Shuttle OMNINAS KD20 low-energy NAS server revealed

Shuttle Computer Handels GmbH, the European subsidiary of Shuttle Inc., one of the leading developers and manufacturers of compact PC solutions such as the world-renowned XPC Mini-PC Barebones, now offers its own network-attached storage (NAS) systems. The first model in this product range is aimed at small offices, workgroups and home use.

Built from a harmonious combination of solid aluminium and brilliant white plastic, the Shuttle OMNINAS KD20 acts as a central storage unit for all types of data. Its design was specifically created to blend easily into existing home and office environments – whether on a desk, chest of drawers, filing cabinet or shelf.

"In view of the growing number of networked, often portable terminals, central data storage increases convenience of data handling as each machine on the network has access to the same content. At the same time, mechanisms such as mirrored hard drives give enhanced fail-safe operation," states Tom Seiffert, Head of Marketing & PR at Shuttle Computer Handels GmbH. "When on the move, apps enable password-protected access to the NAS."

The Shuttle OMNINAS KD20 has two hot-swappable drive bays for up to 4 TB 3.5" hard disks and SSDs. This gives up to 8 TB of storage capacity over a single network. Drives can operate in RAID-1 mode (mirroring, for high data security), RAID-0 (striping, for maximum speed) or as JBOD. In RAID-1 mode it is possible to swap a defective hard disk. The status of each hard disk can be monitored with the S.M.A.R.T. system.

The extensive use of aluminium with its excellent thermal conductivity makes the KD20 particularly cool – and therefore quiet. The integrated control unit only activates the 80 mm fan, if the hard disk temperature approaches specific limits. In typical environments the fan remains inactive.

At the front and rear of the machine are 1x USB 3.0 port, 2x USB 2.0 ports and a card reader for various types of SD memory cards. External hard disks, USB sticks and printers can be shared by any client connected to the network. With the "AutoCopy" function activated, data is copied automatically from USB media or SD memory card to the KD20. For additional data security, a connected USB device can be used for time-controlled backups of the data stored on the KD20.

Access to the NAS happens via Gigabit Ethernet. Switches and (WLAN) routers with 10/100/1000 Mbit/s data transmission are compatible. With topology discovery, direct connection to PCs and notebooks is also possible.

The KD20 uses an energy-saving dual-core processor, which enables rapid read/write data transfer. Speeds of 75/55 MB/s (read/write) have been achieved under optimal test conditions. Energy consumption is a miserly 9 W in sleep mode and just 15.5 W in operation.

An integrated DLNA-compatible media server is able to provide videos, photos and music for playback on games consoles (e.g. Xbox 360, PlayStation) or other suitable media players. The KD20 also offers an iTunes server and BT download function.

All settings can be configured with an easy-to-use, multilingual user interface via Web browser. Users are also able to benefit from new functions and enhancements thanks to firmware updates from Shuttle.

Free OMNINAS apps for tablets and smartphones (iOS/Android) allow mobile access to content stored on the KD20.