Network Storage The Latest In Information Storage

If

information storage and network throughput gives you headaches, then

it's time for network attached storage thin servers.

Network

Attached Storage (NAS) is one of the latest innovations in the

computer informa



tion storage world. It provides a simpler, more reliable, and more
cost-effective way to add shared storage to your network.

NetworkAttached storage gives departments and work-groups a quick

way to access data over a network. NAS requires very little setup

and is easy to maintain. This is achieved by using a streamlined

technology called a thin server, which also allows the NAS device to

be completely independent of the general-purpose file server.

Why use a NAS

device? As networks continue to grow and evolve, network

administrators are looking for ways to improve their efficiency.

Areas they look to improve include:

• Faster
  
  product installations.
  
  
  
  
• Cheaper
  
  network maintenance.
  
  
  
  
• Improved
  
  data accessibility.
  
  
  
  
• Management
  
  of increased information storage needs.
  
  
  
  
• Reduced
  
  network throughput.
  
  
  
  

As data access

needs increase, it is critical to be able to easily add storage

capabilities for departments and workgroups over the network with

minimal impact to both administrators and end-users. Network

attached storage allows network administrators to add this data

storage simply and cost-effectively without having to disrupt

existing general-purpose server operations.

Thin

server technology



A thin server is a specialized component that is optimized to
perform a reduced set of server functions. Thin servers are

comprised of a microprocessor, an operating system compatible with

most major networking topologies, a built-in web interface or man-agement

utility, and Flash memory for easy upgrades.

A NAS thin

server enhances the productivity of existing general-purpose servers

by providing additional dedicated storage and information access to

a department or workgroup at a much lower total cost of ownership.

For instance, a department or workgroup might have their own NAS

thin server device ex-clusively for their data storage. By placing

NAS thin servers directly on an ethernet or token ring network in

various locations, an administrator can use consistent software to

manage departmental as well as company-wide data storage systems.

NAS thin

servers can be centrally located alongside general-purpose servers,

or distributed throughout a network depending on an organization's

preference. It is important to note that regardless of the method

used, NAS devices provide administrators the flexibility to achieve

optimal productivity.

The

first-generation thin server that HP developed was the print server.

A print server connects a printer directly to a network for

convenient access and offloads the task of printing from the

general-purpose server. As thin servers continue to evolve, more and

more shared devices will use various types of thin server

technologies, such as fax servers, scan servers, web servers, CD-ROM

servers, email servers and hard disk storage servers.

A thin server

can be installed onto a network without impacting the existing

general-purpose server operations. Within minutes you can install a

thin server so that users can access various peripherals and

information, such as CD-ROMs, printers and hard disks, just as they

did when these functions were part of the general-purpose server.

This provides a seamless extension, improved performance and easy

access to storage capacity over a network.

The benefits

of thin servers are that they:

• can be used
  
  in multiple environments, including environments that don't have
  
  a general-purpose server.
  
  
  
  
• are
  
  self-sufficient and reliable, leading to more uptime for users.
  
  
  
  
• do not
  
  require costly network operating system licenses.
  
  
  
  
• can be
  
  placed anywhere on the network.
  
  
  
  
• have
  
  efficient software and hardware architectures to support their
  
  specialty functions, providing faster access times.
  
  
  
  
• can be
  
  installed quickly and easily by someone with little networking
  
  experience.
  
  
  
  
• typically
  
  have a built-in, easy-to-use management interface that allows
  
  network administrators to remotely access thin server
  
  capabilities using a web browser.
  
  
  
  
• provide
  
  security that is equivalent to that of general-purpose servers,
  
  making them the convenient and safe networking choice for
  
  important data.
  
  
  
  
• use
  
  established industry standards, making thin servers fully
  
  compatible with existing operating systems and networking
  
  topologies, such as Microsoft Windows NT and Novell NetWare.
  
  
  
  

As thin

servers continue to evolve, more and more shared devices will use

thin server technologies.

Improving

IT efficiency