Storage Area Network (often called SAN) is a separate, independent network of high-speed storage devices. A storage area network device is a dedicated system that contains disks for storing information….
What is a Storage Area Network?
Storage area networks were developed in order to overcome some of the problems associated with network attached storage (NAS). This is because NAS devices are sometimes difficult to manage and…
Why Storage Area Networks?
A storage area network is better suited to large organisations and Government bodies that have a disparate network, i.e. their offices may be located across the globe or over a…
What can I expect to gain by implementing a Storage Area Network?
A storage area network is generally better suited to an organisation where there are many hundreds, if not thousands, of users. Implementing a SAN will mean that there is less…
Alternatives to Storage Area Networks
The main alternative to storage area network is Network Attached Storage. At first glance, the differences appear to be few but it is imperative that you have a complete understanding…
Benefits of a Storage Area Network
A storage area network can be easier to manage than other storage systems. By consolidating information into one easily accessible place, it becomes easier to access information while also making…
Pitfalls of Storage Area Networks
There seem to be very few technological pitfalls to a storage area network. The main pitfalls are based around cost. Not because the storage is expensive, but because installing it…
Steps to Buying a Storage Area Network
Step One Identify the needs of your organisation and your users. What sort of information do my employees store and retrieve? – What other types of information is stored? – …
Steps to Installing a Storage Area Network
Storage area networks are generally best suited to larger organisations. The installation of a SAN is potentially complex and it is better that the company supplying the SAN (assuming that…
FAQs
What is a storage area network (SAN)? A SAN is a completely independent storage system. It makes storage generally available across a network of computers. Why do I need it?…
Summary of Storage Area Networks
A storage area network is an excellent solution but potentially expensive. However, for the right environment and organisation there is probably no better system. At first glance these systems seem…