As an enterprise grows, so does its data storage needs. Network-attached storage (NAS) has been a popular solution for storing and managing data for years. However, as data expands and applications become more data-intensive, traditional NAS solutions are no longer sufficient. This is where Scale out NAS storage comes in.
With Scale Out NAS storage, businesses can increase their storage capacity by adding more nodes to their existing storage cluster. However, before deploying a Scale Out NAS System, there are certain considerations that businesses need to keep in mind.
In this blog post, we will dive deep into the key considerations that your business should have before deploying a Scale Out NAS System.
Scalability
The scalability of a Scale Out NAS System is one of the reasons why businesses choose it. However, before deploying such a system, you need to determine how scalable it is. You need to have an idea of how much storage capacity you need and how much you might need in the future. You also need to know how easy it is to add nodes to the cluster when you need more storage capacity. It is essential to choose a Scale Out NAS solution that can scale easily and cost-effectively while providing high availability.
Performance
The performance of a Scale Out NAS System is another crucial consideration. You need to ensure that the solution can meet your business's performance requirements. To achieve this, ask the vendor about the benchmark results, including read/write performance, latency, and data throughput. Make sure the solution can handle your specific data workload, including backup and restore operations, application performance, and data transfer.
Data Protection
With data security regulations becoming more stringent, data protection has become critical. Any Scale Out NAS solution that your business chooses needs to provide robust data protection features, including backup and restore, remote data replication, encryption, and snapshot and cloning features. Ensure that the solution can protect your data from disasters, cyber threats, and human errors comprehensively. You also need to verify that you can maintain data integrity over time.
Management
Configuration and management of a Scale Out NAS System can be challenging, primarily when multiple nodes are involved. Ensure that the NAS solutions are easy to manage, deploy, and maintain. The management interface should be intuitive and provide comprehensive monitoring and control capabilities. For example, the management interface should enable node addition and removal, health monitoring, software updates, and user access control.
Cost
Cost is one of the most critical factors behind choosing Scale Out NAS storage. Before deploying such a system, you need to understand the total cost of ownership (TCO) of the solution. This means considering not only the hardware and software costs but also maintenance, integration, migration, and support costs. Consider the projected ROI of the solution, including scalability, performance, data protection, and management features.
Conclusion
Deploying a Scale Out NAS System can provide businesses with a highly scalable and cost-effective solution for their data storage needs. However, before deploying such a system, businesses must consider several critical factors, including scalability, performance, data protection, management, and cost.
By taking these factors into account, businesses can choose the right Scale Out NAS storage that meets their specific needs, provides adequate data protection, handles future growth, and ensures compliance with data security regulations. Choose a vendor that has a proven track record in providing Scale Out NAS solutions and can provide comprehensive support throughout the deployment and maintenance lifecycle. To know more about Scale Out NAS System, contact us.
