynamic scalability. The disadvantage is the cost may be more than a small company would want to invest.
• DAS– DAS stands for Direct Access Storage. This is a system that is used as the foundation for NAS and SAN. It is attached directly to a workstation or server. The storage type for this system is sectors. As such, it affords a dedicated storage resource. It is also a cost-effective solution and is the simplest to configure. However, by itself, it is ineffective as it is low performance, offers no storage consolidation or high availability, and cannot share data or unused resources efficiently.

Don’t worry if the storage, NAS, SAN, DAS terminology is still about as clear as mud because in our experienced and dedicated hands, your network will be the type and configuration that best suit your business needs. We’ll consider all factors to determine which type of storage fits your business profile now and your plans for growth. Reach out today to learn more.

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At i-Tech Security and Network Solutions, we offer storage, NAS, SAN, DAS in Durham, Greensboro, Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Asheboro, Burlington, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Clemmons, Concord, Kernersville, Lexington, High Point, Elkin, Fayetteville, Salisbury, and Thomasville, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C.