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Storage Area Network Technology and the Benefits that an Organization gains from its Implementation By Wilberforce Opanga

Seminar Paper Submitted to the School of Science, Engineering and Technology in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

Kabarak University

August 2012

Acknowledgement
I would like to thank the Almighty God for the wisdom and good health that has enabled me to pursue this course successfully. I would also like to thank my family for the moral support that they have always given me from the first day I joined Kabarak. To my Supervisor Mr. Anil Kumar, I would like to thank him for the support and motivation that he has always given me as I pursued my studies. Finally I would like to thank the entire Kabarak University fraternity for providing me a peaceful environment to prepare this paper.

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Abstract
With the continuous growth of data in organizations, the need to find an efficient data storage and management solution has been on its high. This solution has been provided by Storage Area Network which apart from data storage, it also has other benefits from which an organization gains from; benefits such as reliable, security for the data, 99.99% uptime and high speed data transmission. Through this paper, I will discuss about SANs in general, highlighting what they are all about, how they work, how and where to implement them. In this paper the benefits of SAN technology and its security will be thoroughly discussed. The disadvantages of SANs will be outlined therefore giving the readers an opportunity to embrace or reject the technology. Also important to note is that there are two types of SANs, Fiber Channel SANs and Internet Small Computer System Interface commonly referred to as iSCSI SANs. This paper will focus on the both of them because the issue of data storage and security affects both Large, Medium and Small enterprises.

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Abbreviations and Definition of Terms


Abbreviation DAS SAN NAS Term Direct Attached Storage Storage Area Network Network Attached Storage Explanation Storage locally attached to a particular server. A dedicated network of shared storage devices. Storage available from a device resident on the LAN and shared via file protocols such as NFS or CIFS. A high speed, serial data interface allowing communication between servers, data storage devices and other communications devices such as switches.

FC

Fibre Channel

Data Integrity Switch

iSCSI

HBA

SCSI

ATA IDE SATA SAS PCI

LAN

CBS CIFS

A device to connect hosts and storage devices, capable of supporting multiple dedicated nonshared data paths between devices. Fabric The switches and connection infrastructure providing the network paths between hosts and storage devices. Internet SCSI A standard to enable block data transfers over IP networks by wrapping SCSI sequences into TCP/IP packets. Host Bus Adapter Used with Fibre Channel to take blocks of data and segment them into FC frames for transmission over the FC fabric. Small Computer Systems An evolving standard with many variations first Interface developed in 1986 for transmission of data between hosts and devices (usually disks). Advanced Technology A type of commodity disk commonly used in PC Adapter systems. Integrated Drive Another term for commodity disks used mainly in Electronics PC systems. Serial ATA Serial version of ATA technology. Serial Attached SCSI Serial version of SCSI technology. Peripheral Component An internal computer bus to attach devices; exists Interconnect in several variations with different throughput characteristics. Local Area Network That part of the network over which data normally travels between client machines and servers or between servers and other devices. Centralised Backup System Using large centralised tape libraries to combine the backups from several hosts. Common Internet File File system available to client machines over the System network from a server machine; based on Microsofts earlier Server Message Block (SMB) system and popular in Windows environments.

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RAID

Redundant Array of Independent Disks

NFS

Network File System

HSM

Hierarchical Storage Management

LAN-free

Server-free

Technique to improve the reliability and performance of disks by aggregating several disks and providing the appearance of one large disk to host servers. File system available to client machines over the network from a server machine; developed by Sun Microsystems and popular in UNIX environments. A storage system whereby data may reside on different devices, ranging from fast-access media (e.g. disk) to slower media (e.g. tape) with a hierarchy of such storage devices available. A backup technique where data does not travel over any part of the LAN, but is self-contained totally within the SAN infrastructure. A backup technique where data does not get handled by any servers, but travels directly from disk to tape storage under the control of some kind of data mover.
Its a technology based on an atomic or molecular scale, concerned with dimensions of less than 100 nanometres.

