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Network-attached storage (NAS) gives your teams one central place to store and share files over the network, with mapped drives, shared folders and permissions controlled from one system.
Fortuna Data supplies NAS storage for UK organisations, from small office NAS to enterprise unified storage and virtual NAS. We have been helping businesses with storage since 1994.
NAS stands for network-attached storage. It is a storage system connected to your network that shares files with users and servers, so everyone works from the same folders instead of saving to their own computers.
Users see NAS storage as mapped drives or shared folders. Access is controlled with permissions, usually linked to Microsoft Active Directory, so people only see the files they should.
| NAS | SAN | DAS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shares | Files | Blocks (volumes) | Blocks |
| Connection | Normal network (LAN) | Dedicated storage network | Direct to one server |
| Typical use | File shares, home folders, archives, backups | Databases, virtual machine clusters | Single servers, small sites |
Many enterprise systems are unified: they provide NAS file shares and SAN block storage from the same array. Read more: SAN vs NAS and SAN storage.
Tell us how much data you store, how many users you have and how fast it is growing, and we will recommend the right NAS.
Desktop and rackmount NAS for offices and businesses, from compact systems to large rackmount models.
Unified storage arrays powered by NetApp ONTAP, providing file and block storage from one system for larger organisations.
Software that turns standard servers into NAS or SAN storage, with high availability, snapshots and replication.
Keep the same shares and mapped drives, with data encrypted and stored across locations you choose, so capacity grows without new hardware.
RAID and snapshots protect against a failed drive or an accidental deletion, but they are not a backup. If ransomware encrypts the NAS, or the system itself fails, you need a separate copy.
Follow the 3-2-1 rule: three copies of your data, on two types of media, with one copy off-site. Many businesses back up their NAS to tape or the cloud.
Read more: Data protection software and LTO tape
Network-attached storage (NAS) is a storage system connected to your network that shares files with users and servers through shared folders and mapped drives.
NAS shares files over a normal network. A SAN shares block storage over a dedicated storage network and is used for databases and virtual machines.
No. RAID and snapshots help with drive failures and deleted files, but you still need a separate backup copy, ideally off-site.
Yes. Business NAS systems can use Active Directory so you manage file permissions with your existing user accounts.
A virtual NAS keeps the same file shares for users, but stores the data across cloud or on-premises locations instead of one box. See Virtual NAS explained.
It depends on capacity, performance, the number of users and support. Contact us with your requirements and we will provide a quote.
Speak to a storage specialist. We will help you compare options and give you a clear UK quote.
Prefer email? Write to solutions@data-storage.uk
