What is a Storage Area Network (SAN) and how does it help application performance?

Storage Area Networks (SANs) are specialized, high-speed network that provide block-level network access to storage. A Storage Area Network is typically composed of hosts, switches, storage elements, and storage devices that are interconnected using a variety of technologies, topologies, and protocols. SANs may also span multiple sites.

SANs are mostly used to enhance storage space devices, such as disk arrays, tape libraries, and optic jukeboxes, accessible to machines so that the devices appear to the operating system as locally fastened devices. A SAN commonly has its own network of safe-keeping devices that are generally not really accessible through the local area network (LAN) by other products. The cost and complexity of SANs dropped in the early on 2000s to levels permitting wider adoption across the two enterprise and small to medium-sized business environments.

SANs can be used to:

• Improve application availability (e. g., multiple data paths)
• Enhance application performance (e. g., off-load storage features, segregate networks, etc . )
• Increase storage utilization and effectiveness (e. g., combine storage resources, provide tiered storage, etc . ), and improve data protection and security.
• SANs also commonly play an important role within an organization's Business Continuity Administration (BCM) activities.

Types of SANs

Virtual SAN
A virtual storage area network (VSAN) is a software-defined storage offering that is executed on top of a hypervisor just like VMware ESXi or Microsoft company Hyper-V. Virtual SANs deliver a number of benefits such as easy management and scalability. Generally, VSANs are hardware-agnostic. Given that the storage hardware is definitely recognized and supported by the hypervisor, the hardware works extremely well by the VSAN (although every single vendor has its own requirements).

Unified SAN
A Unified Storage Area Network (USAN) is based around the concept of unified storage, which exposes file storage and block storage through a single device (usually a modified NAS appliance). A unified SAN takes this concept a step further by exposing not only dedicated logical unit numbers (LUNs) -- like any other SAN -- but file system-based, NAS-like storage.

Converged SAN
Storage area networks are normally kept separate by Ethernet networks. A converged SAN uses a common network infrastructure for network and SAN traffic to eliminate obsolete infrastructure, and to reduce expense and complexity.

SANs generally make use of FC, while info networks are usually based on Ethernet,. Converged SANs adopt fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), which encapsulates FC payloads into Ethernet frames. Converged SANs are almost always based on twelve Gigabit Ethernet, and multiple network ports are sometimes attached together to increase throughput.

SAN Benefits

A SAN presents storage devices to a host such that the storage appears to be locally attached. This simplified presentation of storage to a host is accomplished through the use of different types of virtualization.

A Storage Area Network (SAN) is a specialized, high-speed network that provides block-level network access to storage. SANs are typically composed of hosts, switches, storage elements, and storage devices that are interconnected using a variety of technologies, topologies, and protocols. SANs may also span multiple sites.

Another benefit is that sharing storage usually simplifies storage administration and adds flexibility since cables and storage devices do not have to be physically moved to shift storage from one server to another.

Other benefits include the ability to allow servers to boot from the SAN itself. This allows for a quick and easy replacement of faulty servers since the SAN can be reconfigured so that a replacement server can use the LUN of the faulty server.

SANs also tend to enable more effective disaster recovery processes. A SAN could span a distant location containing a secondary storage array. This enables storage replication either implemented by disk array controllers, by server software, or by specialized SAN devices

SANs Simplify Backup and Recovery

A Storage Area Network can be particularly helpful in backup and disaster recovery settings. Within a SAN, data can be transferred from one storage device to another without interacting with a server. This speeds up the backup process and eliminates the need to use server CPU cycles for backup. Also, many SANs utilize Fibre Channel technology or other networking protocols that allow the networks to span longer distances geographically. That makes it more feasible for companies to keep their backup data in remote locations.

Utilizing a SAN can also simplify some management tasks, potentially allowing organizations to hire fewer IT workers or to free up some IT workers for other tasks. It's also possible to boot servers from a SAN, which can reduce the time and hassles involved in replacing a server.

http://blackdiamondsolutions.com

What is a Storage Area Network (SAN) and how do it improve my efficiency?

A storage-area network (SAN) is a dedicated high-velocity network (or subnetwork) that interconnects and presents shared pools of storage space products to multiple servers.

A SAN moves storage assets off the common user network and reorganizes them into an unbiased, high-performance network. This enables each server to gain access to shared storage as though it were a travel directly mounted on the server. Whenever a host wants to gain access to a storage gadget on the SAN, it transmits out a block-centered access obtain the storage device.

A storage-area network is normally assembled using three theory components: cabling, sponsor bus adapters (HBAs) and switches. Each switch and storage program on the SAN should be interconnected and the physical interconnections must support bandwidth amounts that may adequately handle peak data activities.

Storage-area networks are managed centrally, and Fibre Channel (FC) SANs have the trustworthiness of being  expensive, difficult to control and complex. The emergence of iSCSI provides reduced these issues by encapsulating SCSI instructions into IP packets for transmitting over an Ethernet connection, instead of an FC connection. Rather than  learning, managing two networks and building-- an Ethernet local-region network (LAN) for consumer conversation and an FC SAN for storage -- a business is now able to use its existing understanding and infrastructure for both LANs and SANs.

Virtual SAN
A virtual storage-area network (VSAN) is a software-defined storage offering that is implemented along with a hypervisor such as for example VMware ESXi or Microsoft Hyper-V. Virtual SANs yield numerous benefits such as simple management and scalability. Generally, VSANs are hardware-agnostic. So long as the storage equipment is recognized and backed by the hypervisor, the equipment can be utilized by the VSAN (although each vendor has its own requirements).

Unified SAN
Unified SAN is situated around the idea of unified storage space, which exposes file storage and block storage space through an individual device (usually an altered NAS appliance).


A unified SAN takes this idea a stage further by exposing not merely dedicated logical unit quantities (LUNs) -- like any additional SAN -- but file system-based, NAS-like storage.

Converged SAN
Storage-area networks are usually kept individual from Ethernet networks. A converged SAN runs on the common network infrastructure for network and SAN traffic to get rid of redundant infrastructure, and also to reduce price and complexity.

SANs often utilize FC, while data networks are often based on Ethernet. Converged SANs adopt Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), which encapsulates FC payloads into Ethernet frames. Converged SANs are nearly always predicated on 10 Gigabit Ethernet, and multiple network ports are sometimes bonded together to improve throughput.

SAN benefits and drawbacks
The primary benefit to utilizing a SAN is that raw storage is treated as a pool of resources which can be centrally managed and allocated on an as-needed basis. SANs are also extremely scalable because additional capability could be added as required.

The main drawbacks to SANs are cost and complexity. SAN hardware is commonly expensive, and building and owning a SAN takes a specialized skill set.

SAN vs. NAS
The conditions SAN and NAS are occasionally confused with each other since the acronyms are so similar. NAS includes a storage appliance that's plugged straight into a network change. Although there are exceptions, NAS appliances tend to be used as document servers.

Black Diamond Solutions is a leading SAN provider in Chicago, Illinois and the US as a whole.
http://blackdiamondsolutions.com/