One of the very first efforts in storing data was through punch cards invented in 1750 and used to control textile looms. It was then adopted and used as a way to store data until the mid-1980s. Since then, multiple inventions and ideas have been proposed to store data from various devices. Jumping in today’s time, we now have SD cards, Hard drives, SSD, and many more that can store a massive amount of storage in such small and compact hardware.
Storing data is essential especially for companies and businesses as it can keep loads of information and be used anytime. A device that can do that quickly and efficiently is NAS. NAS or a Network Attached Storage is a way of storing data linked to a network that enables authorized network users and various clients to store and retrieve data from a central place. In essence, this gear is simply a server with storage devices, Hard disks, and random-access memory (RAM). With a NAS, data is always available, facilitating staff collaboration, quick customer response, and swift follow-up on reports or other issues because all the information is in one location.
NAS is used not only for storing data but also by many companies as a backup server. Because of its technology, this eliminates the need to move from computer to computer or laptop to computer when you need to back up, archive, and recover essential business data. Each computer will be able to access the NAS as the destination address for your backup or restoration. As frightening as it sounds, it is not uncommon to lose an important file. Primary data failures may come from hardware or software issues, data corruption, human error, a hostile attack (virus or malware), data deletion accident, or other human-caused incidents. In the case of data failure, the backup’s goal is to make a duplicate of the data that can be retrieved. To aid a company in recovering from an unexpected catastrophe, backup copies make it possible to restore data to a previous point in time.
Like every other thing in the world, it comes with its advantages and disadvantages that may affect anyone who uses NAS. As previously mentioned, a NAS device connects through your wireless router rather than your computer, allowing several devices to view the same data concurrently. Because of this, it also means that you can access your files and data providing enormous flexibility and efficiency for users. NAS also has added customizability choices compared to alternative storage types. For instance, you may configure your system to add new hard drives as needed. The device also does not limit its storage to document files meaning you can store unstructured data such as audio files, videos, photos, text files, and many other more. Although NAS provides all of these services to users, it relies mostly on bandwidth which can affect the speed of retrieving and saving files depending on the connection provided. In terms of connections, it uses a lot of network bandwidth, which might hurt how well connected PCs function.
Overall, NAS storage and backup is an investment that every small business or company should look into. As an efficient, scalable, and affordable storage option, NAS systems are quickly gaining popularity with big and small organizations across a wide range of sectors. Moreover, compared to other file servers, Network Attached Storage is faster when wanting access to data and files, it has easy administration and a simple configuration that does not need any professionals when set up. Another problem most people encounter when looking up data storage devices is the lack of storage.NAS also allows individuals to copy hard drives one to another which is convenient especially when switching devices or upgrading their units. Similar to other servers, NAS also offers an expansion of storage while still allowing various users to access it despite having different devices. Needless to say, there is a reason why NAS stands out when it comes to data stores. Its ease of access, high capacity, and low cost definitely keep the general public hooked. The tools support a cloud tier and functions like archiving and backup while centralizing storage.
