What is SAN Storage Area Network and how it works
Storage Area Network (SAN): In a network, various devices and resources are shared. We have the Servers, which are not directly accessed by the end-user.
These Servers provide the computational power, processing and other resources to the end-user terminal which is typically a desktop computer. Now, these multiple Servers may have their own storage devices or they may share a pool of storage devices.
Thus, a Storage Area Network (SAN) is a network that interconnects and provides a shared pool of storage devices to multiple servers. A SAN can also be a sub-network within the network.
A SAN reorganises storage resources in an into an independent and high-performance network. Thus, each server in the network/sub-network is enabled to access the shared storage as if the storage drive or device was directly attached to that particular server. SAN storage resources or devices may include tape libraries, hard disk drives, solid-state device, optical storage etc.
A server, traditionally, has been limited by the number of storage devices attached to it. Instead of this, a SAN gives the flexibility to network one server or many heterogeneous servers to share a common storage utility. Also, the servers may be located far from the storage utility they use.
A SAN includes a variety of storage devices, servers, switches. Routers, bridges and gateways are also required to connect and extend SAN to other parts of the Data Centre Network. Depending on the budget, scale and need of the organisation, a SAN’s topology would be determined.
By utilising a SAN some management task could be simplified. This allows organisations to hire fewer IT workers or free up some workers who can then be allocated other tasks. Hence, it saves and increases manpower use efficiency.
SAN may be utilised to boot servers at a remote location and hence it reduces the time and hassles which are involved in replacing a server.
Read more What is SAN Storage Area Network and how it works
These Servers provide the computational power, processing and other resources to the end-user terminal which is typically a desktop computer. Now, these multiple Servers may have their own storage devices or they may share a pool of storage devices.
Thus, a Storage Area Network (SAN) is a network that interconnects and provides a shared pool of storage devices to multiple servers. A SAN can also be a sub-network within the network.
A SAN reorganises storage resources in an into an independent and high-performance network. Thus, each server in the network/sub-network is enabled to access the shared storage as if the storage drive or device was directly attached to that particular server. SAN storage resources or devices may include tape libraries, hard disk drives, solid-state device, optical storage etc.
A server, traditionally, has been limited by the number of storage devices attached to it. Instead of this, a SAN gives the flexibility to network one server or many heterogeneous servers to share a common storage utility. Also, the servers may be located far from the storage utility they use.
A SAN includes a variety of storage devices, servers, switches. Routers, bridges and gateways are also required to connect and extend SAN to other parts of the Data Centre Network. Depending on the budget, scale and need of the organisation, a SAN’s topology would be determined.
By utilising a SAN some management task could be simplified. This allows organisations to hire fewer IT workers or free up some workers who can then be allocated other tasks. Hence, it saves and increases manpower use efficiency.
SAN may be utilised to boot servers at a remote location and hence it reduces the time and hassles which are involved in replacing a server.
Read more What is SAN Storage Area Network and how it works
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