How does network-attached storage work?
By Deni Connor Network-attached storage (NAS) devices connect to a Gigabit Ethernet network and give users access to files stored on an appliance. NAS appliances evolved out of traditional file-server environments and have both storage capacity and a file system. Like file servers, NAS devices are equipped with less expensive, slower Serial Advanced Technology Attachment or faster, more expensive Fibre Channel drives. NAS devices come with three varieties of file systems — those that support Microsoft’s Common Internet File System, those that support the Unix/Linux Network File System and those that work with both protocols. NAS systems range in size from 500GB at the low end to large systems offering as much as two petabytes of storage capacity. Each NAS system has its own operating system, either Microsoft Windows or a proprietary OS. Unlike storage-area network (SAN) arrays, the NAS appliance does not rely on a server to provide its access to users. A NAS system is much like a serv
