What is a SAN network?

 

What is a SAN network?

SAN - Storage Area Network is a dedicated, high-speed network that provides block-level (block) network access for storage. SANs typically consist of hosts, switches, storage components, and storage devices that are interconnected using a variety of technologies, topologies, and protocols. SAN can also be spread across multiple websites.

The SAN assigns storage devices to a host so that the memory appears to be mounted locally. Simplified representation of the amount of storage to this host is achieved through the use of different types of virtualization.

Where is the SAN network used?

SANs are often used to:

• Improved application usability (for example, multiple data paths)
• Improved application performance (eg, off-load storage functions, segregated network functions, etc.)
• Increase storage utilization and efficiency (eg consolidate storage resources, provide tiered storage capabilities, etc.), and improve data protection and security.
• SAN also often plays an important role in an organization's BCM (Business Continuity Management) activities.
• SANs are typically based on Fiber Channel (FC) technology, using Fiber Channel Protocol (FCP) for open systems and proprietary variants for mainframe.

In addition, the use of Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) makes it possible to move FC traffic across existing high-speed Ethernet infrastructures, aggregate IP and storage protocols into a single cable. Other technologies such as the Internet Small Computing System Interface (iSCSI), commonly used in small and medium organizations as a less expensive alternative to FC and InfiniBand, are commonly used in performance computing environments. high. In addition, gateways can be used to move data between different SAN technologies.

• GAN (Global Area Network) price, marketcap, chart, and fundamentals info

SAN - Storage Area Network is a dedicated, high-speed network that provides block-level (block) network access for storage

Types of SAN networks

The most common SAN protocols are:

- Fiber Channel Protocol (FCP) is a block or SAN protocol most widely used, deployed in 70% to 80% of the total SAN market. FCP uses Fiber Channel transport protocols with embedded SCSI commands.

- Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) protocol SAN next largest, accounting for about 10% to 15% of the market. iSCSI encapsulates the SCSI commands inside an Ethernet frame and then uses the Ethernet IP network for transmission.

- Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) makes up less than 5% of the SAN market. It is similar to iSCSI, because it also encapsulates an FC frame inside an Ethernet diagram. Then, like iSCSI, it uses an Ethernet IP network for transmission.

- Non-Volatile Memory Express over Fiber Channel (FC-NVMe) : NVMe is an IP (interface protocol) to access the flash memory via a PCI Express bus (PCIe). Unlike traditional all-flash architectures, which are limited to a single serial command queue, NVMe supports tens of thousands of parallel queues, each capable of supporting tens of thousands of concurrent instructions.