Network Attached Storage

Network-attached storage removes the responsibility of file serving from other servers on the network. They typically provide access to files using network file sharing protocols such as NFS, SMBCIFS, or AFP. Potential benefits of dedicated network-attached storage, compared to general- purpose servers also serving files, include faster data access, easier administration, and simple configuration. The hard disk drives with "NAS" in their name are functionally similar to other drives but may have different firmware, vibration tolerance, or power dissipation to make them more suitable for use in RAID arrays, which are sometimes used in NAS implementations.