SAN Har dwar e

S A N Qu i c k R e fe re n ce
SANs are built up from many types of
hardware components. Some of these
devices, such as Fibre Channel switches,
are often unique to SANs. The physical
SAN itself frequently includes RAID
storage systems, hubs, switches, bridges,
servers, backup devices, interface cards,
and specialized cabling. These can come
together to form a storage "system," or
network, that provides the storage
resources and facilitates the policies of an
IT organization. It is very important to
select and configure these hardware
devices with care. A successful SAN
implementation needs to be well planned
and requires a good understanding of the
operating principles, and "standards," that
are involved. Some of these standards
are still evolving and haven't been equally
adopted by all equipment manufacturers
and software developers.
High Availability
SANs offer many options that can provide uninterrupted
This can lead to difficulties when matching
up devices from different vendors and SAN Benefits access to data and applications, even if equipment fails or a
disaster strikes. By incorporating Server Clusters, RAID
suppliers. Much of an individual SAN's
Administrating all of the storage resources in large, Server-free backup, are made possible by a SAN's Storage Systems, Remote Data Replication, and robust
design is concerned with the interoperability
high-growth, mission-critical data centers can be quite flexible architecture and can improve overall Management Software into a SAN, continuous access to
of its member devices. How these elements
daunting and expensive. SANs represent a way to performance significantly. Even storage reliability can data assets can be achieved. Note that data is only part of
interconnect, particularly in High Availability
dramatically reduce these costs and complexities be greatly enhanced by special features made the overall availability requirement since applications must
configurations, may not always be intuitive-
while providing significant technical advantages. They possible within a SAN. Options like redundant I/O also be protected. Therefore, a well implemented SAN
even for storage veterans. And, because
can provide large increases in storage performance, paths, server clustering, and run-time data replication should include provisions for application specific
SANs are typically just as dependent upon
facilitate shared access to equipment and data, (local and/or remote) can ensure data and application monitoring and application fail-over. Additionally, a SAN
software for their operation, it can be vital to
greatly simplify scalability, and offer state-of-the-art availability. Adding storage capacity and other should keep data protected from non-hardware errors,
secure the latest software (and firmware) in
reliability. In fact, the I/O performance of a SAN can storage resources can be accomplished easily within such as operating system or database corruption.
order to avoid potential problems. For these
reasons, companies that specialize in be much higher than that of traditional direct-attached a SAN, often without the need to shut down or even
supplying complete SAN solutions can be storage, largely because of the very high data transfer quiesce the server(s) or their client networks. These,
worth seeking out. Their 'real world' rates of the interfaces used to connect devices in a and other, features can quickly add up to big cost
experience in designing and deploying SANs contemporary SAN (such as Fibre Channel). savings, painless expansion, reduced network
can save great amounts of time and money. Additional techniques, such as load balancing and loading, and fewer network outages.
In many cases, SAN specialists represent
the quickest and most efficient way to
achieve the many benefits available from
Storage Area Networks (SANs).

