Network storage allows data to be stored on dedicated storage devices that are accessible over a network. This provides centralized data storage and management for multiple users and devices. Some common examples of network storage include:
Network Attached Storage (NAS)
NAS devices are dedicated file storage devices that connect directly to the network, often via Ethernet. They contain one or more hard drives and provide file-based shared storage for clients on the network. NAS devices run their own operating system and don’t require a dedicated server to connect to the network. Key features include:
– Allow files to be accessed by multiple users simultaneously.
– Users can access files remotely over the network.
– Simple to set up for file sharing and backups.
– Provide centralized storage independent of individual desktops and devices.
Popular vendors of NAS devices include Synology, QNAP, Netgear, and Western Digital. NAS devices are a simple and affordable option for adding shared network storage suitable for small businesses and home offices.
SAN (Storage Area Network)
A SAN provides block-level storage that is accessed by servers over a high-speed network dedicated to storage communications. This allows centralized data sharing at the block level. SAN devices connect directly to a network switch via Fibre Channel, iSCSI, or FCoE protocols. Key features include:
– Very fast performance and high bandwidth connectivity.
– Centralized storage pools can be efficiently allocated to multiple servers.
– Block-level access enables features like snapshots and replication.
– Highly scalable to meet enterprise storage needs.
SANs require special Fibre Channel switches and are typically used in large enterprises and data centers. Major SAN vendors include Dell EMC, Hitachi Vantara, IBM, and NetApp.
File Server
A file server is a server with one or more large hard drives that allows users to store and share files over the network. Users can connect to the file server over the network to access files and folders they have permission to view and edit. Key features include:
– Provides a centralized location for file storage and sharing.
– Allows files to be accessed from multiple client devices.
– Permissions can restrict file access as needed.
– Files are stored independent of client devices.
File servers are a simple option for adding dedicated, shared network storage suitable for small offices. They are inexpensive to set up but offer less scalability and redundancy compared to full NAS and SAN solutions. Windows Server and Linux servers can be easily configured as file servers.
Object Storage
Object storage manages data as objects in a flat structure instead of files in a hierarchical folder structure. Objects contain the data, metadata, and globally unique identifier. Object storage is optimized for storing vast amounts of unstructured data. Key features include:
– Designed for scale-out architecture measured in petabytes.
– Excellent for archival and backup use cases storing trillions of objects.
– Data is resilient with built-in redundancy and fault tolerance.
– Ideal for cloud storage and web-scale repositories.
Major cloud providers like Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud offer object storage services. On-premises object storage is also available from Dell EMC, NetApp, IBM, and others.
Common Uses of Network Storage
Some typical use cases and applications for network storage include:
File Sharing
One of the primary uses for network storage is simple file sharing. Centralized file servers and NAS devices allow files to easily be shared between users and accessed from many devices. File sharing improves collaboration and ensures everyone accesses the latest file versions.
Backup
Storing backups on network storage provides centralized data protection and disaster recovery. Server backups can be stored on SAN or NAS devices. User file backups can be stored on file servers. Network storage backups are independent of individual desktops and devices.
Media Sharing
Large multimedia files including photos, videos, and music can be stored and shared from a central NAS or file server. This allows consolidated media storage versus storing files across many desktops. Media files can be accessed from multiple devices.
Application Data
Structured application data like databases and email systems benefit from shared block-level SAN storage. The high performance of a SAN allows efficient access from multiple application servers.
Virtual Machines
Server virtualization environments store virtual machine disk files on shared SAN or NAS storage. This allows virtual machine mobility across physical hosts since storage is centralized, not tied to a single server.
Website Hosting
Websites and web content stored on NAS and SAN devices can be served from multiple web servers for improved performance and redundancy.
Big Data Analytics
The vast amounts of unstructured data used in big data analytics makes object storage an ideal solution for the petabyte-scale storage needs. Object storage efficiently stores huge datasets cost-effectively.
Benefits of Network Storage
Some key benefits that network-based storage solutions offer include:
Centralized Storage
Consolidating storage into shared devices reduces data sprawl and simplifies management. Resources like backups and system administration are more efficient with centralized storage.
Improved Availability
Storing data on the network instead of local desktops improves availability since the network can be accessed from anywhere. Redundant drives and paths provide fault tolerance.
Enhanced Collaboration
Allowing multiple users to access data facilitates collaboration. File locking allows users to edit shared files without risk of conflicts.
Effective Backups
Backups to network storage are faster since data doesn’t have to traverse the network. Backups are reliable since data is stored on redundant systems.
Superior Scalability
SAN and NAS systems are designed for flexibility to allow expanding storage capacity without disruption. Object storage seamlessly scales to massive petabyte capacities.
Simplified Data Movement
Transferring data from one system to another is simplified since they share common storage over the network. Migrating virtual machines is easy since storage is simply reassigned.
Improved Security
Centralized storage and management enables consistent backup, disaster recovery, and access control policies to effectively secure data.
High Performance
SAN block-level storage offers very high performance and throughput for demanding applications like databases. Parallel NAS reads/writes provide overall efficiency.
Challenges with Network Storage
Some potential challenges to consider with network storage include:
Complexity
Storage networks contain many components that introduce complexity. Proper configuration is required for optimal operation and avoiding outages.
Cost
SAN and enterprise NAS systems in particular may require significant capital investment. The total cost of ownership should be carefully evaluated.
Training
IT staff will require training to properly manage and optimize the storage infrastructure. Select solutions with intuitive administrative tools to simplify management.
Single Point of Failure
While redundancy features help avoid outages, shared storage does centralize resources, so an outage could impact many users and systems.
