The Evolution of Network Attached Storage: A Comprehensive Review

Strategic Insights -

In recent years, Network Attached Storage (NAS) has undergone significant evolution, moving from an exotic concept to a staple in many networks. This transformation is largely due to the efforts of pioneering companies like Meridian Data, Creative Design Solutions (CDS), and others, who have developed innovative NAS devices that have improved storage capabilities and ease of use. As the technology continues to advance, NAS devices are becoming more enterprise-ready, offering enhanced features and capacities to meet the demands of growing data requirements.

Key Takeaways:

  • Meridian Data's Snap Server, introduced in the late 1990s, is considered one of the first true NAS devices, providing storage that could be easily added to a network by connecting an Ethernet cable.
  • The acquisition of Meridian Data by Quantum Corporation and CDS by Maxtor marked a significant shift in the NAS market, as these companies leveraged their hard drive technologies to create new NAS products.
  • Quantum and Maxtor have introduced a range of NAS devices, including single and multi-drive units with various RAID capabilities, catering to both small networks and enterprise environments.
  • Hewlett-Packard's HP SureStore HD Server 4000 is a more enterprise-ready NAS device, with six drive bays, a sturdy design, and features like RAID 5 with hot spare capability.
  • IBM has also announced a NAS product, and companies like Axis Communications offer development kits to create custom network-attached devices.
  • NAS devices have been used in various applications, including data portability, data distribution, and temporary storage for repair or replacement.
  • As drive capacities continue to increase, NAS device capacities will also grow, with next year's base units potentially sporting 20GB or 40GB or more minimum capacity.

Statistics:

  • Quantum's Snap Server 1000 provides 10GB storage, while the Max Attach A0201 offers 20GB.
  • Quantum's Snap Server 2000 is a two-drive unit, offering 20GB of storage, and is priced comparably to the 20GB MaxAttach unit.
  • Both vendors offer 40GB NAS devices, and Maxtor will offer a rack-mounting version of the MaxAttach product.
  • Quantum's upcoming 120GB rackmount NAS device is said to provide better performance than NT file servers with similar capacity.
  • Ethernet connections between the NAS box and the network may not be a significant limiting factor, with 10Mbit/sec or 100Mbit/sec maximum data transfer rates.

Sources:

  • Meridian Data, with its Snap Server, [1]
  • Creative Design Solutions (CDS) [2]
  • Quantum Corporation [3]
  • Maxtor [4]
  • Hewlett-Packard's HP SureStore HD Server 4000 [5]
  • IBM [6]
  • Axis Communications [7]