Question: Discuss types of storage access methods such as network attached storage,

direct attached storage, and storage area network supported by Windows Server 2012.
 

 Network Attached Storage (NAS):

It is the first form of storage solution called Network Attached Storage (NAS) that is a hybrid

choice (NAS). A dedicated server or "appliance" is used to service the storage array in this

system. At the same time, the storage can be shared across numerous clients on the same

Ethernet network. File level transfers are used by NAS servers, whereas more efficient block

level transfers are used by DAS and SAN solutions on DAS and SAN systems, respectively. If

you have an established network, you can save money by using NAS storage. Small and

medium-sized businesses may find this to be an attractive option. NFS (UNIX) and CIF

(Windows) are two protocols that can be used for file sharing. Storage arrays in most NAS types

can be shared across the network as iSCSI targets. Network throughput can also be increased by

creating dedicated iSCSI networks.

 As the name suggests, it's a network-attached storage (NAS) device that may be accessed via a

computer's network instead of directly on the device itself. File-based shared storage is provided

to local area network (LAN) nodes over a regular Ethernet connection in a dedicated file storage.

A browser-based utility tool cannot be used to set up or manage NAS devices because they often

lack a keyboard and monitor. The capacity to share files over the network is a major advantage.

Data can be stored and retrieved from a central location for heterogeneous clients, as well as

network users, using this technology. NAS is more difficult to set up than DAS and costs more

money. The user can also get information on the file level across the network from the sector

level. This system has its own file system and is independent of the operating system of the

computer from which it is connected once the right configuration of NAS is set. It necessitates
the use of a network that can connect multiple computers. AFP, CIFS, and NFS are just a few of

the file-sharing protocols that make it possible to share files across a network.

 Direct Attached Storage (DAS): 

DAS is a good fit for small to medium-sized businesses that need a lot of storage but don't want

to spend a lot of money getting started. The additional disk drives will be housed in a separate

cabinet that is adjacent to the DAS enclosure. The storage is often connected to the server via an

internal PCI-based RAID controller. Windows servers can be configured with a variety of

storage choices when they are shipped from the factory. If you're running a server, you'll likely

have one or more internal hard drives. The operating system and user applications are often

installed on these disks. Direct Attached Storage (DAS) must be configured if additional storage

for user files or databases is required (DAS).

Storage that is directly connected to the machine accessing it rather than storage that is accessed

across a computer network is used here. Storage devices like as hard drives and optical disks can

also be found in the exterior enclosure of the DAS (Mackenzie-Low, 2014). In comparison to

other systems, DAS is easier to set up and less expensive. Storage that is attached directly to the

computer without the need for a network is what we're talking about here. External or internal

connections are possible. While other devices would have to go through the host computer in

order to work with the data, only the host computer may access the data directly. Since the hard

disk is hooked to a computer, it's a one-person operation as well. Suitable for small to medium-

sized organizations, it is capable of storing large amounts of data at a cheap initial cost. The

additional disk drives are housed in a separate cabinet that is adjacent to the enclosure.

 Storage Area Network supported by Windows Server 2012:

SANs supported by Windows Server 2012 are mainly utilized by medium- to large-sized

organizations, mostly because to the higher initial expenditure. SAN disk controllers, switches,

fiber cables and host bus adapters(HBAs), make up the infrastructure required for SANs. High-

speed storage can be provided to a large number of servers by using external RAID controllers

and disk enclosures. It is the capacity to share storage arrays across numerous servers that is the

primary benefit of a SAN-based storage system. A specialized SAN administrator is often

responsible for configuring the storage capacity. Data is extremely available in a SAN system

due to redundant disk controllers and drives, and high levels of performance or processing

capacity are prevalent. SANs have a greater beginning cost and are more difficult to administer

than traditional storage arrays (Mackenzie-Low, 2014).

Microsoft has created SAN, a storage visualization technology. A storage pool of physical disks

can be used to generate and manage logical volumes. There are numerous advantages to using a

Storage Area Network (SAN), including greater data security, the importance of data security to

every business, timely backup, increased scalability, and more. Fiber channel technology and the

internet's small computer system interface are examples of SANs. Some other advantages

include reduced LAN bandwidth issues, greater data security, rapid backup, increased scalability,

and reliable disaster recovery, among others. Overall, it has a lot of advantages.
References

Mackenzie-Low, B. (2014, May 22). Exploring Windows Storage Technologies: DAS, NAS and

SAN-Based Solutions. Petri IT Knowledgebase. https://petri.com/das-nas-san-storage-

technologies