Which storage type is primarily used to share files over a network using standard network protocols and addressing (UNC paths)?

Which storage type is primarily used to share files over a network using standard network protocols and addressing (UNC paths)?

• A. SAN
• B. NAS
• C. DAS
• D. SATA

Answer: (B)

Sharing files over a network using standard protocols and network addressing is the role of network-attached storage. NAS devices provide file-level access over common protocols like SMB/CIFS for Windows or NFS for Unix/Linux, and clients reach these shares using network paths such as UNC paths. This makes NAS specifically designed for sharing files across a network. In contrast, SAN delivers block-level storage presented to servers as disks, usually over Fibre Channel or iSCSI, not as accessible file shares via UNC paths. Direct-attached storage is physically attached to a single host and isn’t shared across the network, and SATA describes a drive interface rather than a networked storage model. Therefore, NAS is the correct choice.

Sharing files over a network using standard protocols and network addressing is the role of network-attached storage. NAS devices provide file-level access over common protocols like SMB/CIFS for Windows or NFS for Unix/Linux, and clients reach these shares using network paths such as UNC paths. This makes NAS specifically designed for sharing files across a network.

In contrast, SAN delivers block-level storage presented to servers as disks, usually over Fibre Channel or iSCSI, not as accessible file shares via UNC paths. Direct-attached storage is physically attached to a single host and isn’t shared across the network, and SATA describes a drive interface rather than a networked storage model. Therefore, NAS is the correct choice.