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The need to easily back up, restore and secure data is omnipresent, but application servers may in some cases be overkill. Launched October 2014, the WD Sentinel DX4200 is a storage server. It is designed to join, not host a domain. In this way it can augment primary domain storage capacity, or stand alone.

Without the overhead of serving applications fewer resources are required, and this storage powerhouse meets the challenge in style. The DX4200 is a small, powerful, network attached storage device: the one under review has a single 2.5 inch disk dedicated to running the OS (Windows Storage Server 2012 R2 Workgroup), and four 3.5 inch, 4TB WD Se enterprise drives for storing data. Its foundation is an Intel Atom dual core processor, 4GB of ECC RAM, expandable to 16GB, four USB 3.0 ports, two 1GB Ethernet ports, and the capability for external redundant power. A second OS drive can be added without reducing data storage to create a mirrored RAID for increased OS protection.

The role of this device is specific and its installation and management is similarly focused using a proprietary user interface, the WD StorCentral Dashboard. It was easy to navigate, provides a useful range of wizards to simplify and speed up common tasks without fuss or specialist knowledge, and offered some very useful visibility of server performance.

In its simplest deployment, the device might be the primary storage service for a sole-trader or small business: equally, it can seamlessly integrate into an existing Active Directory estate with MS Server Manager used to provide a single view of all storage devices, including our DX4200. Using MS Storage Spaces, a storage pool can be configured based on grouping discovered storage resources.

The user interface provides many configuration options around shares, folders, permissions, quotas, and reporting, alerting, and server performance. WD has a penchant for combing best in class and with contributions from Microsoft and Intel, users can deploy a range of third-party utility applications to fulfil requirements, including anti-virus and disaster recovery.

Both the MS operating system and WD functionality can be configured to auto-update using the interface. Data management is rightfully centre stage, making it easy to back up endpoint data, for example from PCs, and also to back up the storage server locally, remotely, or indeed to the cloud.

Physically it is very neat with a small footprint and Windows familiarity. The four data drive bays are secured behind a lockable door and the server itself has a Kensington security slot so that it can be physically tethered. Hard drives can be hot swapped and it's a pleasing experience, as WD has taken the innovative stance of making it a tool-less and tray-less operation, making it a fast, live, plug-and-play procedure to add or replace a drive.

Many other NAS devices are LINUX based. This for some will not be a problem, but WD is offering a safe, friendly, and in some respects familiar experience to those more at home with the MS environment. As a domain member this device can, in addition to its standalone functionality, act as a means to expand the capacity of the WD DS6100 Application Server (also reviewed in this issue of Storage), and presents its resources neatly and logically in the resulting storage ecosystem.

Product: WD Sentinel DX4200 Windows Storage Server
Supplier: WD
Tel: 01372 366 000
Web site: www.wdc.com
Price: From £999 excluding VAT