NAS VS Tower Server: Which One to Choose for a Growing Business?
Storage in any form is essential for businesses considering the large amount of data they deal with. When looking for storage options, there are a variety of ways to add data storage to business networks; they are not equal. Hence proper understanding of them is essential to store and back up vital information about the business.
For small, growing businesses, NAS and Tower server storage are the two main storage options for data storage, access, and sharing. But which one to use? Let’s find out.
What is NAS Storage?
NAS or Network Attached Storage is file access storage. NAS is connected over a network. It enables multiple users or client devices to access data from a centralized disk. NAS is connected directly to an Ethernet switch connected to the servers. As a result, users on a LAN can access the shared data in NAS via an Ethernet connection.
NAS storage is quite different from traditional hard drives. They have their own built-in OS to help perform functions like media streaming, printer streaming, enabling remote accessibility, etc.
What is Tower Server?
Tower servers are high-performance hardware units that receive requests, process, and deliver data to other computers over LAN or the Internet. These servers feature high-processing memory and storage, which enables them to handle massive requests and users.
Towers servers are among the three standard servers, the other 2 being rack and blade servers.
NAS VS Tower Servers: Differentiating Factors:
Functionality:
You can configure tower servers to perform numerous functions like file servers, printer servers, database servers, web servers, etc. On the other hand, NAS doesn’t provide a range of functions. Their primary function is data storage.
Configuration:
Tower servers are versatile. Hence, they can be configured to demands like fast processing, more RAM, and high internal disk storage. By configuring the tower servers, businesses can meet various end-user requirements for application provisioning and more. On the contrary, NAS devices are easy to set up and don’t have high demands for configuration.
Efficiency:
NAS is known to be more efficient than tower servers. That is so because it optimizes the software and architecture of the system. Herein the data gets directly transmitted between the client and the storage device. It’s not the case with tower servers, as the data first gets to the server RAM, which requires faster speed and bandwidth.
Scalability:
Scalability is one of the prime considerations when choosing between NAS and tower servers. The tower server architecture is scalable to needs. You can scale it up or down depending on your requirement. Therefore, if you plan to use more applications, choose tower servers. In contrast, NAS storage isn’t that scalable. Their storage capacity is limited to the NAS storage capacity.
Security:
NAS primarily processes file-based data and sometimes operates over global space to share data in LAN. Hence, they are less secure in clouds. Moreover, NAS devices are prone to environmental changes and get stolen. In contrast, the tower servers are kept in highly secured infrastructure with built-in firewalls to ensure your data is safe.
Space:
Tower servers occupy more space than NAS devices. Hence, they are not ideal for office applications where space is a primary concern. On the contrary, NAS devices are portable and can be carried around easily and connected to routers or switches in small business devices.
Storage Environment:
NAS storage is a simple solution that requires only an office environment and no more than that. But, when considering tower servers, you may also need a separate data center based on your requirement with all the security, paper, cooling, and security features.
Cost:
It is one of the most fundamental aspects because servers can be way more expensive than NAS. Alongside that, there are expenses included, such as utility bills, cooling equipment, and more. So be wise in your decision. If you look at the pricing of NAS, they are relatively affordable, depending on the number of modules and bays you use.
Benefits of NAS:
- Comparatively affordable than tower servers.
- Even non-techies can operate. No need for experienced admins. Users can just plug in and start working
- Easy to set up and carry out data backups. No additional space is required
- Quick and reliable in-house and remote data accessibility
- Small footprint. Hence, they can be located wherever a network connection is available.
Benefits of Tower Servers:
- Simple design with less complex components
- Easy to cool than its counterparts.
- Easy to scale up and scale down the existing tower devices.
- They can be configured to business needs.
- They come with built-in security features to offer protection against malware and ransomware attacks.
Who Should Choose NAS?
NAS storage is the best option for storing unstructured data like images, word documents, etc. They are comparatively affordable storage options. If you are in the initial setup stage of your business, you can opt for NAS devices. They allow multiple users to access data across servers simultaneously.
Who Should Choose Tower Servers?
Tower servers are best for small and midsize businesses looking forward to expanding their IT infrastructure. They are simple, highly adaptable, and scalable to the growing needs of a growing business.
Conclusion:
Whether to choose a tower server or NAS for data storage and backup depends on the amount of space you have in your office, the benefits you want to reap from tense devices, how secure you want your data to be, and what your growth plans are. All these factors can help you zero in on the right one.
