Capacity

How much storage is possible with the NAS? The quantity of disks and their logical arrangement are the two main problems. For example, the NAS's capacity can reach 8 TB if it can accommodate two 4 TB disks. The total usable capacity would only be 4 TB, but the storage would be redundant, provided those disks were set up as RAID 1—mirroring—where the two disks merely replicate one another.

Form Factor

In what location will the NAS be set up? Tower (standalone) and rackmount are the two main form factors. An enterprise NAS can be installed into an existing data center rack using a 2U or 4U rackmount form factor. For implementation on desktops or in smaller department data closets, a tower or self-contained NAS can be a useful option.

Performance

How many users will the NAS be able to accommodate? Handling a storage request from the network and converting it into read/write storage jobs within the NAS requires a limited amount of internal and network processing resources. In order to provide more storage input/output and effectively handle more concurrent users, a busy NAS will require higher performance and internal caching levels. Users will have to wait longer (lag) for the NAS to fulfill their storage request if they don't.

Connectivity

How will users and apps be able to connect to the NAS? For cabled network communication, the majority of NAS devices provide one or more conventional Ethernet ports. Busy NAS devices in enterprise data centers require high-capacity network connectivity. Small NAS devices for end users may have a USB port for direct PC communication, whereas NAS made for smaller, less demanding environments can get away with Wi-Fi connectivity.

Reliability

How can issues be handled by the NAS? There are three main levels of reliability: the NAS's own dependability, the NAS's installed disks' dependability, and the disks' data storage dependability. The equipment itself should be built to last for a long time at the highest possible performance level at the NAS level. The disks installed in the NAS determine disk reliability; superior SAS disks can provide exceptional error-correction and a large mean time between failures, but every disk option should include a replacement strategy. Lastly, RAID, replication, and other methods of preserving data integrity within the device are handled by the NAS; however, these functions require configuration and activation.

Security

How is the NAS's data protected? To guarantee that only authorized users and apps can access storage, look for NAS devices with robust network access controls and native data encryption.

Usability & Features

How simple is it to deploy and set up the NAS? Consider the features and capabilities offered by the NAS OS/software, such as data replication, backups, snapshots, automatic data tiering, RAID, and more, and look for NAS equipment that is simple to set up and install.