An enterprise storage system today isn't one product, it's a choice among five architectures: direct-attached storage (DAS), network-attached storage (NAS), storage area networks (SAN), software-defined storage (SDS), and cloud storage. Each trades off latency, shareability, and cost differently, and the right pick depends on what you're storing, who needs access, and how fast that access needs to be. A good data storage platform is essential to security and success: huge amounts of data need to be stored safely, kept readily accessible, and available for business intelligence (BI) and analysis. New 2026 hardware, like Synology's active-active PAS7700 and QNAP's RDMA-enabled TVS-hx77AX, shows the old category lines blurring further as vendors chase AI training and inference workloads. Here's a high-level look at the different types available to businesses today, and what's changed.
Direct-Attached Storage
Direct-attached storage (DAS) is a form of data storage accessed through an external drive's direct connection to a computer. Examples include external hard disk drives (HDDs) connected by cable to a desktop or laptop, and solid state drives (SSDs) connected by cable or an M.2 port on the motherboard.
Direct-attached storage is a quick way for users to access storage on a computer, but it's one of the less flexible methods of data storage. Hard drive data can only be accessed on the computer it's plugged into, unlike network-based storage, which can be accessed from multiple locations. It's not as scalable, because you can only connect as many drives as the computer has ports. Depending on the drive used, storage space can be limited.
While HDDs may be considered too slow for many enterprises, they're more affordable and have longer lifespans. SSDs using flash instead of mechanical parts are faster and more durable. They cost more, but the significant performance improvements they offer justify the price for many enterprise needs. Non-volatile memory express (NVMe), a protocol for solid-state drives, uses PCI express buses to connect storage to computer memory, enabling high sequential read/write speeds for stored data.
NVMe over Fabrics (NVMe-oF) is largely a combination of DAS and storage area networks. NVMe devices connect to a computer, but the protocol is used over a network fabric through ethernet, InfiniBand, or fibre channel. This relatively new technology powers NVMe connections across a whole network rather than an individual machine, and is extremely fast. As a result, DAS variants remain viable, even for enterprises that require large capacities and high performance for their storage. Synology's PAS7700, which reached general availability on May 21, 2026, shows how far multiprotocol arrays have come: it isn't DAS at all, but a dual-controller, all-flash NVMe system that spans both file and block access from one 4U chassis. The array holds 48 NVMe SSD bays and scales to 1.65 PB of raw capacity across seven expansion units. It speaks NVMe-oF, iSCSI, Fibre Channel, SMB, and NFS at once, according to Synology Launches PAS7700, an Active-Active NVMe enterprise storage solution. Synology rates it at up to 2 million IOPS and 30 GB/s of throughput, vendor-reported figures worth validating against your own workload before comparing them to a competitor's spec sheet.
Network-Attached Storage
Network-attached storage (NAS) is a storage system that makes files stored in one device available to users in different locations over a network. NAS devices contain hard drives or SSDs, and can use Random Array of Independent Disks (RAID) configurations that increase reliability by copying data from one drive to another in the event of disk failure.
NAS is a good choice for businesses that want lower storage costs than what cloud providers will offer. A good NAS device will cost money up front, but the lack of regular monthly payments can save buyers in the long run. NAS devices can also allow users to create access controls, so that they can manage employee file access, an important feature for enterprise security.
NAS vendors often target consumer and small-to-midsize-business users, but network attached storage can be a good choice for smaller enterprises that need on-premises backup solutions. That said, NAS is creeping upmarket fast. QNAP's TVS-hx77AX series, announced in September 2026, pairs a hybrid ZFS architecture with native NFS over RDMA. Hot data lives on NVMe SSD tiers and cold data shifts to high-capacity HDDs via Qtier, and the series targets AI model training and virtualization rather than simple file shares, per QNAP Unveils TVS-hx77AX ZFS NAS with NFS over RDMA for AI Workloads | QNAP. Getting RDMA actually working still means adding 25GbE SmartNICs and tuning the fabric yourself. QNAP backs the line with a 5-year hardware warranty.
Synology's RS11626xs+, also launched in September 2026, pushes NAS toward petabyte scale instead. The 3U, 20-bay chassis expands non-disruptively to 116 bays and over 2.6 PB of raw capacity, with dual 10GbE ports built in and optional 25GbE or Fibre Channel adapters available as workloads grow, according to Synology Launches RS11626xs+ for Organizations Requiring Petabyte-Scale Enterprise Storage - StorageNewsletter.
