QNAP has just released firmware v3.5 for their NAS devices. This new version has introduced some new features as well as improved some of the existing ones. We have deployed v3.5 on several devices installed on a client site in La Jolla, CA while at the same time we are testing its performance on our own test units.
New features and improvements which will be important to small businesses are these:
1 – built-in virus scanning with ClamAV – an Open Source anti-virus solution widely used on computers and servers. The virus signature database is automatically updated on regular schedule and is then used during the scheduled scans of the content on the NAS.
2 – iSCSI snapshots now allow backups of iSCSI served volumes without a fear of inconsistent data state or major performance loss. The snapshot backup can then be restored in with a few clicks in through web-management interface. The one really important feature is the ability to restore to a separate LUN instead of overwriting the current one. This way two copies (current with possibly bad data and backed up version) can be brought online for examination if needed.
3 – Service binding which allows assigning specific protocols and functions to a particular network interface on the device. This is really useful for those who are using QNAP for public access (FTP, web file management, website hosting, etc).
4 – RADIUS network authentication and account control. This significantly improves security in small business networks that do not have specialized security systems for controlling network access and account logins.
5 – External hard drive encryption will now allow for safer off-site data storage. If an organization is using external drives to keep a copy of important data outside of their premise – the data used to be stored in a clear (unencrypted) state. This made it easily readable to anyone with a physical access to the hard drive. With firmware 3.5 this data can now be encrypted, so if the drive is stolen or otherwise obtained by a person with malicious intent – he or she will not be able to read the data. Replication of data to the external drive has also been improved with more options and more flexible scheduling.
Here you can read information about yet unannounced QNAP devices (big hardware changes are coming).
