PromptQuorumPromptQuorum
ホーム/ローカルLLM/Best NAS and Storage for Local AI Models
Privacy & Business

Best NAS and Storage for Local AI Models

·8 min·Hans Kuepper 著 · PromptQuorumの創設者、マルチモデルAIディスパッチツール · PromptQuorum

A NAS (Network-Attached Storage) keeps your model library organized, backed up, and accessible across machines. As of April 2026, RAID 6 storage (2 drive fault tolerance) with automated backups is essential for production local LLM teams. Budget: $1,500–3,000 for 4–8TB usable capacity.

重要なポイント

  • NAS (Network-Attached Storage): Centralized storage accessible via network. RAID 6 (2 drives can fail simultaneously).
  • Best budget: Synology DS420+ 4-bay, $400 (hardware only). 4× 4TB WD Red Pro drives = $600. Total $1,000 for 8TB usable.
  • Best performance: QNAP TS-464C2U or TrueNAS SCALE on 10Gbps network. Cost: $2,000+.
  • Model storage: Keep all quantized models (.gguf files) on NAS. One 70B model = 35GB, store 10+ models.
  • Backup: Daily backup to cloud (Backblaze B2 = $6/month for unlimited). Or external USB drives (offline, offline-safe).
  • Network latency: NAS on same LAN as inference server = <10ms latency (acceptable). Over internet = too slow.
  • Redundancy: RAID 6 protects against 2 drive failures. Still do external backups (ransomware, theft).
  • Cost comparison: 8TB NAS = $1,000 one-time, $6/mo backup. Cloud storage = $50–100/mo indefinitely.

NAS vs Local SSD vs Cloud Storage

OptionCapacityCostSpeedRedundancyBest For

NAS Recommendations by Use Case

Solo dev (1–5 machines): Skip NAS. Use local SSD + external USB backup.

Small team (5–10 users): Synology DS420+ or QNAP TS-432PX. 4-bay, 10Gbps optional. $1,000–1,500.

Medium team (10–50): Synology DS720+ or QNAP TS-464C2U. Dual 10Gbps, SSD cache. $1,500–2,500.

Large team (50+): TrueNAS SCALE on enterprise hardware. Custom build. $3,000+.

For teams with compliance needs (healthcare, finance): TrueNAS (open-source, auditable). Synology/QNAP are proprietary.

RAID Setup & Redundancy

RAID 1 (mirroring): 2 drives, data copied. If 1 fails, use the other. Usable = 50% (2× 4TB = 4TB usable).

RAID 5 (striping + parity): 3+ drives. If 1 fails, rebuild from parity. Usable = 67% (3× 4TB = 8TB usable). Slow rebuild.

RAID 6 (dual parity): 4+ drives. If 2 fail, data safe. Usable = 50% (4× 4TB = 8TB usable). Recommended for production.

RAID 10 (mirror + stripe): 4 drives mirrored in pairs. Fast, expensive. 50% usable.

Recommendation: RAID 6 for teams. Balances redundancy, cost, and speed.

Backup Strategy

Backup rule: 3–2–1 (3 copies, 2 media types, 1 offsite).

- NAS = primary (on-site).

- External USB = secondary (on-site, but physically separate).

- Cloud (Backblaze B2) = offsite backup.

Frequency: Daily incremental, weekly full. Automated via rsync + cron job.

Recovery test: Monthly recovery drill. Restore sample model from backup, verify integrity.

Model Library Organization

/models/

/llama3/

/llama3-7b-instruct-q4.gguf

/llama3-13b-instruct-q4.gguf

/llama3-70b-instruct-q4.gguf

/mistral/

/mistral-7b-instruct-q4.gguf

/quantization-sources/

/llama3-70b-f32.safetensors (full precision backup)

Naming convention: [model]-[params]-[format]-[quantization].gguf

Checksums: Store SHA256 hashes for each model. Verify on download to catch corruption.

Common NAS Mistakes

  • RAID 5 on large drives. Rebuild time is 24–48 hours; high chance of 2nd drive failure during rebuild. Use RAID 6.
  • No backups. NAS hardware failure = loss of all models. External backups are mandatory.
  • Undersizing RAID. Buy 8TB when you think 4TB is enough. Models grow quickly.

FAQ

Should I use NAS for inference, or just storage?

Just storage. Keep inference on local GPU. NAS over network is too slow for real-time inference.

Can I use an old laptop as a NAS?

Yes, but power consumption is high (20W+). Purpose-built NAS uses 10–15W. Cost-effective over 3+ years.

Is cloud backup (Backblaze) secure for model files?

Yes, with encryption. Backblaze uses AES-256 at rest. Data is private (Backblaze can't read it).

How long does RAID 6 rebuild take?

~24 hours for 8TB. During rebuild, if 2nd drive fails, data is lost. Rare but possible; monitor actively.

Can I use Synology + TrueNAS together?

Yes. Synology for speed/ease, TrueNAS for compliance/auditing. But overkill unless you have both.

Do I need 10Gbps network for NAS?

No. Gigabit (1Gbps) is fine for model transfers (1 hour for 35GB 70B model). 10Gbps is for teams >20 users.

Sources

  • Synology & QNAP official documentation: RAID setup and rebuild times
  • TrueNAS documentation: ZFS redundancy and backup strategies
  • Backblaze B2 pricing and encryption specifications

PromptQuorumで、ローカルLLMを25以上のクラウドモデルと同時に比較しましょう。

PromptQuorumを無料で試す →

← ローカルLLMに戻る

Best NAS for Local LLM Storage: Model Library, Backup, Media Server | PromptQuorum