Data is becoming an increasingly important to companies as they become more dependent on digital tools and software. In many instances data storage and communications communication and data storage platform are essential to the relationships between businesses with their customers, clients and other partners. If the data gets stolen or damaged it could deprive these parties of trust and cause business loss.
To ensure that important data is not lost businesses must have a reliable data and communication storage platform. Platforms must be able to handle huge amounts of data in real-time, and be able to keep this data forever. They should also allow multiple systems to access data.
Direct area storage and network-based data storage are the two primary types. Direct area storage, also referred to as direct-attached storage (DAS), is stored on hardware that’s directly connected to the computer that uses it. Examples include hard disk drives, USB flash drives, optical discs, and solid-state drives such as compact discs or digital video discs. DAS devices are usually more expensive than storage on networks however, they offer better access and more local backup options.
Network-based storage of data is done on servers connected to the network. This typically happens within the datacenter. This type of storage facilitates the sharing of information and offers more robust redundancy and disaster recovery protection than DAS. It may be more affordable depending on the selected storage solution. Common solutions include network-attached storage (NAS) as well as storage area networks (SAN) and object storage platforms.