Storage Area Networks

Abstract

This paper is a tutorial on Storage Area Networks (SANs). On the face of it storage network technology might appear to be just another incremental improvement relative to current technology; i.e., faster and cheaper but otherwise nothing new. On the other hand, as with technologies such as the World Wide Web and XML, SAN can also be viewed as an exciting new window into the future applications of technology. The World Wide Web provided a global, if relatively disorganized, file structure that almost immediately transcended organization and national boundaries. XML provides a still finer level of multi-organization data structure, this time at the level of the logical data element. Storage Network technologies provide an even finer level of resolution for global storage; providing powerful tools for organizing vast repositories of data and information within a building, organization, within municipalities, across distributed organizations, and throughout the world. This paper compares SAN technology with previous storage management solutions with particular attention to promised benefits of scalability, interoperability, and high-speed LAN-free backups. The paper provides an overview of what SANs are, why invest in them, and how SANs can be managed. The paper also discusses a primary management concern, the interoperability of vendor-specific SAN solutions. Bluefin, a storage management interface and interoperability solution is also explained. The paper concludes with discussion of SAN-related trends and implications for practice and research.