Nanotechnology

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Table of Contents
Declaration .....................................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Acknowledgement ........................................................................................................................... i Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ii Abbreviations and Definition of Terms ......................................................................................... iii Chapter One .................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................................... 2 Problem Statement ...................................................................................................................... 2 Justification ................................................................................................................................. 3 Background of the Study ............................................................................................................ 3 Chapter Two: Methodology ............................................................................................................ 4 Chapter Three.................................................................................................................................. 5 Different Types of Storage Architectures ................................................................................... 5 DAS......................................................................................................................................... 5 NAS......................................................................................................................................... 6 Basic SAN Configuration ........................................................................................................... 6 SAN Principles............................................................................................................................ 7 SAN Topologies.......................................................................................................................... 7 Scalability ............................................................................................................................... 7 Distance................................................................................................................................... 7 Device Mix.............................................................................................................................. 7 Capacity .................................................................................................................................. 7 Back-up Facilities ................................................................................................................... 7 Disaster recovery .................................................................................................................... 8 SAN Management ....................................................................................................................... 8 SAN Security .............................................................................................................................. 8 Future of SAN ............................................................................................................................. 9 Advantages of SAN .................................................................................................................... 9 Disadvantages of SANs ............................................................................................................ 11 Chapter Four: Findings ................................................................................................................. 12 v|Page

Chapter Five .................................................................................................................................. 13 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 13 Recommendation ...................................................................................................................... 13 References ..................................................................................................................................... 14

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Chapter One
Introduction
The recent growth in e-business activity and internet commerce has provided organization with unlimited opportunities for developing new Data management strategies. Data is today perceived to be the key asset for many organizations. This has generated an explosive demand for data storage and this demand can be addressed by deploying SAN. The activity to share a single large storage device across many server or application makes SAN an attractive option in todays market place.

Typical example of a san environment

With data theft, fraud, hacker attempts, and human error increasingly threaten security of Data exchange within the enterprise and across the public networks, better data handling mechanisms need to be developed. In order to protect the key data stored, Enterprises should deploy and develop security frameworks that help ensure safe reliable data processing; this can only be realized throughout a SAN. Studies show that storage growth is increasing at an alarming rate and, when combined with a trend to require more servers to support storage, is leading to an unmanageable situation as far as storage management is concerned. The growth of distributed systems is also giving concern in many organizations as standards of support in a devolved environment are not always adequate. Networked storage solutions such as SAN and NAS offer increased flexibility for connecting storage, ensuring much greater utilisation of disk storage space and support for server consolidation. Installing a SAN is large and complicated undertaking, needing institutional management commitment and is more suited to environments where a large proportion of the institutions data will reside on the SAN. NAS can provide plug and go solutions for file serving, but SANs are better able to support large corporate databases and provide enhanced resilience. A SAN functions as a high-speed network similar to a conventional LAN and establishes a direct connection between storage resources and the file server infrastructure. The SAN effectively acts as an extended storage bus using the same networking elements of a LAN including routers, bridges, hubs and switches. Thus, servers and storage can be de-coupled allowing the storage disks to be located away from their host servers. The SAN is effectively transparent to the server operating system, which perceives the SAN attached disks as if they were local SCSI disks. A dedicated SAN carries only storage data. This data can be shared with multiple servers without being subject to the bandwidth constraints of the LAN. Practically, a SAN allows for data to be managed centrally and to assign storage chunks to host systems as required.

Purpose of the Study


The purpose of this paper is to bring into light the benefits that an organization will get by implementing SAN technology. Through this paper it is expected that a clear picture of SAN technology will be painted making it understandable to all concerned parties.

Problem Statement
Traditionally, data storage resides on hard disks that are locally attached to individual servers. This is known as Direct Attached Storage (DAS). Although this storage may now be large (in the order of 100s of Gigabytes of data storage per server) the storage is generally only accessible from the server to which it is attached. As such, much of this disk space remains unused and plenty of contingency has to be built into storage needs when determining server specification. In addition, if the server were to fail, access to the data held on those local disks is generally lost.

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Justification
This paper is very important because it provides a clear description and explanation for the SAN technology. With this information in place, enterprises will be in a better position to understand the benefits that SANs offer, they will also be in a position to understand the shortfalls and therefore make informed decision when adopting the technology. This paper tries to simplify the concept therefore make it understandable for all its reader both the experts in ICT and those with little computer knowledge. This paper is important especially now that the issue of data storage and security has become a major concern owing to the large data that enterprises have in their possession.

