Also known as: NAS
Network-attached storage (NAS) is a dedicated file-storage device that connects to a network and lets multiple clients read and write shared files over standard protocols.1
Overview
A NAS is a small, specialized server whose job is storage: a handful of drive bays, a modest CPU, and an operating system tuned for serving files over protocols such as SMB and NFS. Drives are usually combined into a RAID array for capacity and redundancy, so a single disk failure does not lose data.
This contrasts with storage-area network (SAN) hardware, which serves raw block devices rather than files, and with direct-attached storage, which is wired to one machine and cannot be shared. Consumer NAS boxes from vendors like Synology and QNAP have made the form factor common in homes and small offices, while enterprise units scale to dozens of bays.
How it compares
NAS is one of three ways to attach storage, distinguished by what they serve and who can reach it:
| Type | Serves | Shared? | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| NAS | Files (SMB/NFS) | Many clients | Shared documents, media, backups |
| SAN | Raw blocks | Servers (via fabric) | Databases, virtualization |
| Direct-attached | Blocks | One host | A single server’s own disks |
For most homes and small offices the file-level, network-shared NAS is the natural fit; SANs earn their complexity only when applications need raw block devices at scale.
Where it fits
A NAS is the natural shared-storage tier behind a home server or in a data center rack, built on ordinary hard disk drives. It is a good home for GopherTrunk’s bulk output — days of decoded calls and IQ recordings can sit on a redundant NAS volume rather than the capture node’s local disk, keeping the node lean and its storage safe from a single drive failure.
Sources
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Network-attached storage — Wikipedia, on NAS devices, protocols, and RAID. ↩