What are the most critical features of NAS storage? – Must read before buying an enterprise NAS solution
When you want to get a new NAS storage device for your business, the most important features are the price, capacity, and of course, performance. But those are general yardsticks to gauge a good NAS storage from an average one. However, some features have critical importance. Especially when it comes to how your day-to-day experience with a particular kind of appliance will be. So dive in as we take you through essential features that can define your experience.
The file system size
One of the most critical factors you need to consider is the file system size. The file system is a data structure that organizes files into directories. And also files into blocks, allowing files to be linked together. Remember that not all file systems suit applications and files of all kinds. Some applications may require a bigger block size to run and may crash if your file system doesn’t support it. Make sure that you choose the correct file system and the right size so your applications can continue to run seamlessly.
CIFS and NFS support
CIFS (common internet file system) and NFS (network file system) are protocols for sharing files, printers, directories, etc., across a network. They are widely used in consumer networks but are also present in many business environments. The two are comparable in terms of features and functionality but different in how they implement the protocols.
Both CIFS and NFS protocols allow users to share resources with other machines on a network. We generally see most NAS devices offer both CIFS and NFS for access and sharing with Windows and Linux/Unix computers.
NAS storage clustering
Businesses are seeing the need to invest in clustered storage to keep up with the growing size of applications and data. It’s an essential feature because it enables you to create a high availability environment for storage.
NAS storage clustering is a critical feature in enterprise NAS storage. It makes NAS storage fail-proof, minimizes downtime, and increases the total capacity.
It’s a powerful storage technology that can lower your costs, simplify administration, and even improve performance. NAS storage clustering is offered by many NAS solutions like StoneFly’s super scale-out NAS storage appliances that come with auto storage tiering, deduplication, and data replication that makes your experience even smoother.
Gigabit network speed
Network speed is vital, affecting one-third of Network Attached Storage users, according to a recent survey. Gigabit Ethernet is suited to high-end business networks and enterprise data centers. Single port 10 Gigabit Ethernet connection delivers a blazing-fast 1,000 Mbps connection – perfect for moving large files across your network at lightning speed.
You should remember that NAS is heavily reliant on your network speed. If you have a slow network speed or very few network interfaces in a vast data center, you may experience a significant hit in performance.
Bottom Line
Whether you are a small business or a large enterprise, you must have prior knowledge of NAS storage before purchase. If you are investing in the best NAS systems but don’t know the basics, you might as well don’t, as you are most likely to be disappointed when your expectations don’t meet the output.
Thumbs up if this post helped you in making an informed decision.
