Data is increasing by the day and the choice for getting the right storage for it has become more important than ever. When it comes to enterprise storage, SAN and NAS are the two obvious choices, however, choosing the right one for your enterprise can be a difficult decision.

In this article, we try to simplify the decision for you by comparing the two storage solutions and their benefits in an attempt that it might help you make the right decision for your enterprise.

NAS Storage

NAS storage is a file-level data storage server that is connected to a network providing data access to clients. It is built with either SATA or SAS disks and are arranged in a RAID which is then attached to devices over ethernet. NAS is a highly specialized file server and it can only perform data storage.

NAS Storage Benefits

- Simplified Architecture: NAS is built just like a desktop or a server and has a simple architecture. This means it offers simplified management. It is a plug-and-play solution making it very easy to setup and use.

- Secure: NAS storage solutions are safe and secure. NAS storage solutions consolidate and centralize data protection.

- Inexpensive: Prices are based on the size and quality of NAS storage but in general, NAS storage solutions are an affordable option.

- Storage Only: The fact that NAS only offers storage is a good point because it becomes very reliable in terms of storage. Its core functionality is storage of data and that is what most enterprises want.

SAN Storage

SAN storage is block-level storage. It is a dedicated network that enables servers to share pools of storage resources. This no doubt makes SAN storage a little complex but it is great to use with mission-critical data and databases.

SAN Storage Benefits

- High Performance: SANstorage offers high performance. It allows other applications to run more smoothly as other devices won’t need to use local storage.

- Better Redundancy: SAN storage is extremely redundant as you aren’t accessing one particular device. What this means is that, if one server goes down, the other devices will pick up the pace immediately.

- Fast Backup: SAN storage allows more rapid backups. It also allows the data to be stored more quickly and SAN storage won’t cause any bottlenecks like other storage solutions might.

- Disaster Recovery: SAN makes replication of data from a primary location to an offsite SAN very easy. You can replicate rapidly and get your environment up and running in no time. This prevents excessive downtime.

Conclusion

In this article, we have tried to explain SAN and NAS and have tried to differentiate between them by pointing their unique benefits in hope that it might help you while you are making a decision while choosing a storage solution.

StoneFly offers both SAN and NAS storage solutions with added benefits and features. So, whatever your choice may be, SAN or NAS, StoneFly has a storage solution for you.