Storage Area Networks

The superabundance of data that is created by today's businesses is making storage a strategic investment priority for companies of all sizes. As storage takes precedence, the following major initiatives emerge: Flatten and converge your network: IBM® takes an open, standards-based approach to implement the latest advances in the flat, converged data center network designs of today. IBM Storage solutions enable clients to deploy a high-speed, low-latency Unified Fabric Architecture. Optimize and automate virtualization: Advanced virtualization awareness reduces the cost and complexity of deploying physical and virtual data center infrastructure. Simplify management: IBM data center networks are easy to deploy, maintain, scale, and virtualize, delivering the foundation of consolidated operations for dynamic infrastructure management. Storage is no longer an afterthought. Too much is at stake. Companies are searching for more ways to efficiently manage expanding volumes of data, and to make that data accessible throughout the enterprise. This demand is propelling the move of storage into the network. Also, the increasing complexity of managing large numbers of storage devices and vast amounts of data is driving greater business value into software and services. With current estimates of the amount of data to be managed and made available increasing at 60% each year, this outlook is where a storage area network (SAN) enters the arena. SANs are the leading storage infrastructure for the global economy of today. SANs offer simplified storage management, scalability, flexibility, and availability; and improved data access, movement, and backup. Welcome to the cognitive era. The smarter data center with the improved economics of IT can be achieved by connecting servers and storage with a high-speed and intelligent network fabric. A smarter data center that hosts IBM Storage solutions can provide an environment that is smarter, faster, greener, open, and easy to manage. This IBM® Redbooks® publication provides an introduction to SAN and Ethernet networking, and how these networks help to achieve a smarter data center. This book is intended for people who are not very familiar with IT, or who are just starting out in the IT world.

The inside scoop on a leading-edge data storage technology The rapid growth of e-commerce and the need to have all kinds of applications operating at top speed at the same time, all on a 24/7 basis while connected to the Internet, is overwhelming traditional data storage methods. The solution? Storage Area Networks (SANs)--the data communications technology that's expected to revolutionize distributed computing. Written by top technology experts at VERITAS Software Global Corporation, this book takes readers through all facets of storage networking, explaining how a SAN can help consolidate conventional server storage onto networks, how it makes applications highly available no matter how much data is being stored, and how this in turn makes data access and management faster and easier. System and network managers considering storage networking for their enterprises, as well as application developers and IT staff, will find invaluable advice on the design and deployment of the technology and how it works. Detailed, up-to-date coverage includes: The evolution of the technology and what is expected from SANs Killer applications for SANs Full coverage of storage networking and what it means for the enterprise's information processing architecture Individual chapters devoted to the storage, network, and software components of storage networking Issues for implementation and adoption

Evaluating, planning, and migrating to SAN storage architectures SAN concepts, components, and applications--in depth Management, backup, disaster recovery, and day-to-day administration Includes an overview of Fibre Channel, the SAN enabler The complete guide to SAN technology for every implementer and manager! Every month, enterprises require more information, delivered faster, with greater reliability--and traditional data storage methods no longer suffice. Enter the Storage Area Network (SAN), which can store enormous amounts of data, serve it at lightning speed, scale to meet accelerating growth, and deliver unprecedented reliability. Now, there's a complete guide to SAN technology for every IT professional and decision-maker. Storage Area Networks covers it all: key concepts, components, applications, implementation examples, management, and much more. Coverage includes: What SANs are, what they can do, and how they overcome the critical limitations of earlier data storage systems Evolving to SANs: best practices for building SANs from your legacy storage topologies An overview of Fibre Channel, the key enabling technology for SANs SAN configuration, device, and connectivity options--in depth Well-managed SANs: day-to-day administration, backup, restore, and disaster recovery A detailed review of Hewlett-Packard's market-leading SAN product line: Fibre Channel chips, host bus adapters, hubs, arrays, tape libraries, bridges, switches, and more Storage Area Networks also previews the future of SAN technology: policy-based SANs, emerging applications, and more.Whether you're considering a SAN for the first time, or you want a comprehensive management reference for the SAN you've already invested in, this book offers the insights, techniques, and guidance you need right now.

This is a complete revision of Clark's bestseller "Designing Storage Area Networks." The new book provides guidelines for implementing SANs to solve existing networking problems in large-scale corporate networks.

Storage Area Network Fundamentals looks at the various areas and technologies associated with SANs, the available SAN technology, its limitations, expenditures and ways to minimize them, and the forthcoming technology, so that organizations can deploy real operational storage in data centers without further delay. Designed as an introduction to SANs, Storage Area Network Fundamentals develops an understanding of SAN basics and how to plan, implement, and manage a storage area network. The book covers the different topologies, protocols, and products required to implement and manage efficient SANs, as well as questions to test the knowledge imparted to the reader.

IP SANS is a technical overview of the new IP-based storage area network solutions for the explosive growth in data storage requirements faced by today's modern businesses.

If you’ve been charged with setting up storage area networks for your company, learning how SANs work and managing data storage problems might seem challenging. Storage Area Networks For Dummies, 2nd Edition comes to the rescue with just what you need to know. Whether you already a bit SAN savvy or you’re a complete novice, here’s the scoop on how SANs save money, how to implement new technologies like data de-duplication, iScsi, and Fibre Channel over Ethernet, how to develop SANs that will aid your company’s disaster recovery plan, and much more. For example, you can: Understand what SANs are, whether you need one, and what you need to build one Learn to use loops, switches, and fabric, and design your SAN for peak performance Create a disaster recovery plan with the appropriate guidelines, remote site, and data copy techniques Discover how to connect or extend SANs and how compression can reduce costs Compare tape and disk backups and network vs. SAN backup to choose the solution you need Find out how data de-duplication makes sense for backup, replication, and retention Follow great troubleshooting tips to help you find and fix a problem Benefit from a glossary of all those pesky acronyms From the basics for beginners to advanced features like snapshot copies, storage virtualization, and heading off problems before they happen, here’s what you need to do the job with confidence!

Market_Desc: The book provides basic application information key for systems administrators, database administrators and managers who need to know about the networking aspects of their systems. As well as systems architects, network managers, information management directors and decision makers.This book also supports applications for graduate students and other relevant courses in the field. Special Features: · Hot topic that will become increasingly important in the coming years· First book to focus on using rather than building storage networks, and how to solve problems· Looking beyond technology and showing the With CD benefits of storage networks· Covers fibre channel SAN, Network Attached Storage, iSCSI and InfiniBand technologies· Contains several case studies (e.g. the example of a travel portal, protecting a critical database)· Endorsed by the Storage Networking Industry Association· Written by very experienced professionals who tailored the book specifically to meet customer needs About The Book: The authors have hands-on experience of network storage hardware and software, they teach customers about concrete network storage products, they understand the concepts behind storage networks, and show customers how storage networks address their business needs. They know which questions their readers will ask and what they need to know to do their day-to-day job as efficiently as possible, both those with no SAN experience and those with SAN experience.