Web 2.0

Overview

Web 2.0 refers to the new generation of web applications that facilitate information sharing and social networking. The term is commonly associated with sharing information, interoperability, and user-centered designs. The technology brought about the change in websites from static web pages to dynamic, interactive web pages. Web 2.0 tools enable online participation in content creation and social interaction.

Web 2.0 has become so widespread that companies are now using it as a marketing technique. Using Web 2.0, information can be taken from various places and personalized to meet the needs of a single user. The term has little to do with technology upgrades; rather, it describes a change in which we use and perceive the Internet.

Benefits

Web 2.0 has revolutionized the entire concept of online communication. Users can create a network of friends or change the content of a website. Web 2.0 allows more interaction among people who visit various websites. There are more opportunities to access information, share ideas, and reduce communication costs.

How It Works

Web 2.0 uses the web as an application platform to develop blogs, social networking sites, user-provided content sites, content syndication, Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds, social book marking, image sharing tools, and video sharing sites.
The client-side/web browser technologies typically used in Web 2.0 development are Asynchronous JavaScript (AJAX), Extensible Markup Language (XML), Adobe Flash, and JavaScript. Ajax programming uses JavaScript to upload and download new data from the web server. The data fetched by an Ajax request is typically formatted in XML or JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format. As a result, the user can easily transmit structured data through web applications. After the data is received, JavaScript uses the Document Object Model (DOM) to update the web page.
On the server side, Web 2.0 uses languages such as Hypertext Processor (PHP,) Ruby, Perl, Python, and Active Server Pages (ASP). Developers use these languages to dynamically output data using information from files and databases. To share its data with other sites, a web site must be able to generate output in machine-readable formats such as XML, RSS, and JSON. When a website's data is available in one of these formats, another website can use it to integrate a portion of that website's functionality into itself, linking the two together. In this way many websites can be linked together.

Companies/Brands

IBM, Iflexion, Black Soft, and Silver Touch develop Web 2.0 and its related tools, technologies, services, and infrastructure.

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NAS

Overview

Network attached storage (NAS) systems are part of a network and used specially for storing noncritical data. A NAS is cost effective and simple to maintain when compared to a storage area network (SAN). File transfer protocols supported by NAS include the Common Internet File System (CIFS), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), and Network File System (NFS). Connections can be established through Ethernet or Fibre Channel networks. NAS systems are developed through Small Computer Systems Interfaces (SCSI) using various disk technologies.

NAS performance depends on drive support, number of in-use drives, and overall capacity. You can either choose Serial ATA (SATA) or SCSI drives that cost very little for bulk data storage

Benefits

NAS devices are capable of storing various forms of data from CDs, DVDs, and magnetic tapes. An NAS system offers faster access via Local Area Network (LAN) to stored data. Since a Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) is a part of LAN, storage costs are lowered.
The installation process is quick and easy. NAS allows administrators to increase and consolidate the storage infrastructure as needed. There is unlimited storage expansion, and one single NAS can be used to replace a number of file servers. It can be run on any operating system and can be checked anywhere on LAN. NAS devices have small computers as part of them. Hence using USB port, you can add hard drives, printers, and other resources that can be accessed without turning the desktop on.
A NAS system separates data storage from the personal computer in order to provide portability and scalability. Adding extra space is simple, saving the administrator from the task of constantly adding servers. NAS devices are easy to maintain because of centralized and uniform standards and can handle several terabytes of files, meeting the needs of the growing IT industry.

How It Works

NAS provides remote file service over an Ethernet network. NAS devices are directly connected to the desired network, providing file level access to data through certain protocols like the Common Internet File System (CIFS) and Network File System (NFS). NAS devices can be optimized for all operating systems that need file systems.
Storage options such as SAN and DAS provide blocks of data for block input or output, while NAS is capable of handling file input and output in the area where data is requested from a file. High end NAS devices can handle more than just the basic capabilities of NAS based systems. For example, they have special handlers allowing them to handle multiple operating systems along with file system protocols.

Companies/Brands

Hitachi Data Systems, LaCie, NetApp, Buffalo, Thecus, and HP are leading NAS providers.

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