4.4 Storage Systems

Data storage is a critical function of any data center. Modern facilities use a variety of storage technologies:

• Hard Disk Drives (HDDs): These provide high-capacity, cost-effective storage for large volumes of data.
• Solid State Drives (SSDs): SSDs offer faster access times and are often used for frequently accessed data or as cache.
• Network Attached Storage (NAS): These systems provide file-level data storage over a network.
• Storage Area Networks (SAN): SANs provide block-level storage that appears to attached systems as locally attached drives.