NAS Network Attached Storage server solutions

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Show #44:

• Date: 2005-11-28
• Subject: NAS Network Attached Storage server solutions
• Duration: 41:06
• Format: MP3
• Size: 16,900 kb

Topics Discussed:

• My Comments
• Standard PC solutions
• Overview
• Define NAS: network attached storage
• Define SAN: storage area network
• Product Examples

Additional Information:

~~ Standard PC solutions:

• Server storage (DFS, Samba)
• Shared folders

~~ Overview:

At first glance NAS and SAN might seem almost identical and in fact either will work in a situation. Basically both a NAS and SAN generally use RAID connected to a network. There are differences, though.

Define NAS: network attached storage

• Almost any machine that can connect to the LAN (or is interconnected to the LAN through a WAN) can use NFS, CIFS or HTTP protocol to connect to a NAS and share files.
• A NAS identifies data by file name and byte offsets, transfers file data or file meta-data (file owner, permissions, creation data, etc.), and handles security, user authentication, file locking.
• A NAS allows greater sharing of information especially between disparate operating systems such as Unix and NT.
• File System managed by NAS head unit.
• Backups and mirrors are done on files, not blocks, for a savings in bandwidth and time. A Snapshot can be tiny compared to its source volume.

Define SAN: storage area network

• Only server class devices with SCSI Fibre Channel can connect to the SAN.
• A SAN addresses data by disk block number and transfers raw disk blocks.
• File Sharing is operating system dependent.
• File System managed by servers.
• Backups and mirrors require a block by block copy, even if blocks are empty. A mirror machine must be equal to or greater in capacity compared to the source volume.

~~ Product Examples:

• Netgear
• Buffalo Tech
• Linksys
• LaCie
• Snap Applicance
• Infrant
• Mirra
• Anthology Solutions
• Ximeta
• Tritton Technologies
• I-O Data
• MacGurus

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