Five tips for choosing a network attached storage device
Network-attached storage (nas) devices offer a number of benefits, but also present some challenges.
Tip no.1
Users say choosing the best SMB NAS system has gotten a little easier.
The NAS market for small to mid-sized businesses these days is pretty broad, and you can find any number of large and small vendors willing to provide a range of capable and affordable SMB network attached storage devices. This piece offers an overview of the market to help you choose the right network attached storage device for your organization's needs.
Tip no.2
Using NAS storage devices in a virtualized server environment.
For the most part, network-attached storage devices in a virtualized server environment function similarly to block storage devices, but their architecture present some limitations. By way of example, if you want to boot directly from a shared storage device and aren't using local storage on your local host, you'll need a storage resource other than a network-attached storage system.
Tip no.3
Scale-up vs. scale-out network-attached storage.
As documents, spreadsheets, photos and videos drive the raging stream of unstructured data, many IT shops are forced to spend more time focusing on their file-based storage infrastructure. As a result, these organizations find themselves faced with a crucial decision: Traditional network attached storage device or scale-out NAS? There are pros and cons to both, and you’ll want to do your homework before making the decision.
Tip no.4
NAS best practices: Tips on small business NAS devices.
Network-attached storage devices can help organizations cope with expanding networks. Plus, many NAS offerings now include enterprise-like features for the SMB universe. This tip can help you out with some NAS best practices before you deploy a NAS system.
Tip no.5
Is free storage software worth the risk?
Traditional file servers are an expensive proposition. The server hardware, server license and client access license costs can run the total cost of the project above and beyond that which an SMB can afford. Yet, free server and storage software may sound tempting, but isn’t always the right solution. Here are some insights to help you decide whether free storage software is the best option for your organization.