Background of the Study


With everything going e (i.e. e-learning, e-commerce), there has been a great need for better storage facilities. Network and system administrators are trying to cope with huge increase in both amounts of data being stored. With SAN in place, it becomes possible to consolidate for backup data, speed up backup and free important LAN resources. SAN also ensures data protection across heterogeneous enterprise networks. SANs are designed to specifically move data files between storage devices and servers. They combine the benefits of network connectivity with high speed and long transmission distance that fiber channel technology connectively yields. Implementation of SAN subsequently improves LAN performance for all users by moving file transfers off the LAN onto a separate network that is optimized for such transfers therefore freeing the network for critical business transactions while reducing backup time significantly. There great benefits for using SANs, they include: i. ii. iii. iv. Increased performance, LAN free Backup Increased fault tolerance Consolidated storage management functions Easy performance and capacity scalability

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Chapter Two: Methodology


No field research was conducted while writing this paper, the data, information and statistics used in this paper were obtained from the internet, books and white papers published by different companies on SANs and data storage. All the statistics and information provided in this paper are for studies that were conducted within a ten year period, making it reliable information. A list of reference has been provided for all the materials that were used while writing this paper.

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Chapter Three
The Rapid growth in the amount of data and information in organizations has intensified the demand for more secure and reliable storage facilities. Traditional DAS has become less reliable to server storage solutions this has resulted to the on-going need for more storage this is because each and everyday users of these storage facilities grow and also data backup needs rises. With the traditional storage architecture in place, critical aspects of system availability, reliability and efficiency have been compromised. This resulted to the need for an architecture/ technology which can support current and future demands. SAN offers this solution. It interconnects servers and storage at a very high speed and it also assures reliability and security. By combining LAN networking with core building blocks of server performance and mass storage capacity, SAN eliminates the bandwidth bottlenecks and scalability limitations imposed by previous architectures. In addition to the fundamental connectivity benefits of SAN, the new capabilities, facilitated by its networking approach, enhance its value as a long term infrastructure. These capabilities, which include compute clustering, topological flexibility, fault tolerance, high availability, and remote management, further elevate SAN's ability to address the growing challenges of data intensive, mission-critical applications. From a client network perspective, the SAN environment complements the ongoing advancements in LAN and WAN technologies by extending the benefits of improved performance and capabilities all the way from the client and backbone through to servers and storage. A SAN's architecture makes all storage devices available to all servers on a LAN or WAN. As more storage devices are added to a SAN, they become accessible from any server in the network. In this case, the server merely acts as a pathway between the end user and the stored data. Since the data does not reside directly on any of a network's servers, server power is utilized for business applications, and network capacity is released to the end user.

Different Types of Storage Architectures


There are several other common architectures that are used for data storage they include but not limited to;

DAS
In this architecture, storage devices and the server were tightly coupled. This approach keeps performance overhead to a minimum. Storage is attached directly to the server bus using an adapter card, and the storage device is dedicated to a single server. The server itself controls the I/O to the device, issues the low-level device commands, and monitors device responses. Initially, disk and tape storage devices had no on-board intelligence. They just executed the servers I/O requests. Subsequent evolution led to the introduction of control units. Control units are storage off-load servers that contain a limited level of intelligence, and are able to perform functions, such as I/O request caching for performance improvements, or dual copy of data (RAID 1) for availability.

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NAS
This is a LAN-attached file server that serves files using a network protocol such as Network File System. It is a storage element that is connected to a network and provides file access services to computer systems. This architecture consists of an engine that implements the file services, and one or more devices, on which data is stored. It may be attached to any type of network. NAS allows more hard disk storage space to be added to a network that already utilizes servers without shutting them down for maintenance and upgrades. With a NAS device, storage is not an integral part of the server. Instead, in this storage-centric design, the server still handles all of the processing of data, but a NAS device delivers the data to the user. A NAS device does not need to be located within the server but can exist anywhere in the LAN and can be made up of multiple networked NAS devices. These units communicate to a host using Ethernet and filebased protocols. NAS storage provides acceptable performance and security, and it is often less expensive for servers to implement.

