Data Storage Options

Data Storage can be an absolute nightmare. Whether your storing pictures, videos or text files, proper storage and organization can be complicated. Many times, we see clients come to us with computer issue because they simply didn’t realize they filled their hard drive to capacity and now their computer was starting to blue screen or run very slow.

Whenever you fill a hard drive to capacity, the operation files, which run the computer, begin to fail because there isn’t enough room on the drive for them to read and write correctly.

Picture this … You’re building a house. You have all the supplies delivered to the foundation of the home your building, covering the entire foundation. Now you don’t have enough room to actually build the home because it is covered in building material. Sure, you can move the items, but you only have so much room to place it in. This is the same thing going on with your computer hard drive.

This is where proper storage comes in. We can setup your home or business with proper data storage management systems. Not only can we help you with data storage management, we can make sure that no matter what goes wrong, you will never lose the data you are storing. It is also important for several employees to be able to have access and contribute to storing your data in a single storage bank. 

If you have a single computer or several computers in your office, we can make sure that everyone on the network has the ability to store files to your data bank as well as access that data without you having to email files back and forth.

Checkout Data Storage Options below to see what best fits your needs.

Drive Based Storage

With a proper computer hardware configuration, a RAID configuration could fit your needs for storage. This option requires multiple hard drives. There is no need for any external devices. If you need a computer that can handle all your data in a single PC, we can build you a PC that will not only manage your data, but can process the data stored. This is the most economical option and is best for home and small business applications.

RAID 0 (Striping)

 
  • How it works: Splits data across multiple drives (striping) for faster reads/writes.
  • Pros: High performance, full capacity.
  • Cons: No redundancy; data loss if any drive fails.
  • Best for: Non-critical data needing speed (e.g., gaming, video scratch disks).
  • Minimum Drives: 2. 
 
RAID 1 (Mirroring)
 
  • How it works: Duplicates data onto two or more drives (mirroring).
  • Pros: Excellent fault tolerance (can lose one drive).
  • Cons: Uses 50% of total disk space for redundancy.
  • Best for: High data availability, small systems where reliability is key.
  • Minimum Drives: 2. 
 
 
RAID 5 (Striping with Distributed Parity)
 
  • How it works: Stripes data and parity across all drives, allowing data recovery from one drive failure.
  • Pros: Good balance of speed, capacity, and fault tolerance.
  • Cons: Slower write speeds due to parity calculations; loses one drive capacity.
  • Best for: General-purpose storage needing reliability and good capacity.
  • Minimum Drives: 3. 
 
 
RAID 10 (Stripe of Mirrors) 
 
  • How it works: Combines RAID 0 (striping) and RAID 1 (mirroring) – data is mirrored, and then striped across mirrored pairs.
  • Pros: High performance (like RAID 0) and high fault tolerance (like RAID 1).
  • Cons: Higher cost, only 50% capacity utilization.
  • Best for: Mission-critical applications demanding both speed and reliability (e.g., databases, servers).
  • Minimum Drives: 4 (in sets of two)

A dedicated storage device applied to a network (such your home, business or office LAN) that provides centralized file storage and access for anyone who is connected to or has access to the network and devices (PCs, phones, tablets) over IP, acting like a private cloud for backups, file sharing, media streaming, and remote access, offering more control and security than public cloud services without ongoing subscriptions. It functions as a specialized file server, contrasting with block-level SANs, and offers features like RAID redundancy and user permissions.

Key Benefits of NAS

  • Centralized Storage: One place for all your files, accessible from anywhere on the network.
  • Data Backup: Automated backups for all connected computers.
  • File Sharing: Easy sharing with users and devices, across different operating systems (Windows, Mac).
  • Remote Access: Access your files from outside your home/office via the internet.
  • Media Streaming: Serve movies, music, and photos to smart TVs, phones, and more.
  • Security: Control over your data, user permissions, and encryption. 
 
