The Advantage Of Linux-Based NAS Over Windows-Based NAS

Within every NAS file server is an embedded Operating System (OS) that provides the plug-and- play network connectivity that is the hallmark of a NAS solution. While some vendors have developed their own proprietary OS, these are typically only seen in higher end, enterprise NAS products. By far the most common OS options for the mid-range NAS market are based on either Linux or Microsoft Windows Storage Server. While Microsoft Windows dominates the server and desktop market for small and midsize organizations, the use of a Linux-based NAS filer offers some very distinct advantages over the Microsoft Storage Server OS.

At the heart of all NAS systems is the RAID functionality that ensures uninterrupted operation in the event of disk failure. Linux provides a very flexible and robust RAID capability that is native to the OS. By contrast, RAID features have only recently been added to the Microsoft OS. This less mature RAID implementation means that all current NAS systems using a Microsoft OS make use of an additional RAID controller to offload mission critical RAID operations. This need for an extra board in Microsoft based NAS products adds additional system complexity and cost, which can be completely avoided in a Linux OS system.