NAS vs SAN: A Simple Guide to Network and Storage Systems

Let’s consider the basics. You’ve probably heard of NAS and SAN but what does that really mean? They both store your data, however how they store it is different. I will simply explain to you as a friend would to another friend over coffee.

What is NAS?​

NAS is Network Attached Storage; NAS is essentially a really smart external hard drive that can now connect to your Wi-Fi or local network and once it’s connected, anyone on that network can access it.

I have a NAS at home that I store my photos and videos on; it’s extremely convenient because:

• It’s very easy to share files to others in other devices.
• It allows you to stream videos or music without plugging in a device anywhere.
• It allows you to backup data automatically without having to touch it.

A NAS connects via Ethernet cable to your local network and is super easy and inexpensive. NAS is a great option for small businesses because, generally, they are inexpensive, easy to manage, and absolutely not anything you need to be a rocket scientist to deal with on the IQ scale.

What Is a SAN?​

SAN (Storage Area Network) is the ultimate networking storage solution. A SAN connect storage devices directly to servers through high speed connectivity like Fiber Channel or iSCSI.

You can think about a SAN like a private super fast data highway but it is meant for the enterprise or a data center where high-performance or reliability is needed.

Why do businesses use a SAN:

• The SAN can handle larges workloads at high speeds.
• The SAN allows all the storage to be managed through a single interface.
• The SAN can scale quickly as your business requirements grow.

However, flip side this is not really for everyone because it can become expensive and also have costly and time consuming expertise for building and maintaining.

What to Choose?​

If you're looking for shared storage for home / home office use, choose NAS - it is simple, reliable, and inexpensive.

If you are part of a large organization that has a database, host the virtual machine, or has applications that cannot tolerate any performance degradation, choose SAN.

Think of it this way comparing your sedan vs a race car, one is used for day to day driving and the other was made to go fast and manage situations that preformance is not an option.

Final Thoughts​

So to sum up:

• NAS is simple, cost-effective, and great for file sharing
• SAN is very fast, and is powerful, and built for big data systems

You know what you need, so choose what is best for your needs. Because at the end of the day, when your storage is performing you will see benefits to everyone else in the engagement.