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Jul 11, 2020 · Designed as an introduction to SANs, Storage Area Network Fundamentals develops an understanding of SAN basics and how to plan, implement, and manage a storage area network. The book covers the different topologies, protocols, and products required to implement and manage efficient SANs, as well as questions to test the knowledge imparted to ...
Dec 1, 2007 · This chapter describes fundamentals of storage area. networks (SANs), their architectural elements (interfaces, interconnects, and fabrics), technologies (fi bre-channel-. arbitrated loop ...
- Vladimir Riabov
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- Fiber versus Fibre
- How a SAN Makes Computing
- Understanding the Benefits of a SAN
- Removes the distance limits of SCSI-connected disks: The
- Finding Out Whether a SAN Is Right for You
- Who should use a SAN?
- Who should not use a SAN?
- Dissecting a SAN (The Four Ps)
- The Parts of a SAN
- The host layer
- The host bus adapter (HBA)
- The Gigabit Interface Connector (GBIC)
- Fiber-optic cables
- The fabric layer
- The storage layer
- Storage arrays
- Monolithic arrays
- Modular versus monolithic in large-scale enterprise use
- The SAN Protocols
- How SAN devices communicate
- HBA in the server: “Nope, but the cation does! Thanks. I’ll have him the data using the SCSI protocol. ward this to the disk?”
- At this point, the session is switch now passes SCSI messages the disk drive. The drive acknowledges sages and does what the server
- The SAN Players
- The SAN Platforms
- Applications that benefit from a SAN
- Any server-class computer running a high-performance
- Applications that require a SAN
No, it isn’t just a snooty way of spelling fiber. (Well, okay, not only Networking geeks use the fibre spelling (reversing the er to re) to specifically to fiber-optic cables used in a SAN. The idea is to SAN cables from the optical cables used in other networks (such Networks). That’s because SAN devices use a different language cate with each oth...
Using a SAN can really change how you think about computing. In there was the mainframe, which was a gigantic computer that could programs in a large business. All the computer stuff was gathered called a data center. All the storage that the mainframe needed was connected to it. Everything was located and managed as a single, The PC revolution cha...
The typical benefits of using a SAN are a very high return on reduction in the total cost of ownership (TCO) of computing pay-back period (PBP) of months rather than years. Here are ways you can expect a SAN to be beneficial:
length of a SCSI bus is around 25 meters. Fibre Channel SANs to connect your disks to your servers over much greater Greater performance: Current Fibre Channel SANs allow to disks at hundreds of megabytes per second; the near future speeds in multiple gigabytes to terabytes per second. Increased disk utilization: SANs enable more than one server th...
Though SANs can offer many advantages, they aren’t for everyone. small business and use just a few computers to keep it going, probably overkill for you. Sometimes the cost isn’t justified by The more servers you have in your organization — and the more you need to store — the more benefit you’ll see from a using a have come down a lot since the fi...
You should use a SAN if you work in a large organization (more than or servers that run large databases) in which data management or is becoming a problem. (By server here, we mean the hardware you your applications. When it runs your applications, it is the “server” client/server implementation.) Your servers might be running out all the time, and...
You don’t really need to use a SAN if your organization is small fewer) or where data management, application performance, or currently a problem for you. For that matter, the technology you have may not be a good fit Here’s a checklist of the types of servers that should not be included SAN. Such servers are usually better off staying on their int...
We divide this section into four parts, which we call the four Ps parts, protocols, players, and platforms you can choose from SAN. We don’t go into all the gory details because it would take space here and most likely be better for bedtime reading (you’re sleeeepy). We just give you a general overview of the following: The parts: All the hardware ...
It’s most convenient to imagine the parts of a SAN in three layers. layer is the host layer, which includes the server computers and that goes into them. The middle layer is the fabric layer, which the cabling and switches that connect everything. The bottom storage layer, where all the storage devices are located.
The major components in this layer are the servers themselves, adapters (HBAs, which include a part called the Gigabit Interface or GBIC), and all the software running on the server that enables adapter to communicate with the fabric layer.
The server connects to the SAN through a host bus adapter (HBA) adapter card that fits inside your server and connects it to the
The Gigabit Interface Converter (GBIC) is where the cable plugs card. Every HBA has a GBIC that snaps into an opening in the card dered to the card. The openings in the GBIC extend out the back so you can plug in the cable. The GBIC houses the laser and convert the data inside your server into light pulses that travel cables. GBICs are used not onl...
Fiber-optic cables are unique in that they are really part of all in a SAN (such as the GBICs where the cables are plugged in). which connect everything in a SAN, use glass fibers to transmit from one device to another. You can use one of three optical cable depending on the distance between connections and the wavelength used to transmit data. (Se...
