Hard Drive Recovery Group Discusses RAID And NAS Setups And Laptops On Planes In Latest Blogs

Continuing its series of data recovery and storage related blog posts, Hard Drive Recovery Group's latest blog entitled "RAID Vs. NAS: Differentiating These Two Data Storage Technologies" addresses two of the key business level storage technologies that have recently made large forays into the consumer data storage segment: RAID and NAS servers.

While RAID arrays generally consist of multiple hard drives or SSD that cooperate to offer not only better data redundancy but also better speed, NAS servers are Network Attached Storage devices, which can be setup as a single disk or as a RAID.

"For the longest time, when people were seeking any kind of NAS recovery, they were probably seeking help for the company they work for," said Maureen Davies, spokesperson for Hard Drive Recovery Group. "Now, however, we're seeing that the lower end consumer segment has embraced NAS and RAID technologies much more than in the past."

An issue with many of the newer NAS systems is that users may not really understand what to do when a drive or multiple drives fail. Many consumers assume that because these storage products are relatively expensive, they are relatively failure-proof.

"Despite all the bells and whistles on some of these new NAS units, the fact is that they still tend to run on mechanical spindle and platter hard drives," said Davies. "Not only is it very possible that these hard drives can fail, but if the drives are arranged in something like a RAID 5 array and it experiences a multi drive failure, the customer is likely in for an expensive surprise."

While multiple disk RAID arrays and complex NAS devices are very available at the consumer level, Hard Drive Recovery Group's experts tend to recommend them more for business applications than anything else.

"Certainly storage technology continues to progress throughout the years, bringing more and more options when it comes to storing data," said Davies."It is important to note, however, that it isn't necessary for consumers to complicate data storage when something as simple as a newer router and an external hard drive will allow you to dabble with NAS without the commitment."

In the end, Davies said it is always better for the consumer to err on the side of keeping it simple, as most users really don't require high end business level storage technology.

In another post, entitled, Laptop In Check In Baggage Will Finally Be Allowed In US Airports, Hard Drive Recovery Group discusses a recent change to TSA regulations that ensures laptop users will soon no longer have to remove their laptop from its case during security checks.

By upgrading baggage scanning machines, US flight passengers will no longer face the delays and issues that come with not only having to remove laptops and electronics, but also toiletries, which can cause privacy concerns.

"If you've taken a plane anywhere basically since forever, having a laptop on a flight always tended to add a level of difficulty to the entire pre-flight security check," said Davies. "These scanning technologies have been around for a while, so it's nice for US travelers to be able to benefit from them."

Davies notes that laptop data recovery remains one of Hard Drive Recovery Group's most popular services, and one that continues to grow. The mobility factor and smaller, cooler chips that run these new notebooks have made the product segment far stronger than that of the now aging desktop profile.

"If it isn't their smartphone, then it's a tablet, and if it isn't a tablet, it's a laptop you'll want to carry when traveling," said Davies. "No one wants to travel without their data, and these new CT scanners will definitely help make security more efficient."

Davies warns laptop users to consistently backup their computers, as laptop hard drive failures tend to occur with much higher frequency because of high-shock drops and water damage.

"Laptops tend to fall from tables and benches which can virtually ensure a hard drive crash," said Davies. "It's important to be safe with your laptop, for sure, but every user should be backing up their drive daily if they're planning to be in mobile situations a lot."