A storage server is a specialized server designed to store, manage, and provide access to large amounts of data. It is used in various environments, from small businesses to large enterprises, to handle data storage needs efficiently and securely. Storage servers can be part of a larger network and can be accessed by multiple clients or devices.

Types of storage servers:

• Network-attached storage (NAS): A storage device connected to a network that provides file-based data storage services to other devices on the network. NAS is easy to set up and manage, making it suitable for small to medium-sized businesses.

• Storage-area network (SAN): A high-speed network that connects storage devices with servers, providing block-level storage that appears as local drives to the operating system. SANs are typically used in large enterprises for their performance and scalability.

• Unified storage: Combines the capabilities of both NAS and SAN in a single storage system, offering flexibility in handling both file-based and block-based storage needs.

Storage servers can also support different protocols, such as NFS (Network File System), SMB/CIFS (Server Message Block/Common Internet File System) or iSCSI (Internet Small Computer Systems Interface), to interface with client machines.

In cloud-computing environments, storage servers are part of the backend infrastructure that provides cloud storage services to users and applications, often offering scalability and reliability through distributed architectures.