Solution
After carefully researching their available options, IMI decided to deploy the TS-1685 and the TS-453BT3. The TS-1685 was installed in a high-performance fluorescence microscopy lab with twelve 12TB IronWolf HDDs installed in a RAID 5 configuration. IMI also used Time Machine to back up data from numerous Macs to the TS-453BT3 and replaced an old Time Capsule for higher storage capacity and improved performance.
Result
QTS (the QNAP NAS operating system) allows IMI to easily set up all required tasks with little difficulty. The TS-1685 stores up to 6 months of data on-site for daily analysis and reevaluation, enabling IMI to keep up with ever-evolving research. The built-in dual 10GbE ports enable high-speed data acquisition, and workstations can minimize data transfer times while maintaining writing speeds over 600 MB/s. The TS-453BT3 not only accommodates Time Machine backup data, but also acts as a central data hub for flow cytometry data between different acquisition and analysis machines. By removing the need for intermediate USB storage devices, IMI’s storage solution is more secure against potential malware infection. IMI is convinced that QNAP NAS is a future-proof solution, as they can expand the storage space just by swapping to larger drives, and are happy that their sensitive data is safely stored to an on-premises file server.