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Network-attached storage (NAS) systems are generally computing-storage devices that can be accessed over a computer network, rather than directly being connected to the computer (via a computer bus). This enables multiple users to share the same storage space at once, and often minimises overhead by centrally managing hard disks.
NASes usually contain one or more hard disks, often arranged into logical, redundant storage containers or RAID arrays.
NAS is an alternative to a specialized Storage Area Network (SAN), where devices communicate using the block based SCSI protocol over dedicated Fibre Channel or Internet Protocol (IP) network. NAS devices are often connected to a shared general purpose Local Area Network, reducing cost overhead, while also reducing access speed. The protocol used with NAS is a file based protocol such as Network File System (NFS) or Microsoft's Common Internet File System (CIFS).