Important Things to Know About SAN Storage

Any network storage is a very important aspect of an enterprise’s health and productivity. With a really good storage management solution, enterprises and small businesses can maximize server performance and be prepared in case of a disaster and such a solution is SAN storage as it helps greatly in achieving the goals of the enterprise.

What is SAN Storage Really?

SAN storage, in simpler terms, is a high-speed network that is dedicated and connects data storage tools with larger networks. SAN storage facilitates the communication between computer systems and networks by connecting to pools of storage via SAN switches.

SAN Storage Functions

SAN storage has many functions apart from just communicating between storage devices and computers. SAN storage exhibits several other distinctive functions as well, such as the following:

-        SAN storage conducts application traffic and as well as administrative traffic also.  

-        SAN storage operates a wide range of network technologies which range from ethernet to Fibre Channel (FC).

-        SAN storage connects diverse types of storage devices which includes robotic libraries, RAID subsystems, file servers and tape drives.

The versatility of SAN storage encourages innovation in many ways. This leads to sustained developments in processing and storage of digital information and benefits the enterprise in many ways.

SAN Storage Characteristics

-        SAN storage solutions  incorporates multipurpose servers instead of single servers or dedicated servers used by other storage networks.

-        SAN storage uses open operating systems whereas other storage networks such as NAS uses propriety operating systems.

-        SAN storage is fairly easy to upgrade as compared to other storage networks,

-        SAN uses a wide range of protocols including fiber channel, ethernet and hyperSCSI.

-        SAN storage uses block protocol, which means that SAN storage can use detached and high-speed networks to transport data in blocks to the storage arrays. Other than this, SAN storage application servers host their file systems directly which saves additional passage of data through another server.

SAN Storage Can Improve Enterprise Performance

-        Improved Disk Utilization: SAN storage offers improved disk utilization. It offers a more effective and efficient use of resources.

-        Disaster Recovery: SAN storage lets enterprises recover data from multiple appliances a lot quickly as compared to other storage networks.

-        Application Availability: SAN storage, thanks to data protection algorithms, keeps data consistent and accessible, all the time.

-        Increase Backup Speed: With SAN storage, enterprises can backup large amounts of data in fairly less amount of time.

Conclusion

SAN storage can be very beneficial for any enterprise that chooses to adopt it. Even though it can be a little costly, the payoff is quite worth it as it offers a secure, organized and more accessible network that most storage networks cannot offer.