Enterprise NAS storage is a great storage option for Small and Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs), there is no doubt to that. This is because it offers SMBs many benefits and features, all in a very low-cost manner. However, there are some concerns that must be taken under considerations as well before getting a NAS data storage solution. Let’s take a look at them in detail.
NAS Data Storage Concerns- Network Traffic
NAS network traffic is always an issue to consider for SMBs as they may have limited resources to work with.
Without adequate bandwidth, a network segment hosting the NAS data storage can easily become overloaded and can impair performance. If additional bandwidth and resiliency is needed, SMBs can opt for a NAS data storage solution with multiple Gigabit Ethernet ports that can be aggregated for improved bandwidth. One core advantage of this is that multiple ports also allow for failover, which is an essential element of high availability operation.
NAS Data Storage Concerns- Data Reconstruction
It is true that RAID can prevent data loss in any event of disk failure but for it to be useful, data must still be reconstructed on the failed disk once it is replaced. Normally, a disk rebuild can take many hours, which limits the access to the RAID group during that time.
This is why some NAS boxes include a feature called "rapid rebuild", that flags impending drive failures and starts copying data to a spare drive. This way, if a disk fails before the copy is complete, only the remaining data needs to be reconstructed and not the whole thing.
NAS Data Storage Concerns- Software Support
One thing that SMBs should always keep in mind is that a NAS data storage solution can sometimes influence software support as well.
For instance, some block-based applications may not support deployment on file-based storage. So, SMBs should make sure to review the applications that they intend to host on NAS and verify that the application vendor will continue to support those applications.
SMBs should look for opportunities to test a prospective purchase in their own environment prior to making a purchase commitment or decision.
Conclusion
This article highlights and explains some of the NAS data storage concerns for SMBs that they need to take into consideration before getting a NAS storage solution. All of the points mentioned in this article will help SMBs make the right decisions when getting a NAS data storage solution as they would know beforehand what they need to check prior to getting one.