Computers

Network attached storage, or NAS for short, is simply a storage solution for computers on a network together. Network attached storage is a little different than your typical network server, because it uses just the barebones minimum needed to run the host computer which holds the storage devices. This means you arent losing a completely good PC for such a simple task as storage.

NAS boxes are built from the ground up with only the parts needed for providing storage and being accessible on the network. This means they basically have hard drives for storage, an Ethernet card to connect to the network, and a simple operating system running the show.

Network Attached Storage for Businesses
NAS is a great way to allow users on your office network to share important files amongst each other. You can set up a public directory that ever user can access, so that files that numerous workers need can be accessed by everyone at once. This is effective because it means numerous copies of the same file neednt be wasting space on separate hard drives.

Alternately, if you want to give your workers a private directory that only they can access, thats easy to setup as well. This means those private reports remain private, and you can limit the users who have permission to view them. Network attached storage has many benefits, and will help keep your business on the cutting edge of technology. You simply cant go wrong with a network attached storage solution.

A RAID 0 array is one of the most uncommon types of RAID arrays utilized today. The word RAID means Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks, but a RAID 0 isnt redundant at all so it really doesnt fit the category of proper RAID arrays. Because there is no redundancy at all, its typically not used for any type of backup solution.

In a RAID 0 array, typically, data is spread over multiple drives making it much faster to access the data on these drives. Unfortunately because there is no redundancy, if one of the drives happens to fail, then you get a loss of data. Because of this, RAID 0 is very efficient and very fast, but does not offer any type of solution for backups.

RAID 0 Arrays for Beginners
If youre new to setting up a RAID array, I would suggest trying to setup a RAID 0 as your first step. There are a few applications that you can use a RAID 0 array for, if you want to access your data faster than you typically would on a normal setup. The cost and time put into it though is not worth it if you are looking for a backup solution for your home or business network.

Once you do setup a RAID 0 array, it makes it all that much easier to change it to a different type of array. You can get software that will do all this for you, but RAID software has its downsides too. If you are truly looking for an effective way to setup a fully functional RAID array, I would suggest more than two hard drives and some RAID hardware.

If youre looking for a great network storage solution, Snap servers may be the answer to all your prayers. When you want to have a secure network server that you can use for FTP and HTTP you dont just want a hard drive attached to your network. This is insecure and inefficient, and will cause you nothing but headaches.

Snap servers are basically a self-sustained computer, but with everything but the essentials for running a server removed. They have a network card, a hard drive, and run their own OS, but thats about it when it comes to internal parts. Snap servers are made by SnapAlliance, and run a customized version of the FreeBSD operating system called SnapOS. FreeBSD is known for being one of the most secure and stable operating systems around.

Snap Servers for Your Network
Because its running on its own OS, you have complete control over every aspect of your Snap server. If youre the network administrator, you can really appreciate how important and handy having control over your network and all the ins and outs of your servers is. You want to be able to make sure only the people you want can access the data available, and with Snap servers, its possible to do just that.

So if youre looking for a network storage solution that supports most of the major file and transfer protocols, look no further than a Snap server. Theyre easy to install, easy to configure, and even easier to use. With their custom secure and stable operating system, you can be sure that you wont lose important data, and it will be safely protected from prying strangers. You simply cant go wrong with a Snap server!

Backup Exec is a powerful program created by Veritas Software that helps simplify the tedious and often difficult process of backing up your computers files. There are two types of Backup Exec programs available to purchase, one for people running Windows servers, and one for NetWare servers. Your first step is to determine which version of the program you need.

When programming Backup Exec, Veritas made sure that the program was easy enough for a novice to install and run properly, but with enough options and customizations available so that even the most knowledgeable of administrators could completely customize it to the task they want it to do. This is very important, because no two businesses are the same, and you have to be able to meet the demands of all your clients.

Save Your Files with Backup Exec
With Backup Exec, you can backup the entire contents of your computer with one click of a button. It just cant get any easier than that, and thats just what the people at Veritas were going for. On the other hand, if youre more inclined to schedule or customize your backups, theres plenty of ways to do that too. For example, theres a simple calendar interface, where its easy to pick what days and times it will automatically backup your data for you.

You can even access the program remotely, from anywhere in the world, with just a simple internet connection. This is great if you run your own business, and discover that you forgot to backup your data before you left on a two week business trip. Normally youd have to hire someone to go into your office and do it for you in your absence, but Backup Exec makes it easy to do it right from your hotel room.

If you are a network administrator then youve probably dealt with a storage area network in the past. Networks are quickly becoming more and more popular over the years as businesses and other institutions come to realize how important they can be. Having your own storage area network can save you a lot of hassles when something doesnt go right.

Network administrating can be a very rewarding and fun job to have, especially if you have a passion for computers like I do. If you really love working with computers, then you know how rewarding it is to hook up multiple computers all accessing each other within the blink of an eye. Technology has allowed us to do many different types of things with a network.

Storage Area Network Made Easy
As I mentioned previously, being a network admin can be very rewarding, however there are lots of things that can happen to your network that will give you lots of headaches and frustration if you do not take the necessary steps beforehand. You want to assure all your clients that they have complete, uninterrupted access to all documents and files whenever they please.

This is where redundant storage area networks come into play. Having a RAID array on a basic network will protect your data in case you have some sort of hardware failure. This assures your clients that the data made available to them will always be there, safe and secure in your storage area network.