Deciphering Data Storage, by Tyler Charles

Before investing in any new technology storage option, a church should first take stock of its needs. A media-heavy church--especially one that regularly produces videos that eat up storage space--needs a robust storage option. On the other hand, a church that primarily deals with smaller data, such as text documents, spreadsheets, and email, can get by with a much simpler (and cheaper) storage system.

The three most common storage system types include direct attached storage (DAS), network attached storage (NAS), and storage area networks (SANs). Here is what you should know about each of them:

DAS 

Direct attached storage--which connects directly to a server rather than a network--might be the most cost-effective and simplest option. DAS devices work especially well for churches that don't need to share large amounts of data.

DAS is less complicated than networked options like NAS and SAN. For churches with only a few servers, or just one, DAS is ideal for file serving and email. Difficulties can arise when more servers are added, though.

"It's not that you'll necessarily have difficulties," says Jonathan Fick, Chief Solutions Engineer at Automated Operations, Inc. "You might, but more importantly, [with direct attached storage] you can't benefit from consolidation of the storage pool. Most people transition [to a networked storage option] when they want to consolidate their storage into the same pool."

In terms of reliability, it's hard to beat direct attached storage. "Storage that's directly connected to the server has very few points of failure," Fick says. DAS has few or no external cables and, unlike a SAN, doesn't need switches to route data, he adds.

Even after a network storage option has been implemented, DAS devices can still be used in conjunction with the newer system. In such cases, DAS could store less critical data.

For instance, Saddleback Church in Southern California relies on two SAN units, says Robby McCarrell, the church's Director of Network Operations. But for the church's systems that require higher performance and reliability (such as Exchange and SQL), McCarrell says Saddleback continues to use DAS. "We find that the reliability and ensured performance of direct attached storage makes it a better choice for these systems," he says.

One DAS option is Promise Technology's new SmartStor DS4600, which can offer up to 7.2 terabytes of space (1 terabyte is 1 trillion bytes, enough space to store about 10,000 feature films, 7,000 minutes of high-definition video, or 250,000 songs.) It can be configured in RAID 5, RAID 1, or RAID 0 (Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks, a technology that lets users store the same data redundantly, with RAID 0 usually the most susceptible to data loss and RAID 5 the least). It also can be set up without installing any software on the user's computer. Designed without a need for a power supply fan, it has all the power of other four-drive DAS devices but without the noise. The DS4600 is compatible with Mac and Windows computers, and costs less than $400.

Even though DAS includes numerous external devices, churches looking for a serious DAS option often rely on internal arrays. One popular internal DAS option is 3Ware RAID cards. 3Ware's 8006-2LP RAID controller is a 2-port serial ATA (SATA) card that sells for $150.

"3Ware are great cards," Fick says. "They're fast, reliable, and work well in Windows and Unix operating systems."

NAS 

When using DAS, servers are responsible for running applications and sharing files, which limit bandwidth availability. Network attached storage, on the other hand, is designed to relieve servers from the burden of both storage and file serving.

"If you just need a file server for users to save Word/Excel documents to a shared folder, if you buy a NAS, you don't have to get a server as well to do the sharing," says David Szpunar, Network and Systems Manager at Lakeview Church in Indianapolis. "It's all in one device you just plug in."

Many DAS devices are not compatible across multiple operating platforms. Network attached storage (and SANs) can offer file serving across all operating platforms--an ideal feature for the many churches that have Macs in the worship arts wing and PCs in the offices.

Although they are more complex than DAS options, many NAS devices are still reasonably priced. For example, Iomega's StorCenter ix2--which is marketed primarily to small businesses--offers a 1-terabyte model for $300 and a 2-terabyte model for less than $500. Iomega also offers the StorCenter Pro ix4-200r, a four-drive server. The 2-terabyte model sells for $1,800, while the 4-terabyte version sells for $2,800.

Compared to DAS, NAS better accommodates expanding needs. NAS is usually a cheaper option than SAN, and it's often easier to manage. For medium-sized churches with growing needs, network attached storage might be the most effective storage solution.

SAN 

Not every church needs a storage area network. But for those with substantial storage needs, SANs are the ideal solution.

Nick Nicholaou, a church IT consultant with MBS Inc., recommends skipping the first two options (DAS and NAS) and going straight to a SAN. "Until [a church] needs a couple of terabytes, they can really just do it on a server," says Nicholaou, a contributing editor for Your Church. "But once they get to that point, we recommend a SAN."

Nicholaou admits that NAS and DAS are less expensive solutions, but notes, "The SAN has fail-safe redundancies, so even if you have hardware problems, you'll still get to your data."

A SAN operates independently of a land-area network (LAN), maximizing the effectiveness of the LAN for routine operations, such as email. Unlike the other storage options, a SAN is capable of transferring large blocks of data. SANs are faster than other storage options; they allow many users to access files simultaneously without sacrificing speed.

"Managing a SAN is generally more complex than a NAS," Szpunar says.

"In reality, file sharing can be done from a NAS or a SAN equally well in most cases," says Szpunar. "But I much prefer a centralized SAN to having different amounts of storage all over on different servers, some more protected than others. It's much easier to manage it in one place."

Szpunar recommends Dell's MD3000i as a low-end option, and EqualLogic as a high-end option.

"An EqualLogic SAN is much more user-friendly than the MD3000i, but currently at a significant cost premium," he adds.

Lakeview Church was able to purchase its system for nearly 50 percent the retail price, but its total price tag was about $22,000 for the SAN, servers, and software licensing.

For churches that don't have an IT person on staff, Szpunar recommends outsourcing the IT infrastructure. He recommends Solerant (solerant.com) or MBS (mbsinc.com). Szpunar says smaller churches might be better served with Microsoft SBS (Small Business Servers), "although I'd still pay someone to set it up properly and manage it."