Increased Network Traffic
Large datasets and many users accessing centralized storage can create bottlenecks on the network. Ensure adequate bandwidth is available.
Vendor Lock-in
Multi-vendor compatibility should be evaluated if there is a desire to avoid being locked into a single vendor’s ecosystem.
Security
Any security vulnerabilities or breaches could impact a wide scope of data with shared resources. Utilize all security features available.
Network Storage Protocols
Some key protocols used with different network storage technologies include:
SMB/CIFS
Server Message Block (SMB) and Common Internet File System (CIFS) protocols provide file-level access, commonly used for file servers and NAS devices. Supported by Windows, macOS, and Linux.
NFS
Network File System (NFS) protocol allows file access over a network, generally favored for Linux and UNIX environments. Supported by many NAS vendors.
iSCSI
Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) encapsulates SCSI storage commands within IP packets. Allows block-level SAN access over standard Ethernet.
Fibre Channel
Fibre Channel protocol provides very high speed block-level SAN connectivity over a dedicated Fibre Channel network fabric with lossless operation.
FCoE
Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) allows Fibre Channel traffic to be carried over standard Ethernet networks while maintaining compatibility with FC networks.
HTTP/S3
Simple Storage Service (S3) uses HTTP requests to store and retrieve data objects. Commonly used with cloud object storage services.
Network Storage Interface Options
Some common network interfaces and connectivity options used with network storage devices include:
Ethernet
Ethernet, including speeds up to 10 Gigabit Ethernet, provides the basic network connectivity for most NAS and iSCSI SAN devices. Easy to integrate into existing networks.
Fibre Channel
Fibre Channel provides dedicated high speed lossless fabric specifically designed for SAN storage traffic. Supports speeds up to 32 Gbps.
InfiniBand
InfiniBand is a high-performance, low-latency network interconnect used in some high-end NAS and SAN systems. Provides speeds up to 200 Gbps.
Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt interface allows daisy-chaining peripherals and can connect servers directly to external SAN or NAS storage at 20 Gbps throughput.
USB/eSATA
Many NAS devices offer USB or external SATA ports to expand storage capacity with external drives. Useful for backups and archiving.
PCIe
Internal PCI Express adapter cards provide very high bandwidth connectivity for flash-based SAN storage residing directly in a server’s PCIe slots.
Storage Architecture Options
There are several fundamental network storage architectures, each with their own strengths and best use cases:
DAS – Direct Attached Storage
– Storage devices directly connected to a computer using SAS, SATA or Fibre Channel.
– Simple, affordable, dedicated storage.
– Lacks redundancy and centralized management.
NAS – Network Attached Storage
– Appliance with own OS providing file-level network storage via SMB, NFS, etc.
– Efficient file sharing and management.
– Limited performance and scalability.
SAN – Storage Area Network
– Provides block-level storage over fast Fibre channel fabric.
– High performance, highly scalable and efficient.
– Complex, requires Fibre Channel network.
Hyperconverged Infrastructure
– Combines compute, storage, and networking in an integrated software-defined system.
– Agile scaling and simplified management.
– Still evolving technology.
Object Storage
– Manages data as objects instead of files or blocks.
– Massive scalability and metadata capabilities.
– Limited functionality compared to files and blocks.
Each architecture has advantages for certain use cases. Many environments utilize a combination of these approaches to derive the maximum benefits.
On-Premises vs Cloud Storage
Network storage can be deployed both as on-premises infrastructure, or consumed as a service from the cloud:
| On-Premises Storage | Cloud Storage |
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The choice depends on budget, existing infrastructure, appetite and skills for management, and speed of scaling. Hybrid models combining both on-site and cloud are popular to optimize benefits.
Leading Enterprise Storage Vendors
Some leading enterprise vendors providing on-premises SAN, NAS, object storage, and hyperconverged products include:
– Dell EMC
– NetApp
– Hitachi Vantara
– IBM
– HPE
– Pure Storage
– Nutanix
– Huawei
These vendors offer deep product portfolios serving diverse customer segments and needs from SMBs up to the largest enterprises.
Leading Cloud Storage Providers
Top cloud providers offering network storage as a service include:
– Amazon S3
– Microsoft Azure Storage
– Google Cloud Storage
– IBM Cloud Object Storage
– Alibaba Cloud OSS
– Oracle Cloud Object Storage
– Rackspace ObjectRocket
Cloud storage offers advantages such as almost unlimited on-demand capacity, scalability, and geographic redundancy. Costs are based on actual usage levels.
Considerations When Selecting Network Storage
Some key considerations when selecting a network storage solution include:
– Required protocols like SMB, NFS, iSCSI, etc.
– Capacity and scalability needs now and in future
– Performance and latency requirements
– Availability and redundancy features
– Ease of management and administration
– Data efficiency capabilities like deduplication, compression, and thin provisioning
– Budget constraints and total cost of ownership
– Disaster recovery and backup needs
– Security, access controls, and encryption capabilities
– Ability to tier data across different media types
– Interoperability and support for existing infrastructure
Clear requirements will guide selection of appropriate storage architectures and vendors best suited for your environment and use cases.
Conclusion
Network storage allows organizations to efficiently consolidate and share data at scale in a centralized manner. SAN, NAS, and object storage solutions offer flexible options to build shared storage infrastructure delivering availability, performance, scalability and data protection. Leading enterprise vendors provide robust products tailored for diverse environments and workloads. Cloud services offer on-demand capacity and management. The right network storage platform can provide a resilient, agile foundation for digital transformation and modernization initiatives.
