What is the Difference Between SAN and NAS Storage?
With the advent of state-of-the-art storage solutions for data and information, organizations do not have a dearth of storage options to choose from. Storage Area Network (SAN) and Network Attached Storage (NAS) are two of the most prominent, and oft confused, types of storage systems.
Both come with their own set of advantages. Both fit different requirements for different businesses. The only problem is deciding which one suits you best. Remember that the choice of storage solutions hugely impacts your overall storage strategies. So, let’s examine each solution and the differences between them to find the one that suits your needs the best.
To begin with, both NAS (Network Attached Storage) and SAN (Storage Area Network) were developed to provide stored data to multiple users, at once. Both of them provide dedicated storage for a group of users. However, their methods of providing storage are vastly different.
NAS — Network Attached Storage
NAS is a piece of storage attached to the network via a network cable, or a wireless device acting as a NAS. A NAS contains multiple hard disks, which can be set up for redundancy, or various different configurations — based on your business needs. NAS can also be set-up as a software-based device, by using free tools to simulate a hardware-based NAS storage device.
NAS is a file-level storage technology, which provides file-based data storing services to multiple devices on a network. It is a shared network, unlike SAN which is a dedicated network. Using NAS comes with some great advantages — it excludes the need for multiple servers due to server consolidation, using file storage (as opposed to block storage) is a cost-effective and low budget option, and finally, NAS is incredibly easy to set-up and deploy.
Benefits of NAS
- Cost-effective
- Remote data availability and 24/7 access
- Scalable and Flexible
- Redundant storage architecture
- Automatically backs up to the cloud/ other devices
SAN (Storage Area Network)
SAN is, essentially, an array of disks, which are connected to the server through a special network. With SAN, you get direct access to the storage — just like if it was your local hard drive. This can make SAN an incredibly fast storage solution if it is configured correctly.
SANs infrastructure consists of a dedicated network, which comprises fibre-optics, special connecting hardware and enterprise-level storage systems. To manage the SAN network, you need to have knowledge about low-level block protocols, FC switches, optical cables, and more.
Although the implementation of SAN can be costly and a bit more complex, it serves well for high-speed server transactions and data mirroring. SANs also allow enterprises to easily allocate and manage their storage resources, thereby optimising efficiency. Many virtual private server hosting providers use SAN to store customer data. It provides them with high speed and proves to be an efficient storage solution.
Benefits of SAN
- Incredibly fast data access
- Dedicated network for storage (reduces pressure on LAN)
- Extensively expandable
- Block-level access to files
Differences between NAS and SAN
There are a variety of factors that determine whether you require a NAS or a SAN. The difference between the two depends on important distinctions like:
In reality, most organisations deploy both NAS and SAN, based on their workloads or their application. The usage of NAS or SAN ultimately comes down to the requirements of the business or the system format. While NAS is used for long-distance, read/write operations, SAN is utilised for fast performance, block-level storage.
As businesses continue to grow and expand, there is a greater need for storage solutions that are scalable, flexible and that perform well. Both NAS and SAN fit these requirements, albeit in different ways.
