Network Storage

Network storage involves storing data so that clients on a network have access to it. The ways we use technology and the increase in the volume of data that we need to store and access has helped evolve network storage over time. A storage area network (SAN) is currently the most efficient and effective way to store data for networks at most mid- to large-sized companies.

Methods of Network Storage

Direct attached storage (DAS) refers to network storage devices that are directly attached to host systems, such as an internal hard drive of a server computer. External drives connected to the server would also be considered DAS. Network attached storage, or NAS, uses devices that are connected directly to the network media.

The devices each have their own IP address and can accessed through a server that acts as a gateway to the data. An example would be CD-ROM towers (housing multiple CD-ROM drives) that are directly connected to the network. NAS allows for centralized network storage along with centralized security, management, and data backup.

A SAN is a network of storage devices connected to a server (or cluster of servers) and each other. The server is an access point for the SAN. The SAN allows devices to communicate on a separate network and allows companies to back up their networks without using the networks to do it. They can back up all their data without slowing down the traffic on the network or keeping it closed for maintenance.