storage server

A network server that is dedicated to storage. A network attached storage (NAS) device is a true storage server because it is dedicated to data access and nothing else. However, a file server, database server or video server could also be classified as a storage server if it is dedicated to storage and retrieval and performs no other functions. Storage servers often come in RAID configurations for performance and fault tolerance. See NAS and RAID.

Rack Mounted Storage Server

This 8-drive network attached storage (NAS) server from Xtore fits in one vertical rack unit (1U) and can hold up to one terabyte of data. (Image courtesy of Xtore Extreme Storage, www.xtore-es.com)