Scale-out NAS, object storage, cloud gateways replacing file storage

        The insatiable need for file-based primary data storage is propelling three technologies -- scale-out network-attached storage (NAS), object-based storage and the cloud as a NAS tier -- to the forefront as potential lifelines for IT shops overwhelmed by unstructured data.

     Scale-out NAS systems can boost capacity, performance and availability with the addition of storage nodes or x86 servers equipped with a special operating system and storage. The most scalable of the clustered storage systems have the potential to manage petabytes of data across more than 100 nodes, but they’re accessed and managed as a single system through the use of a distributed file system or global namespace.

Object-based storage systems are another promising alternative to traditional NAS. Object storage foregoes traditional file systems, which have capacity and management shortcomings. Instead, these systems assign a unique identifier, or digital fingerprint, to each file plus its metadata. This identifier renders the physical location immaterial and provides massive scalability.

Using the cloud as a NAS tier is another option for IT shops coping with a flood of unstructured data. In particular, a lot of attention is gravitating toward a new wave of file-based gateway appliances that move data to a cloud service provider. These can be hardware or virtual appliances, and they can solve security and data access issues that make IT shops hesitant to use the public cloud.

Here’s what you need to know about these three NAS technologies as you plot out your file storage:


 scale-out NAS

object-based storage

cloud as a NAS