Basic SAN Configuration


The simplest SAN configuration, whether Fibre Channel or iSCSI involves deploying a minimum of two production servers attaching to a storage array. In a Fibre Channel SAN, each server contains an HBA which connects by means of a Fibre Channel switch to a disk controller on the storage array. HBAs, although they reside on the server, are also part of the storage network. They serve first to provide the interface between the server and the attached Fibre Channel network, and second to provide I/O processing, offloading most of the server processing required for transferring data. The resulting performance is very high and very scalable.
LAN

Server
HBA

Server
HBA

Backup Server
Tape Library

Switch

Controller Storage Array

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SAN Principles
The architecture of SAN facility was inspired by the ever-growing need for storage area in large enterprises. Some of the features of SAN include: i. Multiple Storage devices connected to each other ii. Storage behind the server iii. Multiple server connected to the same storage iv. Different types of servers can be connected to the storage area v. Fibre Channel connectivity vi. Use of Hubs and Switches vii. Multiple path environment

SAN Topologies
SAN can connect with several servers and workstations through the channel of hubs and switches, which are connected with Fibre Channel. Below are some of the features that makes SAN admirable and worth implementing;

Scalability
With this technology it is possible to add more servers and storage devices when required without interfering with its functionality. This is very important in a large enterprise where data is stored and used every second of the day. This feature helps in updating the network as the demand arises.

Distance
SANs can now stretch up to several kilometers and still prove to be fast, this has helped to store back-up data at different locations and still be attached to the network. The mirroring can be done simultaneously without the need of administrators. This helps to recover data in times of disaster. It also helps in saving expensive realty in huge cities by substituting it with cheaper countryside areas for backup purposes. This has been made possible by the utilization of Fibre Channels in this technology.

Device Mix
SAN makes it possible to combine different servers and storage devices into a single network. Different server operating systems such as Unix, Solaris and Windows Server can be attached to the same storage network. Also, different storage devices, such as Disk Arrays, Disk drives and JBODs can be implemented under a single network.

Capacity
SAN makes it possible to increase the storage capacity without disturbing the network. Multiple storage devices can be attached to each other to offer large amounts of storage. Also, more storage can be attached later as and when the need arises. This is the feature that makes SANs popular.

Back-up Facilities
SAN solves the problems of backup by offering high-speed, immediate backup. This is efficient because it decreases the overheads that are common in the traditional backup methods. 7|Page

Also, SAN backup storage devices can be several miles away. It is highly scalable and offers high-speed data transfer. SAN does not interrupt any processes while duplicating data, nor does it slow down any processes. SAN also promises backup from several heterogeneous servers. All the different servers can access the data from the same storage area network.

Disaster recovery
Data can be restored from the secondary storage devices in case of a system failure in the primary network. This is done on a very high-speed basis and hence does not limit network use for any of the users.

SAN Management
SAN is easy to maintain as compared to the earlier network storage technologies. Depending on the type and size of SAN, the need for management can be eliminated. Some of the tasks that a SAN manager should perform are: i. Monitoring the devices on the network ii. Monitoring the functionality of the devices iii. Determining if any device needs changing or upgrading iv. Enable or disable hubs and ports v. Check the error status and replace the corrupted devices vi. Look into the performance of the network vii. Controlling the configuration of Disk Arrays viii. Setting levels of security for each user ix. Allocation of assets within the network x. Performing preventive maintenance These tasks are not very tedious. The SAN does most of the error reporting automatically. Due to the efficiency of SAN, overheads costs have been reduced. Thus, managing and maintaining a SAN is an easy job.

SAN Security
Security has been a major issue in large enterprises for a very long time. This has led to the development of more sophisticated ways of securing data from hackers and eavesdroppers. Security of safe backup is also an issue. An enterprise requires an integrated solution that looks into the security threats, enabling a robust SAN environment. Since the data is transferred over several miles and sometimes even over several continents, the security features have to be mission-critical. There are a few domains that can be integrated in the system for better security. These are i. Administrator-to-Security Management Domain: an administrator works with the security management functions. ii. Host-to-Switch Domain: Individual ports are grouped and linked to one port. iii. Security Management-to-Fabric Domain: This encrypts the appropriate data elements with the switchs public key. iv. Switch-to-Switch Domain: Switches are initialized and they exchange credentials during mutual authentication, before establishing any communication with the user. Implementing SAN makes data highly available to all the users. Another problem arises here; all the data entered cannot be made accessible to all the users. Every user needs to have a separate 8|Page

level of security and data access according to requirements. One way of doing this is by Zoning. Zoning creates barriers on the fabric to prevent groups from interacting with each other. Zoning sets up certain levels of accessibility to the network and hence data is not available to all the users.

