DAS (Direct Attached Storage)

DAS (Direct Attached Storage)

This is a storage device that directly attaches to a PC, laptop, or server. With DAS, no network connection of any sort is used, as opposed to NAS and SAN.

Advantages of DAS

Cost

Since it does not require or utilize a network connection, it’s the least costly of all the storage modes.

Simplified management

It’s simple and straight-forward, with no protocols to setup, manage, or configure, and almost every user is familiar with it, so it requires no further user training.

Flexible capacity

Since it’s a plug-and-play affair, a user can simply add another hard drive to a PC or server without the need for specialized IT personnel to help with setup and management.

When to use DAS

DAS is a viable option for small businesses or individuals looking to expand storage capacity without paying for expensive features that they might not need.
• Workstations: when there’s a need to attach additional hard drives or external storage devices that can hold large files on individual desktops, laptops, and even security and video management systems

While DAS connects directly to the server, NAS and SAN use the network to create storage pools, which are accessed and managed over the network.

The main difference between SAN and NAS is that SAN uses block-level architecture, while the latter uses file-level. Block storage separates metadata from the data set, while file-level storage processes the complete dataset, including its metadata, which is thus the reason why SAN systems are faster than NAS systems and are more aptly suited for heavy enterprise-grade workloads.

DAS can be cheap and relatively fast, but it also creates data islands, which increase inefficiency and the possibility of human error.

What determines the choice of storage mode differs from organization to organization. Some of the factors include:

Total cost of ownership (TCO): depending on the unique organization, onsite storage might be more or less economical than outsourcing storage to cloud service providers.
• Storage capacity: data-intensive businesses have vastly different needs and priorities than organizations that only have to deal with a few files or gigabytes of data.
• Data security and protection: regardless of size, all organizations prioritize data security, some more so than others. The more critical data an organization handles, the greater the need for secure and robust storage. This also extends to the safety of data against unauthorized access.
• Performance: data-intensive organizations that rely on and process large amounts require higher levels of performance, which informs their choice of storage.
• Infrastructure scalability: an organization that foresees a situation where incoming data volume will increase and need to be stored for processing will prioritize storage modes that are easily scalable.
• Human resources: the number of people or staff a company is willing to employ in managing the data infrastructure.

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Source: LinkedIn

Credits: Mr. Tarek Lotfy’s Post