What is Network Attached storage (NAS) and What are It’s Uses ?
Network Attached storage (NAS) is a special type of device for dedicated file storage. It provides local area network (LAN) nodes with file-based shared storage, through a standard Ethernet connection.
NAS devices usually do not have a keyboard or display. They are configured and managed with a browser-based utility program. Every NAS has its own IP address and resides on the LAN as an independent network node.
One of the important uses of having a NAS is that you can provide multiple clients in the network with access to the same files. Before NAS, enterprises used to have thousands of discrete file servers that had to be configured and maintained separately. Now, when more storage capacity is required, these NAS appliances can simply be outfitted with larger disks or clustered together to provide both horizontal scalability and vertical scalability. Many NAS vendors are partners with cloud storage providers which provides customers with an extra layer of redundancy helping in the backing up files.
NAS Uses
In the home, NASes are very often used for storing and serving multimedia files and for backups. Many smart-homes rely on NAS to provide a centralized storage for security systems, smart TVs and other Internet of Things (IoT) components in the home.
In an enterprise, a Network attached storage array may be used as a backup target for archiving and accidental disaster recovery. If a NAS device has a server mode, it can also function as an multimedia, email, database or print server for a small business. Other higher-end NAS products can hold enough disks to support a RAID, a storage technology that turns multiple hard disks into one logical unit in order to provide better performance times, high availability and redundancy.