How to Set Up Network Attached Storage (NAS)

If you regularly deal with a massive amount of data, then you definitely struggle with storage and access issues. Storing all your data in one storage location is the best way to ensure that you can get the data you require whenever necessary, without wasting time looking for any dedicated storage media. A Network Attached Storage, usually abbreviated as NAS is a storage system that allows different users to access data stored in it via a network. This means that you can use it to store data which will be used by several computers in the network as opposed to dedicated storage devices which can only be accessed by one computer at a time.

Steps on How to Set Up the NAS

The first step is to shop for the most suitable NAS device on the market. It is important to note that there is a variety of NAS devices marketed today all with different features, capabilities, and prices. Carefully consider your needs and budget while looking for the most suitable device to buy. For instance, a NAS device with FTP, web and mail server capabilities is a great option for those who do want to set up their own server. 

Now that you have the best NAS device for the intended application, proceed to install the hard drives. Most NAS devices do not come with the hard drives installed and require the buyer to acquire them separately and then install them.

Next you will need to set up the Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) to manage the storage of data on the device. RAID allows you to define how data will be distributed in the hard disks in the NAS device given that it has more than one disk. Most importantly RAID allows you to mirror certain hard disks so that you will not lose any data if it were to fail, otherwise you need to look for data recovery services that will cost additional more. If you have two disks, you can mirror one disk on the other. 

 After you have set up RAID format the device.

Once formatting is done you will need to create folder structure, and set the access rights to each folder. If you do not want everyone viewing the entire database, be sure to clearly define the access rights. If you are not sure on how to protect your important documents, do contact IT support professionals. Breach of confidential documents can damage your company greatly.

After setting up the file structure and creating access rights, you can now enter all the data you want to store in the device. This step will take some time depending on the amount of data you have.