Future of SAN
SAN has proved to be highly efficient and is able to store huge amounts of data. One of the drawbacks of SAN is that the storage takes too much of floor space for example, the disks and tape drives are huge in size and cover a lot of floor space. The size can be reduced with the help of Nanotechnology. In this way, storage capacities might increase without the increase in size of the equipment. The interconnection devices, such as hubs and switches need to allow more ports for connection. The backup facilities have to be more efficient and faster and reliable. The ones present today are good for the enterprises of today. But as the enterprise grows, more and more data will be stored. The number of users will also increase. The use of SAN will increase as it becomes more and more popular. Today, it is an expensive solution to use as a storage medium. This is mainly due to the high initial costs of installing and buying the equipment. These costs will go down in the future when the technology becomes more popular and widely used. Management of SAN though is easy, will be easier in the future. RAID might help to overcome the problem of unavailable data caused by failed disks. Switches might have redundant components. The number of equipment required to build the SAN might reduce with the help of new technologies. Changes might take place in areas such as the Internet and wireless computing. The major problem for the data available today on the Internet is that it is limited to the servers capacity. This drawback might be eliminated with the help of SAN since more and more storage can be made available and it is scalable. Wireless computing might become easier. Today, the computers are limited by the capacity of the hard disks. This problem might be eliminated when SAN becomes more popular. With the help of SAN and wireless technologies, storage can be made in an external drive, which can be accessed from anywhere. SAN can act as a wireless storage solution.

Advantages of SAN
SANs have very many advantages that an organization can benefit from below are some of them i.
High availability: With certain SAN architectures, data is available (uptime) from 99.99%

of the time to 99.999% of the time translating to downtime (planned or unplanned) from 53 minutes per year to 5 minutes per year ii. Data replication and disaster recovery: A SAN performs data replication to remote sites for faster recovery in the event of an unexpected disaster. This provides the capacity to create multiple copies of critical data, and then move those copies to other parts of the SAN, or over a WAN for remote protection. Hardware deployment and utilization: actualizing the following benefits: SANs promote efficient use of hardware,

iii.

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iv.

v. vi.

vii. viii.

ix. x.

xi.

Better use of hard disk and tape drives, thereby reducing the number of tape drives required Fewer servers purchased for storage, especially in an NT environment Fewer backup servers required With reductions in hardware and software there will be a reduction in annual maintenance costs Reduction in power and cooling requirements due to reduction in the number of machines and devices needed for storage Disk capacity utilization: - With a SAN implementation, disk space utilization will increase significantly. Businesses often see disk space utilization improve from 35% 40%, up to 80% after storage consolidation, using SAN technology. Server utilization: -With a SAN implementation, the number of servers required purposely for storage will be reduced Support maintenance cost reductions: With reductions in hardware (disk drives, tape drives, servers, etc.), the overall cost of maintenance contracts will go down. Moreover, with this reduction the manpower required for the maintenance of the storage devices will be significantly reduced hence saving on the cost of maintenance SAN Architecture facilitates scalability - Any number of storage devices can be added to store hundreds of terabytes SAN reduces down time SAN can be upgraded, defective drives replaced, data backed up without taking any servers offline. A well-configured SAN with mirroring and redundant servers can bring zero downtime. Sharing SAN is possible - As SAN is not directly attached with any particular server or network, a SAN can be shared by all devices and users of the network. SAN provides long distance connectivity - With Fibre channel capable of running up to 10 kilometers, data can be kept in a remote, physically secure location. Fibre channel switching also makes it very easy to establish private connections with other SANs for mirroring, backup, or maintenance. Backups: SANs offer the following efficiencies and advantages over the convectional backup methods: The entire storage-network infrastructure can be off-loaded from the LAN, promoting LAN-free backups; 20% or more of LAN traffic can be due to backups Significant improvements in backup times:- since data is moved at Fibre Channel (FC) speeds over dedicated storage networks, rather than at Ethernet speeds over a shared network Fewer network interruptions when adding incremental storage hardware Reduces or eliminates backup windows Promotes on-the-fly scaling (non-disruptive) rather than set-planned downtime windows Extends the life expectancy of servers Enables off-host backups where data transfers directly from storage disks to tape libraries, bypassing the server, and reducing server loads

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Disadvantages of SANs
i. ii. SANs are very expensive as Fibre channel technology tends to be pricier and maintenance requires a higher degree of skill Leveraging of existing technology investments tends to be much difficult. Though SAN facilitates to make use of already existing legacy storage, lack of SAN-building skills has greatly diminished deployment of homegrown SANs. So currently prepackaged SANs based on Fibre channel technology are being used among the enterprises. Management of SAN systems has proved to be a real tough one due to various reasons. Also for some, having a SAN storage facility seems to be wasteful one. Also, there are a few SAN product vendors due to its very high price and very few mega enterprises need SAN set up.

iii. iv.