Remote Mirroring
Server
RAID B'
Remote Replication
Data Replication provides many benefits in today's IT
environments. For example, it can allow system
administrators to create and manage multiple copies of vital
information across a global enterprise. This enables disaster
SAN Admin Console
(Remote)
recovery solutions, maximizes business continuity, and
permits file server content to be distributed over the Internet.
Replication options can even improve host processing
efficiency by moving data sets onto secondary (often remote)
Ser ver Clustering servers for backup operations. In some cases, these data
replication capabilities are required by the "high availability"
In a SAN context, server clustering generally refers to the grouping together of servers for the and "server clustering" features provided by many of today's
purposes of sharing storage resources and data, enhancing their performance (i.e. Load Backup SAN architectures. Remote data replication is typically
balancing), and/or providing fail-over protection in the event that a member server achieved with one of two basic strategies: Storage
misbehaves or malfunctions. Though servers can be clustered together outside of a SAN Solutions replication is focused on the bulk transfer of files, or block
environment, there are several benefits associated with clustering them together as part of a data, from one server to "one or more" other servers. This
common SAN. One of these is the capability to provide uninterrupted access to data, and One of the most valuable time and cost- burden that is usually placed upon a
type of replication generally allows application(s) to be
applications, during and after a server failure. Other benefits often include shared access to saving features of a SAN architecture is dedicated backup server as backups are
running on a server while they, and/or their data, are
disk and tape backup equipment, simplified scalability, data replication options, and increased its ability to offload backup operations performed. This is typically achieved by
being replicated to another off-site server.
I/O performance. In many cases, the specialized software involved in from LANs and servers. This capability embedding some of the backup WAN Application level replication is specific to a
server clustering can even fail-back a server in the event it is repaired can significantly increase the available intelligence into the data storage devices
particular application, such as a database or web
or begins working properly again (often automatically). Some bandwidth on a LAN to network themselves (RAID systems and tape
server, and is typically performed at the transaction
clustering software can even divide application tasks among LAN clients and end users during backup drives) or SAN connectivity peripherals
level (field, row, table, etc.) by the application itself.
clustered servers in order to dramatically improve their response operations. When traditional (switches, hubs or bridges). This can
Many replication products include the ability to
backup servers are relieved from free up traditional backup servers
time and overall performance. Server clusters can also be very transfer data Synchronously or
valuable when considering disaster recovery options. In these "handling" backup data, they can significantly by releasing them from
Asynchronously. With synchronous transfers,
cases, the clustered servers can be joined together with WAN be repurposed and made available data moving duties and large
each packet of transmitted data is
links instead of local SAN connections in order to provide for other tasks. LAN-free backup portions of a backup operation's
acknowledged by the receiving server
enough geographic distance for disaster protection. Locally Clustered solutions can optimize backup administration. When
before more data is sent to it. This can be
Servers operations by offloading backup implemented properly, these
FC Switch FC Switch a slower form of replication, but is very
traffic from a LAN to a SAN, SAN based backup
reliable. Asynchronous data transfers
thereby increasing the amount of solutions let administrators
Remote Cluster Member
FC Switch SAN A SAN A' allow data packets to be sent ahead of
LAN bandwidth. Serverless optimize network and
SAN acknowledgements from the receiving
backup, on the other hand, server utilization,
WAN server for previously sent packets. This
Shared Storage extends these performance gains dramatically shorten backup RAID A RAID A'
method is usually faster but allows more
even further by offloading more than times, and regain processor
RAID C data to be lost if links fail. Eventually, in
RAID C' 90 percent of the administrative and network resources.
Backup Server either case, all transmitted packets must be
Disaster Recovery acknowledged by the receiving system.
For more information call 800-872-2783 more
or visit www.dothill.com websales@dothill.com Copyright 2001 Dot Hill Systems Corp.

