According to IDC, NAS appliances running the Microsoft operating system are expected to account for about half of all appliances in the market by the end of 2004. They offer interoperability with Windows environments and can scale from one TB to over 60 TB. Windows Storage Server 2003 is now the central operating system of NAS appliances from a variety of vendors such as HP, EMC and Dell. In addition, the OS is readily available to entry-level customers, and applications for backup, security and management can be acquired from any vendor.
Microsoft has made major changes between the 2000 and 2003 versions and is clearly intent on capturing market share. On the downside, however, some criticize Windows Storage Server as being little more than a server with a browser console. Further, security concerns continue to plague the Windows OS. Due to its ubiquity, it is a magnet for hackers. Thus when security of data is a factor, GuardianOS and NetApp come out ahead. Data ONTAP, in fact, is designed with security in mind. The microkernel of the OS contains all the key features required for backup, replication, WORM etc. With all the software embedded into it, there is no need to load additional software modules that could compromise security. "Windows comes with traditional bugs and flaws," said Kannan. "Data ONTAP's code is tightly compiled for storage so there is no place for a script to execute."
http://www.netapp.com/go/techontap/
matl/sample/0206tot_monthlytool.html
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