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Network Attached Storage, popularly known, as NAS is a file storage technology, which is used to store and manage large amount of data in a network, which can be retrieved by the clients whenever needed. It is being used in a large number of organizations now a days because of its awesome benefits.

By implementing NAS an organization can achieve the following:

• Reduced IT Staff Cost: As a NAS server can be accessed via TCP/IP network in graphical user interface (GUI) mode it does no require too many IT professionals for its management and configuration. In this way the IT staff cost is reduced to a great extent. The NAS server can be easily managed with the help of a web browser. The NAS filer is also preconfigured to facilitate specific file serving needs and thus its administration is simplified and there is reduction in the chances of operational errors too.
• Scalable without any Downtime: Business is dynamic in nature and the IT technologies are being designed in a way that they support the expansion or reduction in the current IT infrastructure easily without affecting its operational capability. NAS is also fully scalable. You can install a new filer in just 15 minutes without shutting down the whole NAS server. Advanced NAS servers also support some additional features like storage on-the-fly which eliminated the need for adding another node in the network. The users can simply access the any authorized data whenever they want. Thus NAS is also considered as a real time application.
• Specialized NAS Server: NAS servers are different from the general purpose servers. They have high computing speed and data read/write capabilities and the latency period is very less. NAS servers are optimized to handle a large number of requests simultaneously. They manage a massive amount of data with ease.
• Multi-OS Connectivity and Data-Sharing: One of the exciting advantages of Network Attached Storage is that it supports multiple operating systems and networks. NAS servers support a variety of protocols and file systems such as NFS of UNIX and CIFS of Microsoft Windows. This ensures that you can retrieve and share data on a cross-functional platform.
• Easy and Transparent Backup: The backup of the NAS filer can be taken without affecting the performance of the general purpose application servers.
• The existing network infrastructure can also be leveraged with the help of NAS. You can make better use of the current network and administration skills. Network attached Storage can be deployed anywhere in the network whenever needed without affecting the existing IT infrastructure. It can be easily amalgamated with the large and sophisticated enterprise management tools such as Microsoft Management Console (MMC), Tivoli, HP Openview etc. NAS also supports remote storage and centralized data management. You can store your data in a NAS server placed at a remote location and can manage it over the TCP/IP network from anywhere, even sitting at your home. No doubt, after implementing NAS anyone can reap higher performance from his IT infrastructure.