Definition

direct-attached storage (DAS)

Direct-attached storage (DAS) is computer storage that is directly attached to one computer or server and is not, without special support, directly accessible to other ones. The main alternatives to direct-attached storage are network-attached storage (NAS) and the storage area network (SAN).

For an individual computer user, the hard drive is the usual form of direct-attached storage. In an enterprise, providing for storage that can be shared by multiple computers and their users tends to be more efficient and easier to manage.

This was last updated in June 2006
Posted by: Margaret Rouse

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