Reviewer’s Guide: Seagate BlackArmor NAS 440
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1GB drives), and add more drives as their businesses and storage needs grow. The
Seagate BlackArmor NAS family of servers offers the ability to scale from 2TB to 8TB.
Remote Access – Accessibility from Anywhere
When away from the office, BlackArmor NAS users can use the Seagate Global Access
service to access and share content securely from any Internet-connected computer. No
software needs to be installed. With this capability, companies can invite colleagues and
clients to access select files and folders without needing an FTP site, while keeping the
firewall intact and maintaining the security of the network.
PC and Macintosh Support
The Seagate BlackArmor NAS 440 and BlackArmor NAS 420 network servers support
Microsoft® Windows® XP, Windows Vista, and Apple® Mac OS® X 10.4.11 or later.
(The BlackArmor Backup software is not currently available for Mac OS.)
Tools for Systems Integrators
With the BlackArmor Discovery software, and the unit’s built-in management Web server
directly addressable through a local IP address, assigned automatically by DHCP or a
fixed address assigned manually (such as 192.168.1.
xxx
), managing the device is very
simple and straightforward. Key aspects of management are covered later in this
reviewer’s guide. Nevertheless, Seagate designed BlackArmor NAS with specific
capabilities for value-added resellers, solutions providers, and systems integrators.
Secure Remote Management
For integrators who plan to watch over BlackArmor NAS units on behalf of their
customers, this capability allows the integrator to monitor an unlimited number of
BlackArmor NAS units from a single location, without the need to make an in-person
visit. This capability is implemented through DDNS (Dynamic DNS).
Active Directory Support
BlackArmor NAS incorporates built-in support for and is fully compatible with Microsoft®
Active Directory® for directory services, Kerberos-based authentication, and DNS-based
naming, and other network information.
Automatic Firmware Update Notification
Most hardware devices benefit from firmware updates that add new features or correct
bugs. Since, we expect that Seagate will offer future firmware updates to BlackArmor
NAS, we have incorporated a firmware update notification service. The BlackArmor NAS
device periodically communicates with a server at Seagate that manages updates. If a
firmware update is available, an e-mail message is sent to the address entered during
configuration. Unlike application software that checks for updates with an agent that is
always running and consuming valuable RAM on a computer, the BlackArmor NAS
firmware update originates within the NAS device itself. There is no software to install on
