Four. Understanding Storage and Server Solutions

 

On the surface, building a server and storage infrastructure might seem daunting. But with the right approach and a solid understanding of the choices available to you, you’ll have the confidence you need to utilize these essential tools in your digital workflow.

Storage simply refers to a place for keeping your photos, videos, and images, and it can take many forms. A server is a centralized device that manages user access, allows files to be made available to users, and utilizes some form of storage. A server can also provide additional centralized services such as digital asset management and backup, but those are discussions for other chapters. You can have storage without a server, but for the most part, you need to have storage as part of a server environment.

In this chapter, I’ll discuss the various storage options, what a server does and doesn’t do, and a number of other topics revolving around storage and servers. At the end of this chapter you’ll find recommendations for choosing an appropriate system for your digital assets.