Network Attached Storage (NAS) is not a new concept, but as the cost of technology continues to drop formerly expensive solutions are becoming economical for use in smaller environments. NAS is simply additional storage attached directly to the network.

NAS technology is applicable if you need additional space on your network to share files to more than one computer, especially if you don't want to use or don't have the space on existing equipment for the increased storage requirements. NAS also works well if you want a network device that is separate from all other devices to provide temporary file backups or to provide space for different purposes, like archived file backup or current file access.

The NAS products used in smaller environments generally have a different architecture than the more expensive products built for larger environments. Inexpensive IDE drives located inside a slim box with a simple administration screen make for a convenient, economical alternative to installing more drive space for a small group of workers or purchasing an additional PC for the network. While their more complex big brothers use multiple drives that instantly duplicate data in the event of a drive failure, it is essential to have these small-environment NAS devices incorporated into your normal network data backup scheme as they generally forego such redundant storage architecture.

This pared-down technology allows for the easy purchase of an off-the-shelf device. Simply plug it into your network and within a short time begin to expand the capacity of your local or network hard drives.

From the home user to the largest corporation, these newer, less expensive NAS devices can be an exceptional value when used and implemented correctly. Changes in the architecture of these devices are making them easier to purchase and to apply.