Data is an essential asset for any business for many reasons. Companies need constant access to their data to be able to provide quality services to their clients and customers. Data loss may result in loss of sales and collaboration problems which may turn into a bad customer experience. 

A Network Attached Storage setup is a popular choice for business that needs to have constant access to data for their operations. NAS devices allow authorized users to store and retrieve data from a central location. These devices are flexible in the sense that you can modify your setup according to your business needs. For instance, if you need additional storage, then you can simply add additional storage drives to your current setup.

Having a NAS is similar to having private cloud storage in the office. If done right, a NAS can be fast, affordable, and relatively easy to manage since you have full control.

Growing Popularity of NAS in the Business Industry

Network Attached Storage or NAS is a file-level data storage server that is different from other data storage devices. For one-- NAS has many great advantages that other data storage devices do not possess.

Due to said advantages, businesses are choosing NAS for their offices over other setups available. This move makes sense since NAS allows users to achieve additional storage capacity with ease-- this is important since operations can't continue if networks are down every time new storage is needed. 

On top of the plug-and-play setup, NAS also offers faster data access, simple configuration, native file sharing feature, and many more.

Common NAS System Failures

Even if NAS is an amazing setup to have in your corporate offices, its systems are not exempt from failures. NAS systems can crash and/or fail due to various factors which can lead to data loss or corruption. 

Here are some of the common types of NAS system failures to look out for:

Network Attached Storage RAID Failure

NAS devices are usually paired with RAID for data storage. So your setup can fail due to RAID malfunctions. Some RAID malfunction scenario includes the following:

• overheating hard drive in the RAID disk array
• overwriting configuration files
• incorrect setup
• array failure
• controller crash
• server registry error

These are only some of the possible situations where your RAID might malfunction. You can minimize the chances of any of these scenarios from happening by taking care of your RAID hardware and consulting professionals when evaluating your setup.

Physical or Hardware Failure

Since your NAS system has physical elements, your setup can suffer from physical failure as well. Your NAS can get bad sectors or have corrupted firmware. The NAS drive platter or the printed circuit board can also be damaged. There are some cases wherein there are unrecognizable disks in the system which can lead to system failure.

Regardless of how careful you are with your physical network elements, you cannot win against time. The best way to handle system failures due to physical issues is to find which physical component is damaged and have it fixed.

Logical NAS Failure

Your NAS system can experience failure due to logical issues such as:

• improper or abrupt device shut down
• sudden power failure
• voltage fluctuation
• boot up issues
• incorrect resetting

This type of NAS system failure can be resolved by investing in reliable network software and, of course, taking the necessary steps to avoid an improper shutdown.

Human Error

You cannot blame the software or the hardware all the time. Sometimes the error is from the users. For instance, it is not the system's fault if one of the users accidentally deleted folders or files or format the wrong drive partition. Someone can also accidentally overwrite database files which can result in a NAS system error. 

You can lessen the chances of human error by training and educating your staff, but mistakes are still bound to happen. The best thing you can do is to make regular data backups to ensure that you would still have access to your files in case someone makes a mistake. Data backups will make recovery easier.

Bottomline

Network Attached Storage is relatively easy to set up. If done right, it is a great way to share and store files within the company. However, like most things-- you still need to take care of your systems and make sure that you have a plan B in cases of system failures.

The first step in preventing or preparing for system failures is knowing what you are trying to prepare for-- this list has some of the most common NAS system issues. Taking the necessary preventive measures will help you provide both you and your clients the best experience possible.