IBM SONAS gets additional features including policy-driven file tiering and larger capacity drives.

A clustered NAS is a NAS that is using a distributed file system running simultaneously on multiple servers. The key difference between a clustered and traditional NAS is the ability to distribute (e.g. stripe) data and metadata across the cluster nodes or storage devices. Clustered NAS, like a traditional one, still provides unified access to the files from any of the cluster nodes, unrelated to the actual location of the data. Kenny Chu, product marketing manager for HP StorageWorks, discusses some of the technical benefits of clustered NAS.

The efficiency of information storage infrastructure directly affects business competitiveness. Managing unstructured data has become a key management concern. With increasing scrutiny by regulators, rising cost of non-compliance and exploding growth of data, having a data infrastructure that is both scalable and intelligent is vital.

Clustered NAS can greatly help in the process of managing quick data growth. Learn the pros and cons of using clustered NAS systems and which vendors have them available.

File virtualization was once seen as the solution for NAS management. That's no longer the case now. What happened to that technology?

IBM's Scale-Out Network Attached Storage (SONAS) is based on the company's General Parallel File System (GPFS).

Weta Digital, the company responsible for the digital effects of the animated film 'Avatar', needed to combine clustered NAS systems of both BlueArc and NetApp to support its storage needs.

The Gluster Storage Platform adds support for data storage management and virtual servers to open-source network-attached storage.