NAS and file storage
Shared storage with access rights, versioning and a copy kept off site.
Documents living on desktops and USB sticks are not an archive, they are a problem waiting. Shared storage with access rights settles who may see what, and snapshots settle the morning somebody deletes the wrong folder.
Three ways documents get stored
An external disk or a folder on one computer. Cheap and quick to set up, but there are no access rights and no versions, and the disk is usually always connected, so ransomware encrypts it along with the computer.
Cloud: SharePoint, OneDrive or Google Drive. A good fit for people working from several locations and from their phones. It depends on the internet connection, and large projects, CAD drawings or video sync slowly.
A NAS in the office. Fast access over the local network, rights by user and group, snapshots at the file system level. It needs looking after, and it needs a copy somewhere else.
What we recommend and why
For an office with large files and a stable local network we recommend a NAS with two or four disks plus an off site copy. When most people work out in the field, cloud is the better choice, and the NAS can stay on as a local copy.
This is how we set up a NAS:
- RAID 1 for two disks, RAID 5 or 6 for four or more, depending on how many disk failures it has to survive
- Btrfs or ZFS with snapshots that an ordinary user cannot delete
- Sharing over SMB3, with the outdated SMB1 switched off
- Rights by group, not by individual, so a new employee gets access in one step
- An email alert when a disk reports SMART errors
Access from outside the office
Working from home does not mean the NAS should be opened to the internet. A NAS web interface exposed to the internet is a frequent target for automated attacks and for ransomware written specifically for these devices. Remote access goes through a VPN, and administration stays reachable only from the local network.
Firmware updates on the NAS are applied regularly, because that is how manufacturers close the very holes those attacks rely on. Before a major update the configuration is exported, so the device can be put back exactly as it was.
Common questions
How many disks and how much space do we need?
We look at how much data you have today and how much it has grown in recent years, then add room for snapshots. Capacity can be expanded later, but it is easier to leave a free bay from the start.
Can we move our existing folders without downtime?
Yes. The data is copied in advance while everyone keeps working, and on the switchover day only what has changed in the meantime is moved and the network drives are pointed at the new location.
How much does a NAS cost?
It depends on the number of disks, the capacity and what is set up on it. After a conversation about how much data you have and who needs access, you get a quote.