How To Build: NAS Fills Growing Need

Network-attached storage, or NAS, can save integrators from drowning in the sea of digital content management. The technology has quickly moved downmarket, from enterprise networks to the SMB market and finally into the SOHO/digital home markets. Simply put, a NAS solution consists of a storage device that can be attached to an Ethernet network and shared between multiple users.

NAS solutions come in all shapes and sizes and offer many connectivity options. Selecting the right one for the SOHO/ home networking markets includes a few crucial steps.

First off, an integrator must decide which connectivity option to use. For instance, if speed is a key concern, a Gigabit Ethernet connection may be in order. If speed is not a customer's primary consideration, more flexible connection technologies can be considered, such as wireless or Ethernet-over-power-line connections.

The next consideration is storage capacity. Integrators need to keep in mind the "golden rule"--provide more storage than necessary so the NAS solution can address future needs. One unavoidable drawback to this rule can be chalked up to simple human nature: The more storage provided, the more likely it is that users will save everything and anything to the NAS unit. That leads to the next concern--expandability. Many NAS units on the market are not expandable. Savvy integrators should find a unit that can be easily expanded in order to prevent embarrassing storage dead ends.

After these physical concerns are met, integrators should focus on reliability. After all, in many cases, irreplaceable data will be stored on the unit, such as users' personal digital photos and important business documents. To address these concerns, some NAS units employ a simple RAID solution, mirroring a pair of disks to protect data from hardware failure. Even with that additional protection, an integrator should include some form of additional backup, such as tape, optical disk or other removable storage.

Last but certainly not least, ease of use is a huge factor, especially if customers are not computer-savvy. Features such as browser-based management, DHCP server and Windows-compatible file sharing and naming conventions can make NAS solutions more palatable. End users should be shielded from the complexities normally associated with networking. Integrators can take that concept one step further by offering installation services and setting up login scripts to automate drive mapping.

Digital Connect Lab engineers set out to build a NAS solution that addressed all of these best practices. Engineers were looking to build an easy-to-use, flexible and expandable solution for the largest number of SOHO-type implementations and selected a two-tiered approach to maximize flexibility and keep costs down.

To that end, engineers chose the Linksys Network Storage Link as the foundation for the networking portion of the NAS solution and a Maxtor OneTouch USB 2.0 hard drive as the storage mechanism.

The Linksys Network Storage Link ($99) offers a 10/100 Ethernet connection along with two USB 2.0 ports. Integrators can simply plug the Linksys unit into an Ethernet network, run the included setup wizard and instantly share any USB storage device with users on the network. The device provides the flexibility to support multiple drives and, because it's USB-connected, makes any attached external drives portable.

The Maxtor OneTouch USB drive is available in varying capacities. Engineers picked a 300-Gbyte unit priced at $349, providing significant storage at an attractive price. Building a NAS solution around these two products offers many advantages. First off, by using a USB-based hard drive, integrators can move that drive to another system if the Network Storage Link fails. The ability to add removable drives is great for backup purposes and off-site data protection. The Network Storage Link's two USB ports allow for quick addition of drives to the network or, if two drives are implemented, one drive can be configured to back up the other for realtime data protection.

USB connections greatly simplify wiring, and the Network Storage Link's setup wizards and browser-based management make things even simpler.

Integrators can meet growing storage needs by simply replacing any attached external hard drive. Once again, USB connectivity plays a role in avoiding complicated redeployment and reconfiguration issues, ensuring quick and affordable service for customers. Integrators can also choose to implement multiple Network Storage Links. These can help segregate data, provide fail-safe data support and more readily address future storage needs.

NAS provides an easy-to-build, easy-to-maintain opportunity for digital integrators. It's a great solution for customers that need to add storage to rapidly growing small networks, while addressing cost concerns and building a path to future service and data protection opportunities.