Storage Vir tualization

S A N Qu i c k R e fe re n ce
The term "Storage Virtualization" generally refers to the
process of dividing, concatenating or aggregating available Storage via IP
storage devices, and their capacity, into "Virtual Volumes"
without regard to the physical layout or topology of the actual Storage over IP refers
storage elements (i.e. Disk Drives, RAID sub-systems, etc.). communication with, and access to,
Typically, these resulting Virtual Volumes are presented to their storage systems and services over IP
client's Operating Systems as abstraction(s) of the physical based networks. By using IP networks
devices and are used by these OSes as if they were distinct disk and infrastructures instead of, or in
drives or separate storage subsystems. addition to, other protocols and
connections such as Fibre Channel, very
The virtualization of storage assets typically involves the use of flexible and cost effective SANs can be
centralized SAN management software. Along with other features, deployed. Also, because IP based
this category of software can assist storage administrators with storage can be accessed over existing
allocating volumes and repurposing storage resources. The networking infrastructures (including
independence of Virtual Volumes from physical storage device(s) Ethernet), it retains the existing
can also assist with migrating from, or replacing, obsolete storage m a n a g e a b i l i t y, i n t e r o p e r a b i l i t y,
subsystems without server shutdowns or interrupting data access. compatibility, and cost advantages
In addition, data management can be significantly enhanced through that have made Ethernet networks
storage applications such as Snapshot, Mirroring, Remote very successful and
Replication, etc. that often require the creation and expansion of implemented. Provisioning storage
Virtual Volumes for their use. In summary, a typical SAN is much over IP lets customers use
more valuable and functional with storage virtualization features. inexpensive, readily
Ethernet switches, hubs, routers
A first step toward storage virtualization is to combine physical storage and cabling to implement low cost,
assets (even devices from multiple vendors) into virtual storage pools low risk IP based
that can be divided up and securely assigned to various hosts.
These hosts will no longer need to interact with captive physical, and
logical, storage devices. Instead, they will see storage as virtual
disk pools, each with the potential to deliver specifiable Quality of iSCSI
Service (QoS), redundancy, robustness, and performance to meet
the potentially diverse needs of each SAN client. Additionally, The iSCSI protocol was developed
since data is typically centralized in these storage pools, sharing to provide the capability to supply
stored data (i.e. files) between hosts, if desired, is made much block level storage access and data
simpler. In other words, with virtualized storage, one can literally over IP networking infrastructures.
slice and dice consolidated storage capacity and dynamically This protocol, having been recently
allocate it to particular servers or to particular applications. approved by the Internet
Engineering Task Force (IETF), is
poised to become a widely used
standard. The use of iSCSI, for
example, would let a corporate
With storage virtualization, network transfer SCSI commands
multiple devices can be and data (from SCSI devices and
combined and presented to
storage systems) to any location with
a client as a single
access to a metropolitan area network
LARGE volume.
(MAN), WAN, or if transmitted over
to the Using IP as the underlying
communication conduit also provides an
unsurpassed level of connectivity and
allows the use of existing networking
know-how. With IP based storage
systems, replication, backup and
restoration operations can
performed at any location without the
distance restrictions often imposed by
traditional infrastructures (i.e. Fibre
Channel). An additional advantage
of providing storage via IP networks
is that these systems don't require
the replacement of existing storage
resources. In fact, blending IP
widely based storage with existing
storage networks can present a
user with the benefits of each
available simultaneously. Additionally, IP
based storage systems can
leverage future advances in
SANs. Ethernet and IP.
ordinary LAN traffic. Use of
encryption and other IP based
security features, like VPNs, can
now be applied to storage traffic.
Network and performance
management applications for IP
based networks can now be
applied to storage traffic also.
Basically, iSCSI deals with both
the storage and IP worlds, taking
SCSI protocol data and
encapsulating it within IP packets
for transmission via IP based
networks. Specifically, the iSCSI
protocol describes the mapping of
SAN Management Software
Though typically spoken of in terms of hardware, SANs
very often include (or require) specialized software for
their operation. In fact, configurating, optimizing,
monitoring, and securing a contemporary SAN will almost
certainly involve advanced software, particularly centralized
management tools. When considering more complex
options, such as High Availability configurations, selecting
the proper management software can be just as critical as
choosing the equipment. Though somewhat recent in its
be development, SAN management software borrows heavily
from the mature ideas, benefits, and functionality that have
been available for traditional LANs and WANs. Ideally, this
new category of software would be universal and work with any
SAN equipment. But in today's multi-vendor and hardware-
diverse SAN environments, this software is very often
proprietary and/or tied to certain products and vendors. While
this situation is beginning to change, SAN management software
today must be selected with great care. Much consideration has
to be given to the SAN equipment manufacturers, OS platforms,
firmware revisions, HBA drivers, client applications, and even
other software that may be running on the SAN. Until SAN
management software becomes very universal, it will continue to
be quite important, and even vital, to work closely with product
(and total solution) providers in order to successfully implement,
and realize, the best features that SANs have to offer.
iSCSI implementations can differ.
The example below employs special Client
software drivers that encapsulate SCSI
data within IP packets for transport
over a GigE Ethernet network.
SCSI driver
wrapper
IP Network
SCSI driver
wrapper
NIC

the Internet, to locations with Internet the SCSI remote procedure call NIC
access. It will also allow for smaller model on top of the Internet's
Separate Storage localized SANs to be built using the Transport Control Protocol (TCP).
Assets common Ethernet infrastructure SCSI commands are first divided into
(instead of Fibre Channel or other their various SCSI phases. Then the
Fi

interfaces). Hence, iSCSI enables iSCSI protocol takes the information

b
re

contained in the SCSI phases and

Ch

SANs to be implemented by a broader,

an

SCSI
mainstream market. Other reasons for encapsulates them into iSCSI
ne
l

this standard's development include: Protocol Data Units (PDUs). These IP Packet

ha n
ne l gaining price point economies of scale PDUs are transmitted over an IP
C Dedicated Storage
Fibr
e
Server
for storage networks by capitalizing on network and reconstructed at the IP Header iSCSI Header SCSI Command/Data
the large volume of Ethernet LAN and IP receiving end. Once reconstituted, the
I

SCSI Storage
S
SC

WAN products, and "easing the use" of SCSI commands are passed to, and iSCSI encapsulates SCSI commands and
SANs by implementing them using these processed by, the target SCSI device SCSI data within IP packets.
well-known Ethernet and IP or system. If required, the
technologies. However, note that using encapsulated SCSI commands and data
Simplified Storage
Storage Client(s) the iSCSI format over Ethernet places a can be encrypted for transmission over
Capacity Management much higher burden on networks than insecure networks.

For more information call 800-872-2783

more
or visit www.dothill.com websales@dothill.com Copyright 2001 Dot Hill Systems Corp.