What is Storage Area Network?
Storage area network is popularly known as SAN. Storage Area Network provides access to block level data storage. This block level data storage is consolidated in nature.
The primary objective of using Storage Area Network is to enhance the capacity of storage devices. These storage devices include disk arrays, tape libraries and optical juke boxes. These storage devices are accessible to servers. These storage devices appear to be locally attached devices to the operating system by virtue of its accessibility to servers.
Types of Storage Area Network
1. Virtual Storage Area Network-
Virtual Storage Area Network is a storage offering that is software defined. It is generally implemented on top of a Hypervisor. A Virtual SAN is very easy to manage and has high scalability. Virtual SAN does not believe in hardware, as for the maximum part. Virtual SAN uses the hardware as long as storage hardware is recognized and supported by the hypervisor.
2. Unified Storage Area Network-
This Storage area network is based on the concept of unified storage. It uses a single device to expose block storage and file storage.
3. Converged Storage Area Network-
A converged storage area network uses a common network infrastructure. It uses this network infrastructure to eliminate redundant infrastructure, for network and storage area network traffic. It also reduces the complexity of storage area network and its cost considerably.
Benefits of Storage Area Network
The storage area network has many benefits. But the premium advantage Storage area network provides, is that, the storage acts as reservoir of resources for maximizing its advantages. This reservoir of resources can be controlled centrally and distributed among users as per their demand and need.
Storage area Network is highly scalable as additional capacity can be acquired on demand and as per need. Was this answer helpful?
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