 - A NAS accelerator (network-attached storage accelerator) is a printed circuit card that offloads TCP/IP processing from a microprocessor. This can reduce latency, increase throughput, and reduce overhead costs in a storage area network (SAN). A NAS accelerator is also called a TCP/IP accelerator network interface card or a TCP offload engine (TOE) network interface card (TNIC).
A high-end NAS accelerator can process Internet functions including e-mail and Web browsing, file transfers, and file serving, as well as data backup and archiving. This allows all network applications to run faster, because the microprocessor is not burdened with TCP/IP processing. It is claimed that the installation of NAS accelerators can provide network performance improvement comparable to that obtained by doubling the number of processors, but at much lower cost.
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Getting started with NAS accelerators |
| To explore how a NAS accelerator is used in the enterprise, here are some additional resources: |
| Moving from DAS to NAS: In this tip, Rick Cook discusses how SMBs can benefit from adding storage to their existing networks in the form of NAS. |
| Small-midsized business NAS product evaluation: This article compares and contrasts four very different NAS systems: the Buffalo TeraStation Pro II Pro, the Reldata 9240, the Synology RS407, and the Western Digital MyBook World Edition WDG1NC5000N. |
| NAS FAQ Guide: In this FAQ, Ashish Nadkarni, Principal Consultant with GlassHouse Technologies, Inc., answers today's most common NAS questions. |
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Learn more about NAS hardware |
| LAST UPDATED: |
16 Sep 2008
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