What is direct-attached storage (DAS)?

Direct-attached storage (DAS) refers to storage devices that are directly connected to a single computer, which means the storage is not shared over a network. This setup typically includes hard drives, solid-state drives, or external storage devices connected via USB, SATA, or similar interfaces. Since DAS is dedicated to one computer, it offers high speed for access and data retrieval, as there is no network latency involved.

In contrast, shared storage systems like network-attached storage (NAS) or storage area networks (SAN) involve multiple computers accessing the same storage over a network. Solutions for cloud environments would have the storage hosted off-site and accessed via the internet, rather than being directly connected. Thus, the defining characteristic of DAS is its direct connection to a single machine, highlighting its unique use case in various computing environments.