What is a NAS Server?

The number of hard drive bays is the most important factor when choosing a NAS server. The higher this is, the more hard drives can be installed in this system and the higher the storage capacity. In general, the recommendation is to avoid NAS servers with a single bay hard drive at home.

In this case, this does not allow a correct RAID configuration, which would prevent data loss when the hard disk is corrupted.

What is a NAS server?

A NAS server is a “Network Attached Storage” and thus a storage system that you can connect to the home network and is located directly at the user’s home. The cloud storage space, on the other hand, is merely rented storage space on external servers. In such a case, they save the data used on another computer.

The users have direct access to the hardware of the NAS server, which can be good or bad at the same time. The positive thing is that the users themselves know where the data is stored, which is the case with them at home.

On the other hand, the users are also responsible for maintenance and backup, for example, for installing updates. They also bear the risk if the hard drive on the NAS server fails.

At the same time, users can reduce the risk of data loss with copied hard drives, but the financial damage remains with users if a hard drive fails.

The advantages of NAS servers

Compared to a cloud system, the NAS server convinces that the users alone have the system’s design in their hands. Cheap and small servers can have a single hard drive. You can also buy expensive devices with more space for more hard drives. So the scalability is excellent. With the system for the home, users are only limited by their wallets. Inexpensive NAS servers without hard drives are available from $150.

To do this, the users store the data on the server that belongs to them – and not to Microsoft, Google or other providers. A NAS server is optimal for the security of your own data if the users take the correct precautions with secure passwords.

The operation of the NAS server can be particularly easy. For example, these can be integrated directly into Windows as a network drive and then accessed via Explorer on the computer, including all content.

For the user, the NAS server does not look significantly different from a normal hard disk installed in the computer.

When does the use of a NAS server make sense?

Network-attached storage (NAS) is a storage system directly connected to the network. Like other network devices, a NAS is assigned a fixed IP address. The communication between the NAS and the server is based on the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol.

The NAS uses a traditional file system. This means you can access the storage at file level, usually via a file share. Since a NAS is usually accessed at the file level, it is optimal for storing informal data.

When an administrator wants to replace a legacy data server with a storage appliance, a NAS is a good option for business and home. However, not all systems support the use of NTFS permissions.

Depending on the type, a NAS may not be a good choice for amorphous data either. This may not physically pose any problem if the database is stored on the NAS system. However, the NAS may not ensure the necessary performance that the efficient organization of the database requires.

Limiting factor

Even if the application has fast disks, the limiting factor will always be the connection to the network. Most manufacturers of database-driven applications do not provide support for the NAS because of performance limitations.

You can use technologies like NAS for distributed storage. Here, multiple servers are bound to a solidarity storage system. This is how failover clusters, for example, use the storage so that all points in the cluster can access the same data.

When deciding whether a NAS system is an option for home shared storage, the user should look at the demands and range of functions of the system. Many models favor an iSCSI connection. If the NAS uses iSCSI and the software product used does not segregate the application of the NAS, then the system can be used as shared storage. NAS does not reach the level of performance of a SAN system.

Some users consider using the NAS to store virtual machines. This seems like a good idea in general because NAS systems inherently offer high capacity at a low cost. You can also tailor them to provide fault tolerance. However, administrators should consider several factors before deploying virtual machines to the NAS.

Conclusion: NAS server for home

When purchasing a central storage location, the most common consideration is whether a cloud application or a NAS system is the best choice. Another important factor to consider when integrating a NAS is the condition of the network.

If one is fully utilized, it is not practical to add the NAS until all problems are solved. In addition, not all NAS systems support IPv6, which may lead to problems when migrating to the IPv4 system.