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Article
Is NAS compatible with my hyper-converged infrastructure?
Some newer hyper-converged products allow organizations to leverage their investment in NAS and still take advantage of server-side storage. Read Now
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Article
Network-attached storage as a virtual server storage choice
Choosing between FC, iSCSI and NAS for your virtual storage can be a challenge. Learn the pros and cons of each approach, and how to decide which one is best suited to your environment. Read Now
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Podcast
NAS for virtual machine (VM) storage
In this podcast, author and blogger Mike Laverick discusses the best use cases for network-attached storage. He also explains when configuration needs to be done at the hypervisor or in the LAN when using NAS for virtual server storage. Listen Now
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Article
The role of NAS appliances in virtualizing data center storage
If you're using NAS appliances in your virtualization efforts, you'll need to factor in a number of design considerations and think about potential growth that could lead to I/O bottlenecks. Read Now
Editor's note
When looking to simplify expanding network storage, network-attached storage (NAS) devices are a popular choice. Among its numerous benefits, NAS offers high scalability and dependable performance. We've gathered a wide range of expert content from our sites to create this network-attached storage guide that digs into the technology, explains where it works best and details purchasing considerations.
The use of NAS for virtual storage is showing increased adoption because the technology provides solid performance for companies with smaller budgets. But the never-ending need for more storage can lead to NAS sprawl. To combat this situation, data storage administrators can implement scale-out NAS, NAS management tools and file virtualization.
While NAS setup is simple by design, you need to ensure your deployment is easy and free of snags or setbacks. From the pros and cons of clustered NAS systems to architectural options, this guide to network-attached storage offers tips for smooth sailing.
1Evaluating clustered NAS systems
Clustered NAS systems have large file systems that can scale to hundreds of terabytes of capacity. In this section, discover the questions you should ask when evaluating a clustered network-attached storage system and read about the dangers of NAS sprawl
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Podcast
Can clustered NAS aid NAS management?
As network-attached storage boxes are added to your environment, NAS sprawl and other issues can arise. This podcast explains why the grid-like node structure of clustered NAS can help users manage their NAS infrastructure. Listen Now
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Article
How to evaluate clustered network-attached storage offerings
Before you invest in a clustered NAS product, you need to do your homework and make a detailed list of your storage requirements. Here are 10 questions to ask a vendor to ensure its product is a match for your environment. Read Now
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Article
The difference between clustered and traditional NAS
There's a lot less effort required to manage clustered NAS implementations vs. multiple NAS devices. We compare the two technologies based on scalability and other features. Read Now
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Podcast
Why do I need clustered NAS?
In this podcast, editors from Computer Weekly discuss the importance of clustered network-attached storage in the world of file-based storage and why clustered NAS is ideal for big data. Listen Now
2Scale-up NAS and scale-out NAS
When it comes to NAS, does a traditional scale-up approach work best or is scale-out the better choice? In this portion of the network-attached storage guide, we look at the pros and cons of each scaling technique.
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Article
Vendor approaches to scale-up and scale-out NAS
This article delves into the evolving scale-out and scale-up NAS market, and how vendors are positioning themselves for growth. Read Now
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Article
A tale of two NAS systems
A look at the advantages and disadvantages of scale-up and scale-out network-attached storage. Read Now
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Article
File storage capabilities of scale-up NAS and scale-out NAS
This tutorial explores the various use cases for scale-up and scale-out NAS in your computing environment. Read Now
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Article
Scale-out NAS offerings
This overview of scale-out NAS systems looks at major providers, as well as vendors selling to the vertical market. Read Now
3Improve your knowledge of NAS systems
The following articles will help you to gain a better insight into the factors you should evaluate in a NAS offering, why network-attached storage works better than other architectures and how to configure a NAS system.
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Article
NAS purchase considerations
Learn what your storage peers want in a new network-attached storage system, from capacity requirements to the top three criteria they use to evaluate a vendor. Read Now
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Article
Is server-attached storage a threat to NAS?
Network-attached storage is a computing mainstay, but will a new technology generation reduce that role or perhaps even eliminate it? Read Now
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Article
Why NAS beats DAS
When it comes to a battle between NAS and DAS, NAS is often the superior option for five important reasons. Read Now
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Article
Setting up a rack-mount NAS
Think you know the steps involved in configuring a rack-mounted NAS system? You might want to take a peek at this article to ensure you've enabled all your permissions and network access features. Read Now