Upcoming Events

Interop is the only event to give you a comprehensive and unbiased understanding of all the latest innovations—including cloud computing, virtualization, security, mobility and data center advances—that help position your company for growth.

Register Now!


	F E A T U R E

Lab-Tested: All That NAS

July 12, 1999

Executive Summary
Network-Attached Storage
Consolidating storage pools on a heterogeneous network was once an arduous task that ate up considerable time, resources and money. The need for better consolidation and cross-platform file sharing has spawned NAS (Network-Attached Storage) servers.


	Print this Page E-mail this URL

A NAS server can be described simply as a direct-network-attached dedicated file server. NAS servers have eliminated much anguish by delivering high performance along with simple setup and maintenance. And the corresponding TCO (total cost of ownership) is incredibly low.

When you consider the time and money spent maintaining all the file servers required to provide highly available storage versus the initial cost of a NAS server, the benefits are apparent. Because NAS servers are dedicated appliances, they can be optimized to give maximum performance with available hardware. This gives them a clear advantage over conventional file servers.

In our Real-World Labs® we evaluated four NAS servers. We tested a pair of enterprise-class servers--Network Appliance's F760 Enterprise and LSI Storage Systems' LSI Logic MetaStor SH850--and two servers suitable for workgroups--Meridian Data's Snap! and Cobalt Networks' NASRaQ.

Our testing showed that NAS products have come a long way fast. Each of the entries made a solid showing and each has strengths that make it a good choice for many sites.

PAGE: 1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I FIRST PAGE

Research and Reports