Advantages and disadvantages of using SAN (Storage area Network)

The term SAN stands for ‘Storage space Network’. because the name suggests, it’s a frenzied high-speed network notably used for data storage. This network is constructed with servers, switches, fibre optic cables, and storage devices. During this system, the storage devices don’t seem to be directly connected to the servers.

Rather, storage devices are connected to the servers through switches. And, optical fibers are used for the connection. Because of that, the info transfer speed of a SAN is extremely high. And for that very reason, servers and therefore the in operation System sees the hosted knowledge or storage devices as native disk drives.

It conjointly implies that SAN provides access to solely block level operations and consolidated data although there are multiple storage devices and servers. And, like all the opposite data storage solutions, san switches also have its sensible and dangerous sides. During this post, we’ll allow you to recognize what are the advantages and downsides of employing a SAN (Storage space Network).

Pros of using SAN:

• Security:

If you would like to keep your data secure, then you ought to choose using SAN. you’ll be able to implement numerous forms of security measures on a SAN easily. For instance, you’ll be able to isolate the users, organizations, or departments with the assistance of a virtual SAN.

You’ll be able to conjointly implement ACL (Access management List) among the switches to form certain that solely the documented users can join. although hand} these, there are a great deal of other steps you can take to secure the SAN. So, all of your knowledge on the SAN is secured.

• High-Speed knowledge Transfer:

If you’re aggravated with the slow data transfer rate of your storage network and storage devices, then you’d love using san switches. As SAN technology uses fiber optics to transfer the knowledge, it will transfer data with the speed of over five Gbps. It’s one of the quickest data transfer network technologies to date.

• Failover Protection (Dynamic):

San switches offer automatic continuous network operation. It doesn’t matter if one or a couple of of the servers go offline or fail. The automated traffic rerouting operates and inherent redundancy would take over whenever a server failure happens. As a result, your storage network is perpetually up. This dynamic failover protection comes in handy whereas you need to try to do maintenance work on any of the servers.

• Centralized Backup:

SAN stores data at the block level. And, all of the info during a SAN is centralized. That means, the data are mechanically replicated and it’ll be held in a central location. So, even though a server disconnects or explodes within the network, then all the opposite servers take charge and stabilize the data load. As a result, the data transfer on the SAN stays uninterrupted.

• Quicker and Cheaper Backup:

We’ve simply told you that SAN uses a centralized backup method. One can change the whole data backup process by mistreating centralized backup technology. That way, all of the info of your storage network is mechanically secured nearly instantly.

It’s conjointly cheaper than using the other kind of storage network. So, if taking a backup of your data takes too long and you would like to boost it, you’ll be able to use SAN or enclosure Network.

• Higher Disk Utilization:

Another nice advantage of using SAN is best disk management. As all of the storage arrays are connected via a centralized storage network, these can be managed as one unit. So, you’ll be able to separately manage and assign the storage at the network level to the actual servers that require it. Otherwise, while not a SAN, you had to shop for multiple individual storage disks and insert them in servers one by one. Whereas employing a SAN removes these obstacles in disk management.

• High end Disaster Recovery:

During a SAN facility, you can implement industry-leading disaster recovery systems. Typically, SAN will have an external storage array that ensures quicker and easier knowledge backup. So, whenever a disaster hits you’ll have a backup of your data and it may be simply recovered once it’s necessary.

Although, it is true that implementing a disaster recovery system for a SAN is expensive. But, you’ll impart yourself for implementing disaster recovery as you will be able to go back to all the lost knowledge via the Disaster Recovery feature.

• Higher handiness of Your knowledge and Applications:

SAN or enclosure Networks are created during an approach that these are meant to ne’er go down or fail. This network storage technology uses uncountable failsafe solutions to safeguard your data. As a result, you will always get access to the info and applications that are necessary for you or your organization. SAN conjointly uses the top-notch formula for data protection, so your data can perpetually be safe and consistent.

• For large knowledge Centre house owners:

SAN has all the most effective options to be an ideal resolution for data centres. There are a great deal of fine reasons to use SAN rather than alternative numerous storage solutions during a data center. it’s secure, failsafe, fast, and even wants less power to operate. So, it may be an excellent addition to big data centers of organizations.

• Simplifying Storage Administration:

As you don’t have to alter multiple disk storage devices or cables on a daily basis, SAN helps to avoid wasting you from a great deal of problems and it conjointly saves a lot of your precious time as well. merely put, SAN simplifies storage administration from the bottom up.

• Straightforward to feature or take away Storage Devices:

You’ll be able to add new storage devices simply to the SAN if you would like additional storage. Likewise, if you need to get rid of further storage devices, you can simply do that. you’ll be able to increase or decrease the cupboard space of your storage network anytime you would like to even while not interrupting the whole operation on the servers. You don’t even ought to stop or reset your servers to feature or take away cupboard space as these don’t seem to be directly connected to the storage devices.

• Everything at identical Place:

As all the servers are connected via switches, you don’t have to move storage devices from one server to a different one physically, if you want to apportion new storage space from one server to another. you’ll be able to use a SAN as one entity.

• No information measure Bottlenecks:

In LAN based mostly storage networks, the info is held on the servers or storage disks. As a result, you’ll face information measure bottlenecks whereas a large quantity of knowledge is being transferred via LAN. So, if your website gets a fulminant spike on visitors, the servers will crash.

However, within the case of SAN, all the data is stored on the SAN. So, the resources of your servers and storage devices are perpetually out there to the system. And, you will not face any bandwidth bottlenecks in SAN.

Cons of using SAN:

• Can be costly for a few:

Frankly, to run a decent enclosure Network system, you’ll ought to pay a hefty quantity of money. it’s as a result of obtaining an industry-leading knowledge storage and transfer facility. So, if you don’t have an enormous business then you’ll be able to avoid mistreatment SAN. Instead, you can rummage around for alternative cheap solutions.

• Doesn’t Work Well with solely a couple of Servers:

It’s not not possible to use SAN with only a few servers. However, it’ll be pricey for you. Whereas you may really manage those servers yourself while not paying too much. There in regard, if you have got dozens or hundreds of costly servers, you’ll be able to profit from mistreatment SAN.

• Data would possibly Leak:

You ought to perpetually take sensible measures to secure the SAN. Then again, implementing high-end security measures to a SAN is expensive. So, a great deal of users don’t use them. However, if you don’t take all the required precautions, sensitive data might leak as all of the consumer computers use identical storage devices and servers in SAN.

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