Storage Area Network (SAN) in Computer Network
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What is a Storage Area Network (SAN)?
A Storage Area Network (SAN) is a network of storage devices that may be accessed by many servers or computers, resulting in a shared pool of storage capacity. Each computer on the network may access SAN storage as if it were a local disk attached directly to the machine.
Storage Area Networks are mostly used by servers to access storage devices such as tape libraries and disk-based devices.
It is a separate network that is not accessible via the LAN. It is made up of hosts, switches, and storage devices that are linked together utilizing various topologies and protocols.
Protocols used in SANs:
1. Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP):
It is the most widely used Storage Area Network protocol. It is a SCSI command mapping over the Fibre Channel (FC) network.
2. iSCSI:
iSCSI is an abbreviation for Internet SCSI, which stands for Internet Small Computer System Interface. It is the second-largest SAN protocol. It encapsulates the SCSI commands in an ethernet frame and sends them via an Internet protocol (IP) ethernet.
3. FCoE:
FCoE is an abbreviation for “Fibre Channel Over Internet.” It’s a protocol that is comparable to iSCSI. It encapsulates the fibre channel into an Ethernet datagram and transmits it across an IP Ethernet network.
4. NVMe:
NVMe is an abbreviation for Non-Volatile Memory Express. It is also a SAN protocol that uses the PCI Express bus to access flash storage.
Advantages of SAN:
1. Storage Virtualization:
Large and aggregated storage pools are now accessible for software applications, thus server capacity is no longer tied to single storage devices.
2. High Speed Disk Technologies:
FC, for example, provides data retrieval rates in excess of 5 Gbps. Storage-to-storage data transfer is also possible, with direct data transmission from the source to the target device and little or no server involvement.
3. Centralized Backup:
Servers use local drives to access data rather than numerous disk and server connections. Advanced backup options, such as block-level and incremental backups, simplify the work of IT system administrators.
4. Dynamic Failover Protection:
It can keep the network running even if a server breaks or goes down for maintenance, thanks to built-in redundancy and automated traffic rerouting.
Difference between Storage Area Network (SAN) and Network Attached Storage (NAS):
| Storage Area Network (SAN) | Network Attached Storage (NAS) |
| SAN is short for Storage Area Network. | Network Attached Storage is abbreviated as NAS. |
| The fiber channel is used to link the various data storage devices. | It is a physical device that connects to a LAN through an ethernet connection. |
| It is utilized in business and professional settings. | NAS is commonly used in the household. |
| It requires more administration to manage. | It is easily handled. |
| The disk block identifies the data in this case. | Both the file name and the byte offset are used to identify data in NAS (Network Attached Storage). |
| Storage Area Networks (SANs) are more sophisticated than Network Attached Storage (NAS). | NAS is less sophisticated than SAN. |
| It is more expensive than Network Attached Storage. | It is less expensive than SAN. |
| SAN is reliant on the Local Area Network and requires the TCP/IP network. | It does not rely on the Local Area Network and instead employs the high-speed fibre channel network. |
| SAN protocols include iSCSI, FCoE, FCP, and FC-NVMe. | The protocols used in NAS are AFP, NFS, and SMB. |
| For backup and recovery in SAN, the block by block approach is utilised. | NAS storage files are used for backup and recovery. |
| It is simple to use with the virtualization approach. | A NAS is a file storage device that does not support virtualization. |
| The servers in SAN maintain and regulate the file system. | The head unit is in charge of the file system. |
Difference between Storage Area Network (SAN) and Direct Attached Storage (DAS):
| Storage Area Network (SAN) | Direct Attached Storage (DAS) |
| Storage Area Network (SAN) is an abbreviation for Storage Area Network. | DAS is an abbreviation for Direct Attached Storage. |
| For backup and recovery, it employs a block-by-block copying method. | Sectors are used for backup and recovery. |
| This storage device is more sophisticated than the DAS device. | This storage device is not so sophisticated. |
| Storage Area Networks are a little more complex to install and configure. | Direct connected storage is simple to set up and use. |
| This storage device is more expensive than the DAS device. | It is less expensive than SAN. |
| The capacity of SAN exceeds 1012 bytes. | DAS has a capacity of just 109 bytes. |
| This storage device enables users to transfer files across many operating systems. | This storage device does not enable users to exchange files between operating systems. |
| It transmits data via Internet Protocol and Fibre Channel. | For data transfer, it employs IDE/SCSI. |
Summary:
In this article, we explored the concept of Storage Area Networks (SANs) and the various protocols and methods that are used in the functioning of SANs. We also looked at the various advantages of SANs, and the differences between Storage Area Network (SAN), Network Attached Storage (NAS), and Direct Attached Storage (DAS).
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