NAS solutions built using the Windows Storage Server 2003 on standard Intel platforms provide a very cost effective solution to file serving. Servers built on this platform can export file services using CIFS, NFS, and other protocols, which provides a convenient platform to consolidate files, and enable file sharing across clients running Windows, Unix, or Linux operating systems.

Within each NAS appliance a single file system controls the storage and manages file locking, so file sharing by clients accessing storage on that appliance using CIFS/NFS is enabled without conflict. Many installations are now choosing to connect the NAS servers to fibre channel storage, enabling consolidation of storage onto centralized, high reliability storage arrays.