 Reclaim space and efficiency of application servers
Many businesses are reclaiming space and efficiency of their application servers through the use of NAS servers. The traditional benefits of NAS have gone a long way to make this a popular solution to storage and backup needs. These benefits include easy installation, management, scalability and affordability.
Until recently, the primary downside to NAS servers was that they could only support Common Internet File System (CIFS) and Network File System (NFS) protocols for Windows and UNIX/Linux systems. Two of the most space-consuming applications — e-mail and databases — aren't file oriented. Rather, they are block oriented. This meant that NAS wasn't a good solution for businesses facing e-mail and database storage constraints.
Get manageable NAS-based e-mail and database storage
Perhaps the biggest news regarding NAS devices is their ability to support the iSCSI network protocol. The addition of the iSCSI network protocol allows NAS systems to provide storage for e-mail and database applications in addition to file and print serving. iSCSI protocol also allows NAS systems to perform other data management tasks, such as data migration, with greater ease.
iSCSI for Microsoft Exchange is recommended for companies with up to 750 users. When used with Microsoft Windows and Ethernet, the iSCSI learning curve is minimal because there is no need for new management consoles or applications.
Optimize security and recovery capabilities on a budget
When it comes to data backup and retrieval, disk drives, such as a NAS server, provide the fastest retrieval of your data. But disk drives are cost prohibitive. On the other hand, tape backups provide affordable archiving but require significantly more time when used for retrieval purposes. With access to D2D2T technology comes the best mix of speed, flexibility, convenience and cost-effectiveness.
D2D2T starts with a disk-based backup device. It can be a separate device on your network or a designated section of an existing NAS server. The other components consist of backup and archiving software and a tape drive or library that is either directly attached to the disk storage or connected over the network via iSCSI.
Once data from remote disks has been collected to the backup disk, it is available for quick retrieval. The backup disk also provides maximum-performance archiving to tape, transferring a steady stream of data directly to the tape with no performance impact on your network.
Many companies find that conducting incremental backups to disk and full backups to tape is very efficient. Disk storage provides faster retrieval than tape, and since the bulk of restores are required due to accidental deletions, this provides fast recovery. Keeping full backups on tape provides an extra layer of security because the tapes are offline and safe from predatory attacks from viruses or other intruders.
D2D2T is best suited to 24-hour, transaction-based businesses where users cannot afford a minute of downtime or a restore/backup process of eight hours. Further reducing costs and simplifying management of D2D2T is the proliferation of prepackaged products on the market.
Whether you custom-build or opt for a packaged NAS storage solution, CDW certified technical specialists work with your account manager to make sure your purchase meets your exact needs.
For more information, contact your account manager, %%AM_FNAME%% %%AM_LNAME%%, at %%AM_PHONE%%.
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