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Chapter Four: Findings


SANs unlike the traditional storage technology are composed of hardware and software; they have storage resources which are connected to different servers. The hardware is the physical storage devices which has strong interconnection rate for faster transfer. The software part of Storage area networks is the one responsible for monitoring the networks and its configuration; it is also responsible for organizing the data of the network. The storage device in the storage area networks are design in such a way that it can be easily access in the network and can be access either by LAN and in WAN server. Though very expensive, the cost and complexity of Storage Area Networks has been dropping so as to enable small and medium enterprises to integrate them to their business. In the event one of the disks in the Storage Area Networks is faulty, depending on the RAID technologies practiced, the Storage Area Networks is able to rebuild information from the faulty disk onto a spare disk. If the Storage Area Networks is set up nicely, it plays a crucial role in acquiring the organization back onto its feet throughout disaster recovery processes. Backup routines over Storage Area Networks are also much more efficient as compared to server by server backup. SANs have the ability to boot themselves, making them effective during data recovery resulting from disasters such as server failure or human errors. Thanks to Fibre channels, SANs can be implemented in a remote location away from the organization. SANs have a promising future which if well tapped; it may provide the ultimate storage solution that is necessary at this time and age. It also offers the best security compared to the other storage technologies that are available in the market.

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Chapter Five
Conclusion
Throughout this paper, the SAN technology has been discussed exhaustively; the concept, the benefits and the shortfalls have been discussed making it possible for the readers to be able to make informed decisions when they are searching for the best storage methodologies. SANs efficient data management and enterprise growth has also been discussed thoroughly. The features that are offered by SANs makes them very reliable to implement in enterprises where data integrity is top priority. From my point of view, SANs holds a very bright future in the storage industry they can be used in almost every industry; medicine, music, education, administration, exploration, industry and other areas. And although they have got some disadvantages, SANs remain to the best solutions that any industry can adopt.

Recommendation
Despite its high initial cost and complexity, SAN still comes out as the best solution for data storage and backup in an enterprise because apart from ensuring availability and security it also makes it possible for the firm to expand its storage when need arises without interfering with the working of its network among other benefits discussed in the chapters above. Therefore from my point of view, I would recommend enterprises to adopt the technology because it would help increase productivity and reduce maintenance cost usually associated with constant failure of the traditional storage technologies especially DAS.

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References
Definition of a SAN http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/definition/storage-area-network-SAN http://skills2earn.blogspot.com/2011/01/storage-area-networks-part-1.html http://www.imexresearch.com/reports/san.shtml White Paper Published by DataLink Corporation on Storage Area Networks and Return on Investment http://rr.sans.org/backup/enterprise_level.php http://www.brocade.com/san/feature_stories/advancing_secure http://www.attack.com/pdfs/SAN.secure.pdf http://www.enterprisestorageforum.com/ - useful site for news of storage developments http://www.fibrechannel.org/ - Fibre Channel Industry Associations Web site http://www.snia-europe.com/snia/education/whitepapers/wp_250601_44.html - information on FC connectors and cabling from SNIA http://www.attotech.com/fcq.html - a commercial vendor site, but with a useful FAQ on Fibre Channel matters Develop Your SAN Design, Brocade, http://www.brocade.com/san/design/develop_design.jsp http://www.iscsistorage.com/ - iSCSI news site Serial ATA Working Group Web Site, http://www.serialata.org/ Serial Attached SCSI Trade Association Web site, http://www.serialattachedscsi.com/ Fred Moore, Storage: Infinite Disruption, Horison Information Strategies, 2001 http://www.brocade.com/products/backup_restore_overview.jsp http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/techinfo/overview/storage.mspx Storage Virtualisation News, http://www.storage-virtualization.com/ http://www.snia.org/ - Storage Networking Industry Association information, June 2012 Hitachi Data Systems, July 2012, http://www.hds.com/pdf/wp107_san_implement.pdf http://www.tredent.com/storage-area-networks/ Windows Servers in a Storage Area Network Environment White Paper Published: April 2004 Introduction to Storage Area Networks (4th ED) by Jon Tate, Fabiano Lucchese and Richard Moore published by International Technical Support Organization in July 2006 allSAN report 2001, July 2012 allSAN.com 14 | P a g e

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