NAS - Network-Attached Storage

Network attached storage, or NAS, is a special purpose device, comprised of both hard disks and management software and it is dedicated to serving files over a network, splitting the burden both on file and application servers. These devices are optimized as file servers with built-in storage and come packaged as an appliance with management and high-availability features built-in.

If you are using NAS, the file store is remotely mounted by Linux within the PostPath Server™. The PostPath Server™ then accesses the files in the store via the Linux networked filing system used to carry out the mount. In this case, redundancy and performance are a function of the NAS device used.

Unlike certain Exchange™ configurations, the PostPath Server™ will perform well attached to the store using NFS and Ethernet; there is no need for an expensive fiber-channel interconnect.