Types & Options
 
  • Pre-built NAS: Devices from brands like Synology, QNAP, Asustor, Western Digital, with user-friendly interfaces.
  • DIY NAS: Building your own using a PC and specialized OS like TrueNAS or Unraid for more power and customization.
  • Router-based: Basic file sharing by plugging a USB drive into your router (simplest but least robust). 
 
Considerations
 
  • Performance: Can be affected by network congestion.
  • Redundancy: RAID configurations protect against drive failure (RAID 1, 5, 6, 10).
  • Power: Needs constant power; a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) is recommended. 
In essence, a NAS gives you a personal, always-on cloud storage system for complete data control and accessibility

A dedicated, high-speed network that connects servers to consolidated, block-level storage devices, making storage appear as if it’s directly attached to the server, improving performance, scalability, availability, and management by isolating storage traffic from the main LAN. It uses protocols like Fibre Channel (FC) or iSCSI, allowing multiple servers to share storage pools (like disk arrays with HDDs/SSDs) for resource efficiency, high availability, and streamlined backups. 

 
 
Key Characteristics
 
  • Dedicated Network: Separates storage traffic from regular network (LAN) traffic, reducing congestion.
  • Block-Level Access: Presents storage to servers as raw, block-level volumes (LUNs), making it seem like local disks.
  • High Speed: Utilizes specialized hardware and protocols (FC, iSCSI, NVMe-oF) for fast data transfer.
  • Centralized Storage: Pools drives into arrays for efficient management and utilization. 
 
Core Components
 
  • Servers (Hosts): The machines accessing the storage.
  • Storage Devices: Disk arrays, tape libraries (HDDs, SSDs, Flash).
  • Switches: Connect servers and storage devices.
  • Fabric/Protocols: Fibre Channel (FC), iSCSI (over Ethernet), FCoE, NVMe-oF. 
 
Benefits
 
  • Improved Performance: Offloads storage tasks from servers and the LAN.
  • High Availability: Redundant paths and devices enable seamless failover.
  • Scalability: Easily add more storage or servers.
  • Simplified Management: Consolidates storage for easier administration.
  • Efficient Backups: Direct server-to-storage backups, bypassing the LAN. 
 
Common Uses
 
  • Virtualization (VMware, Hyper-V).
  • Databases and high-transaction applications.
  • Video editing (large files).
  • Disaster Recovery and Backup

Cloud-based storage is storing digital data on remote servers managed by a third-party provider, accessible via the internet, offering scalable, flexible, and accessible storage without needing your own data centers, with examples including Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud, Dropbox, and specialized services like Proton Drive, ideal for backup, file sharing, and collaboration. 

 
 
How it Works
 
  • Remote Servers: Your files aren’t on your device; they live on powerful servers in secure data centers.
  • Internet Access: You use the internet (public or private) to upload, download, and manage your data.
  • Provider Management: The cloud provider handles server maintenance, security, and infrastructure. 
 
Key Benefits
 
  • Accessibility: Access files from anywhere, on any device.
  • Scalability: Easily increase or decrease storage as needed.
  • Cost-Effective: Shifts costs from capital (buying hardware) to operational (subscription).
  • Collaboration: Share files and work with others in real-time.
  • Disaster Recovery: Reduces risk of data loss from local hardware failures. 
 
Popular Examples
 
  • Google Drive: Great for Google users, strong collaboration.
  • Microsoft OneDrive: Integrates well with Windows and Microsoft Office.
  • Apple iCloud Drive: For Apple device users, seamless ecosystem integration.
  • Dropbox: Pioneer in file syncing and sharing.
  • Proton Drive/Sync/pCloud: Often known for strong privacy/security features. 
 
Types of Cloud Storage
 
  • Public Cloud: Shared infrastructure (e.g., Google Drive).
  • Private Cloud: Dedicated infrastructure for one organization.
  • Hybrid Cloud: Mix of public and private. 
 
What to Consider When Choosing
 
  • Security: Encryption, access controls.
  • Cost: Pricing models (monthly/lifetime).
  • Integration: How it works with your other apps.
  • Reliability: Uptime and data backup.