Storage Area Networks
Storage area networks (SANs) are high-speed data storage networks created among a group of specified devices, often in multiple locations. SANs often use fibre channel technology to transmit signals across copper or fiber cables. Switches direct network traffic between locations. Fibre channel is a good protocol for SANs. It's fast, and it doesn't drop packets, even when the network's bandwidth is stretched.
SANs are popular with businesses that need to store important applications (databases, for example) while maintaining fast access to them. SANs are also a good choice for enterprises because the size of the network is scalable. Because many devices and servers can join a storage area network, it can be configured to any size that's needed.
Vendor performance numbers are impossible to rank against each other without reading the fine print, and that caution applies to SAN quotes as much as anywhere else. Consider two SPECstorage Solution results from 2026: Microsoft and NetApp's Azure NetApp Files, a cloud file storage service rather than a SAN product, posted 2,880 Job_Sets at 0.51 msec overall response time under the 2020_eda_blended workload. Pure Storage's FlashBlade//EXA hit 6,300 AI_Jobs at 0.97 msec under the unrelated 2020_ai_image workload. Those figures come from SPECstorage™ Solution 2020_eda_blended Result: Microsoft and NetApp Inc. - Azure NetApp Files large volume breakthrough mode and SPECstorage™ Solution 2020_ai_image Result: Pure Storage - Pure Storage FlashBlade//EXA. SPEC's own fair-use rules state that results from different workloads may not be compared, per SPEC Storage/SFS, so a buyer weighing SAN, NAS, and cloud-file quotes side by side should ask each vendor which SPECstorage workload, if any, backs the number on the spec sheet.
Software-Defined Storage
Software-defined storage is a method of managing data storage services through software rather than hardware. The software runs on hardware, but it's not bound to it; it's an abstracted layer that can be moved between different pieces of hardware. Software-defined storage (SDS) is a flexible storage option, especially for companies with data centers, because it allows more hardware options: SDS infrastructure can run on a variety of hardware. This makes it much less susceptible to vendor lock-in, an industry term for customers getting trapped with a single vendor because of legal, monetary, or compatibility reasons.
SDS also offers multiple options for storing data, and can run in different environments. SDS architectures can automatically move stored data to different storage locations depending on how often it's accessed. Moving data that isn't accessed frequently, for example, to an archive platform could save a business more money because archive storage is less expensive. Synology's Tiering feature, already shipping on the RS11626xs+ and slated as an upcoming update for the PAS7700, is a vendor-native example: it automatically shifts cold data onto lower-cost storage based on policies an administrator sets, rather than leaving that decision to manual audits.
Cloud Storage
Cloud storage makes stored data accessible from any location with an internet connection. It's a reliable means of backup and can keep files available even in the event of an on-premises hardware failure or physical disaster. Cloud storage providers often store multiple copies of the data in multiple locations for reliability: if one data center has a power outage, for example, the data remains safe elsewhere. Cloud storage is also more scalable than on-premises server storage. Performance has scaled up too: Azure NetApp Files, Microsoft's first-party enterprise file service, pushed a single 50 TiB volume to 21,504 MiB/s in breakthrough mode during 2026 testing, per SPECstorage™ Solution 2020_eda_blended Result: Microsoft and NetApp Inc. - Azure NetApp Files large volume breakthrough mode.
Businesses have three choices for cloud storage environments: public cloud, private cloud, and hybrid cloud. A public cloud environment is completely managed by a cloud service provider. A private cloud is managed by the business, often on premises and on company servers. Hybrid cloud combines cloud environments in whatever way a business needs.
Hybrid cloud is a competitive offering from cloud providers and offers businesses more flexibility for storing their data. Hybrid cloud is a good choice for businesses that have many different types of data and many workloads. Some data might need to stay on premises, but some data might be best in an object pool in a public cloud, for example. A hybrid environment provides more options.
Learn more about choosing the best cloud storage provider.
Bottom Line: Choosing an Enterprise Data Storage Solution
Enterprises have never had more options for data storage, both on-premises and remote. Choosing among them depends upon the specific needs of the business, but it's not an either-or choice. Most businesses use more than one type of data storage. For example, you could keep the data for the most used critical applications on a storage area network or an all-flash NAS array as an affordable on-premises storage solution and back it up to the cloud for security and reliability. Look for the mix of solutions that best meet your needs and budget while also providing ample room for expansion as your business grows or your needs change. Treat vendor-quoted IOPS, throughput, and job-set numbers as a starting point, not a final scorecard: ask which workload and protocol produced them, and validate against your own I/O pattern before you sign a contract.
**Read next: **Network Storage Comparison: DAS, NAS, and SAN