As operating systems and methods to store data have evolved over the years, so have the different protocols, filesystems and methods for storing data. There is no one best method, but there are some to avoid when it comes to performance.
File storage has been around for a long time and is what is traditionally found in local hard disk storage systems. File storage is synonymous with Network Attached Storage (NAS) systems. In file storage the disk is configured with a protocol such as NFS or CIFS and files are read/written to disk using that protocol.
File storage is synonymous with file level storage formats such as NFS (*nix) and CIFS (Windows) on locally attached media.
NFS (Network File System) is found on Unix and Linux systems. NFS was originally developed by SUN Microsystems and it allowed a client to access files on a server over a network. NFS is an open standard based on several RFCs. NFSv4 is the latest that you will find most commonly...