Fast Reference: Storage

DAS, NAS, SAN? You know what they are, but how about a guide to knowing what's what? This Fast Reference gives the key points to each storage technology--including the pros and cons.

Published: 01 Mar 2006

DAS, NAS, SAN? You know what they are, but how about a guide to knowing what's what? This Fast Reference gives the key points to each storage technology--including the pros and cons.

Type of Storage	Pros	Cons	General use
Direct-attached storage (DAS)	Simple Low starting cost Easy to use	Needs separate storage for each server Not easy to transfer data in network Server takes application processing load	Data and application sharing Data backup Archiving
Disk library	Fast High storage capacity High data availability	Not as easily accessible as DAS Intended for write once, read rarely info	Disk-to-disk backup Archiving Near line storage
Magnetic tape	Low cost per megabite Portable Unlimited capacity (with multiple tapes)	Inconvienient for fast recovery of individual or group files	Archiving Limited-budget businesses Offsite storage
Network-attached storage (NAS)	Fast file access for multiple clients Ease of data sharing High storage capacity Redundancy Ease of drive mirroring Consolidated resources	Less convienient than SAN for moving large blocks of data	Backup Archiving Redundant storage
Redundant array of independent disks (RAID)	Fast High storage capacity High data availability Reliable Security Fault tolerance	Possible false sense of security Some recovery difficulty on some systems High cost for optimum systems	Swap files Internet service providers Redundant storage
Storage area network (SAN)	Excellent for moving large blocks of data Exceptional reliability Easily availible Fault tolerance Scalability	Expensive Lack of standardization Management complexity	Large databases Bandwith-intensive applications Mission-critical applications

Dig Deeper on Server hardware strategy

SAN vs. NAS: What are the key differences? Compare SAN and NAS, and find out what to consider when using each storage system format. Object storage and the cloud are also affecting the storage options that are available.

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SAN system buying guide: The fundamentals Use this guide to determine if a SAN is right for your environment, or if you should go with DAS or NAS.

Moving virtual storage to the cloud Parallels' John Zanni shares some guidelines for hosting firms who want to enhance their offerings with cloud-based storage.

For customers, Exchange 2010 storage changes are a good reason for SAN Find out why Exchange 2010’s storage changes mean your customers would fare better with a SAN instead of DAS to support their Exchange environment.

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