SAN - Storage Area Network

Storage Area Network is a dedicated centrally managed infrastructure which enables any to any interconnection of server and storage system. It is basically a high speed network behinds a LAN/WAN networks and is optimized for data I/O operation and storage management. You can also Subscribe to FINAL YEAR PROJECT'S by Email for more such projects and seminar topics.

DATA ACCESS IN SAN

Generally a request from a desktop to store/access data will be routed to appropriate application server over a LAN. The application server will do the necessary data processing. As for as the application server is concerned, SAN represents a storage device with so much of storage capacity. The HAB on the application server will route this data to the SAN network over the fiber channel to the actual storage devices.

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Some of the advantages of SAN are:


1) Storage area network remove data traffic from the production network during backup process thus increasing network performance.

2) Storage area network improve data access as fiber channel connections provides the high speed network communications.

3) Storage area networks helps in centralize management of there storage system and consolidate backups, increasing overall system efficiency.

4) Storage can be added to the network with minimal disruption.

SAN Architecture

In a nutshell, SAN is a network of storage devices which are accessed by client application and communicate among themselves using protocols that transport block of data. The first such protocol to be widely used for transferring blocks of data was probably SCSI (small computer simple interface) which was severely handicapped by distance limitations and lack of scalability.

The current protocol of choice is fiber channel (FC) and most SANs today are characterized by an inter-connection of SAN directors (devices that enable applications servers on external LANs to communicate with the SAN) and SCSI or fiber channel storage devices connected by a fiber channel router or switch. There are myriad SAN solutions tailored for organizations that handle various quanta of data. Intact the topology shown above is for a small SAN, hence the SAN hub.

The storage networking industry association has set up a working group to look into these issues and will eventually come out with some specifications and standard practice recommendations. Use this report for your reference and study purpose only.


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