A Description of an NAS Device
What is a NAS device?
A NAS device is a network-attached storage device which is an external storage unit in the form of a computer that usually has one or two hard disks, and is used solely for filed based storage, and operates over a network of computers. NAS devices are both controlled and configured over the network usually using a (Wikipedia, n.d.) (htt) browser.
What is the speed of the network adapter available on a NAS device?
The speed of NAS devices are very flexible depending on how much you are willing to spend, and whether you buy, or build your NAS device. Speeds are generally around 1GB over an Ethernet connection.
What is the capacity range?
The capacity range can also vary depending on the number of port replications and add on hardware drive controller cards installed. For example, a board that has 6 SATA ports can be replicated allowing for thirty drives to be attached.
Is there any fault tolerance (such as RAID) built into a NAS device?
Yes, with RAID or redundant array of disks, different levels allow for multiple drives to fail without the risk of losing data.
Are management features available?
Yes some NAS devices allow encryption of data, as well as user and permissions management.
One of the major benefits of using a NAS device is that multiple computers can access it at one time at a faster rate than they could an external hard drive. Also, data stored is safer because if one drive fails, the data stored is automatically backed up to another drive. This makes it a great place to store precious data such as music, family photos and videos, and important documents. For example, if a family of five, each member having his or her own computer, wanted to store these files externally, but wanted quick access to them, NAS would be a great option. Family member 1 could store videos and pictures, and family member 3 could simply type in their user info and view the files on their computer.
A NAS device is a network-attached storage device which is an external storage unit in the form of a computer that usually has one or two hard disks, and is used solely for filed based storage, and operates over a network of computers. NAS devices are both controlled and configured over the network usually using a (Wikipedia, n.d.) (htt) browser.
What is the speed of the network adapter available on a NAS device?
The speed of NAS devices are very flexible depending on how much you are willing to spend, and whether you buy, or build your NAS device. Speeds are generally around 1GB over an Ethernet connection.
What is the capacity range?
The capacity range can also vary depending on the number of port replications and add on hardware drive controller cards installed. For example, a board that has 6 SATA ports can be replicated allowing for thirty drives to be attached.
Is there any fault tolerance (such as RAID) built into a NAS device?
Yes, with RAID or redundant array of disks, different levels allow for multiple drives to fail without the risk of losing data.
Are management features available?
Yes some NAS devices allow encryption of data, as well as user and permissions management.
One of the major benefits of using a NAS device is that multiple computers can access it at one time at a faster rate than they could an external hard drive. Also, data stored is safer because if one drive fails, the data stored is automatically backed up to another drive. This makes it a great place to store precious data such as music, family photos and videos, and important documents. For example, if a family of five, each member having his or her own computer, wanted to store these files externally, but wanted quick access to them, NAS would be a great option. Family member 1 could store videos and pictures, and family member 3 could simply type in their user info and view the files on their computer.