The fabric layer, or the middle layer of a SAN, is the actual network SAN. The network — where all the cables are connected — is also find hubs, switches, gateways, and routers, which tie all the cables into a logical and physical network. Its components include Hubs: A hub is a simple electronic device that physically cables into a logical loop of...
The storage layer is where all your data resides on the SAN. This that contains all the disk drives, tape drives, and other storage optical storage drives. The storage layer’s devices include some such as Redundant Array of Inexpensive (or Independent) Disks snapshot or other data-replication technologies to help protect capabilities of the storage...
disk is a disk — two disks are (okay) a couple of disks, and an is just a bunch of disks (also called a JBOD) all located in the same storage array adds extra intelligence to the controllers within which allows you to do cool stuff like RAID, so it’s no longer just stupid disks. The intelligence built into the storage controllers in array is what e...
Monolithic arrays are those big, refrigerator-size collections of you see sitting next to mainframes in a data center. These disk loaded with advanced technology that almost always prevents going down. Monolithic arrays can accommodate hundreds of can store data for a lot more servers than a modular array can, connect to mainframes. Monolithic arra...
At larger scales of operation, modular arrays are often used as arrays and monolithic arrays are often used as enterprise arrays. ference here, however, is functional: Although some enterprise-class can be modular in design, they can also connect to and store (which a modular array usually can’t do). Typically enterprise-class lithic arrays are muc...
As mentioned earlier, a protocol is a type of computer language puter system to communicate with other devices. By language, we a programming language. It’s more like a set of agreed-upon methods for computers to communicate so they can cooperate in moving network. Each type of computer device uses a different protocol to other devices. After two d...
Using English as a metaphor, think of a typical protocol conversation like this: HBA in the server: ”Hey! How are you? I’m in this server, and I’m trying to find a disk drive to store this data. Who are you?” Switch: “Hi. I’m a Fibre Channel switch. I see that you can speak Fibre Channel. Let’s talk using the new version 2 dialect, okay?” HBA in th...
Switch: “Done deal. Hey, SCSI drive here’s a message for you!”
All Fibre Channel devices work this way. The language for with storage devices is SCSI. Fibre Channel is just the FedEx way it there faster, like a postal deliverer running at light speed. SANs giving the SCSI protocol a free ride on top of the Fibre Channel make communication happen much faster.
The players are the companies that are the driving force in the Hundreds of companies are selling SAN equipment these days, products that fit into a particular niche. You can break the players the different types of products that they sell. Some companies thing you need, including servers. Server companies sometimes companies’ products and resell t...
The platforms are the types of servers that can benefit from using are appropriate for SANs. As indicated earlier in this chapter, not should be hooked up to a SAN. The operating system running on your server requires a driver. A small bit of software (detailed in Chapter 7) that enables the HBA to talk to the other elements in the SAN. Some operat...
Most applications running on a server would benefit from faster the disk drives that the application is trying to use. Using a SAN disks inside the server not only makes disk access faster (SAN at light speed) but also makes managing those disks much easier. building a SAN, this list is a guideline for choosing servers to hook
By server class, we mean anything with at least lots of memory GB or more) and a fast Intel, AMD, or Reduced Instruction (RISC)-class processor. (Note: This isn’t the kind of chip you’d your normal desktop-type PC, Web server, or infrastructure as a DNS or domain server.) Any server computer with expanding disk-storage needs: makes it easy to alloc...
Only a handful of applications actually require the use of a SAN. usually newer applications, designed specifically for SAN capabilities: Cluster applications: Cluster applications are created by tying of servers together via a fast network and then allowing those to access the same disks’ storage where the application is This allows for very scala...
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Dec 19, 2017 · A smarter data center that hosts IBM Storage solutions can provide an environment that is smarter, faster, greener, open, and easy to manage. This IBM® Redbooks® publication provides an introduction to SAN and Ethernet networking, and how these networks help to achieve a smarter data center. This book is intended for people who are not very ...
SAN: Storage Area Network. Storage resides on a dedicated network. Like DAS, I/O requests access devices directly. Today, most SANs use Fibre Channel media, providing an any-to-any connection for processors and storage on that network. Ethernet media using an I/O protocol called iSCSI is emerging in 2001.
Introduction to Storage Area Networks July 2006 International Technical Support Organization SG24-5470-03
Storage area network essentials : a complete guide to understanding and implementing SANS / Richard Barker, Paul Massiglia. p. cm. ISBN 0-471-03445-2 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Computer networks. 2. Information storage and retrieval systems. 3. Computer storage devices. I. Massiglia, Paul. TK5105.5 .B347 2001 004.6—dc21 2001044410
