Techsplaining 101: Network Attached Storage at Miami
Let's learn about how we use network attached storage and the NetApp at Miami.
Techsplaining 101: Network Attached Storage at Miami
Here at Miami, we have a lot of systems running to keep the campus afloat. With those systems comes data and files that need to be stored. As one can imagine, with a footprint as big as Miami's, that means we need a system that can maintain and store all our data and files.
That is where network attached storage and our NetApp come into play.
What is network attached storage (NAS)?
NAS is a file-dedicated storage device that makes data continuously available for employees to collaborate effectively over a network. It consists of any service or computer network that shares file storage over a network or is accessible from the internet. It also has interconnected server machines and client machines that send requests to the servers. This can include a small home NAS appliance you might buy or your Google Drive.
NAS devices are specialized servers that handle only data storage and file-sharing requests. They provide fast, secure, and reliable storage services to private networks.
Key terms
There can be a lot of confusing terms and affiliations when it comes to describing technology. To get better familiar for what makes up NAS, let’s define some key terms:
NetApp
A data infrastructure company that offers data storage, data services, and cloud operations solutions.
Storage Area Network (SAN)
A high-speed network that allows multiple servers to access shared storage devices. It is a common data storage architecture for large organizations (like Miami).
VMware
American cloud computing and virtualization technology company
Common internet file system (CIFS)
A network protocol that allows clients to communicate with servers and access file sharing and print services as if they were stored locally
Samba
A collection of applications that allows servers of many different operating systems to perform network actions, such as file serving, authentication, and print services
Network File System (NFS)
A file sharing protocol that allows clients to access files on a remote server as if they were local. NFS is a popular protocol for distributed file systems and is used for shared storage across networks
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
One of the cloud computing services that Miami uses for NAS
Amazon Simple Storage Service (AWS S3) Glacier
An object storage service offering industry-leading scalability, data availability, security, and performance.
How we use network attached storage at Miami
Our center for all the data storage at Miami is the Hoyt data center. Located on the ground floor of Hoyt Hall, the data center is filled with servers and server racks that contain all our data at Miami. We also utilize VMware that contains a virtual SAN that provides a uniform pool of storage to all our virtual machines in the Hoyt data center.
We have an account with AWS S3 Glacier that provides us cheap storage for archival purposes. This is for when we have storage that doesn't need to be accessed often but we need to store large amounts of data inexpensively. Storage in AWS is pay as you go, so we have access to as much storage as we want to pay for. It is usually billed per GB per month so the price ranges depending on our need for storage that month. Our off-site backup is our largest amount of AWS storage, and that site is currently using around 795 TB of storage in the AWS S3.
We also use NAS for web servers and database servers. These servers are often desirable for servers to maintain high availability, therefore, we often have multiple web or database servers serving the same function in case of any failure or disruption. NAS allows these multiple servers to share the same data or files so everything is connected and running smoothly.
What do we use the NetApp for?
Using the NetApp, our servers mount storage space from it so that they can share files between servers. The NetApp contains a large amount of disks and software that manages the files and space on those disks and who has access to them. Many servers and users on workstations access that storage via common network storage protocols like CIFS/Samba/NFS mounts. So say that someone from the IT department wanted to collaborate with someone in another department in Benton Hall. The NetApp would allow them to access and share the same files and see the same data so that they could collaborate efficiently without having to worry about computing data back and forth across the Oxford campus.
Why network attached storage is important
NAS is important because it enables easy collaboration, efficient data backups, and improved accessibility for multiple users and devices. By providing faster data access, it is easier to configure and manage our data here at Miami. It ensures that all our systems are running efficiently and it helps reduce wasted space so no storage is left unused.
To learn more about NAS, you can check out the .
As always, you can always check out our or contact IT Help for any issues or questions you might have about how things work at IT.
