But a typical difference between san and nas is that, a nas is a single storage device which operates on data files, whereas san is a local network of multiple devices which operate on disk blocks. Data is copied in realtime, and every change is immediately mirrored from the primary server to the secondary storage. No processor covers to 160mbps, or no wiring, parallel depending. Stepbystep guide to nas nfs failover over a lan with. This is nas major use case in midsized, smb, and enterprise remote offices. Using sans and nas w curtis preston published by oreilly isbn. Introduction to storage area networks ibm redbooks. While network attached storage nas device is a server connected to a network with the sole purpose of. Large companies that have to deal with mounting amount of data are increasingly. Preston exams each technology with a vendor neutral approach, starting with the building blocks of a san and how they can be assembled for effective storage solutions. The differences between nas and san can be seen when comparing their cabling and how theyre connected to the system, as well as how other devices communicate with them. Sans treat raw storage as a pool of resources that it can centrally manage and allocate when its needed. Both nas and san share the common objectives of providing cost efficient and centralized management of all enterprise data with full sharing of any data by any computer to a single lock protected data image. Help for storage administrators pdf, epub, docx and torrent then this site is not for you.
At its simplest, the difference between a nas storage abstraction and a san storage abstraction is that nas systems offer file system functionality to their clients and san systems do not. Performance analysis of nas and san storage for scientific workflow. Selfencrypting drives for servers, nas and san arrays. Nas gateways are optimized to provide nas benefits with more flexibility in selecting the disk storage than offered by a conventional nas device. Nas vs san network attached storage vs storage area network duration. At its base, it is built with either sas or sata disks arranged in a raid. Nas is a data storage device connected to a network providing data access to clients. Storage networks explained basics and application of fibre channel san, nas, iscsi, in. San storage area network is a blocklevel storage protocol, meaning data is stored and accessed in blocks. Nas is also a networkbased storage system, but unlike a san, nas uses dedicated file storage. A storage area network is a dedicated, highperformance storage system that transfers blocklevel data between servers and storage devices. Network attached storage nas is more abstracted than san storage. As san is a block level storage solution, its best suited for high performance data base storage, email storage etc.
Most modern san solutions provide, disk mirroring, archiving backup and. From this abstraction comes one of nas biggest advantages. Planning to migrate my virtual server estate from san to nas currently the virtual servers mixture of w2k3 and linux rh5. Instead of blocks, data lives in volumes that are made up files and folders. When you need to consolidate, centralize, and share. Is it possible to use san as nas solutions experts exchange. Nas is optimized for easeofmanagement and file sharing using lowercost. What is the difference between san and nas san vs nas. I am trying to figure out what to use for my company, a nas or san. This, however, shouldnt be the main reason to install a san. We currently have 2 nas units storing backups but am needing another one due to adding more severs and needing to backup more data. Everyone likes new toys, and a storage area networks sans are pretty cool. Free course introduction to san and nas storage youtube.
Nas is a filelevel data storage device attached to an tcpip network, usually ethernet. Pdf performance analysis of nas and san storage for scientific. Network attached storage a simple and relatively inexpensive way to add more storage to your network is to use network attached storage, also known as nas. Sans are primarily used to enhance accessibility of storage devices, such as disk arrays and tape libraries, to servers so that the devices appear to the operating system as locallyattached devices. This nas server authenticates clients and manages file operations in much the same manner as ordinary file servers, through wellestablished network protocols. The name storage area network itself implies that the storage resides in its own dedicated network. Installation is relatively quick, and storage capacity is automatically assigned to users on demand. Overview the term san designates a new type of storage architecture in which the storage systems are attached to a high speed network dedicated exclusively to storage. Nas its origin, present adoption and future incarnations 6. Nas enables users and client devices to get data from a centralized disk.
Hosts can attach the storage device to itself using either fiber channel, tcpip network san uses iscsi when used over tcpip network. Todays data center and cloud environments have converged infrastructures and management tools, and with the use of virtualization technologies like vmware and microsoft hyperv, external san and nas storage is becoming standard. A san stores data at the block level, while nas accesses data as files. Fibre channel san a fibre channel san is a fibre channel network over which the scsifcp fibre channel scsi protocol runs. A nas unit includes a dedicated hardware device that connects to a local area network, usually through an ethernet connection. Using sans, for instance, is a way to share multiple devices tape drives and disk drives for storage, while nas is a means for centrally storing files so they can be shared. Unless you have a hybrid device, like a netapp which supports san iscsi and fc and nas functions. This page compares dasdirect access storage vs nas network attached storage vs san storage area network and mentions difference between dasdirect access storage, nas network attached storage and san storage area network. The san may use fc, or ethernet iscsi or aoe to provide connectivity between hosts and storage.
This edition applies to the products in the ibm storage area networks san portfolio. Nas and san interfaces technologically, nas and san systems offer different abstractions to the software using them 1, 2. This is often contrasted with san storage area network, which provides only blockbased storage and leaves file system concerns on the client side. Unlike san, nas storage controllers partition the storage and then own the file system. San vs nas difference between a storage area network and. Looking at the pros and cons of using a storage area network. A san can be composed of very different hardware, but can usually be broken down into various components. Storage area network san installation and configuration. Because san connects over the network fabric, data transfers and access times using a san are faster than nas, all things being equal in the san vs. A nas is a single storage device that operates on data files, while a san is a local network of several devices. Nas devices are typically managed like a browser, and they dont have a keyboard or display. Nas has always been used traditionally to refer to a dedicated appliance that shares filesystems using nfs, cifs etc. Enterpriselevel disks are used, which means they usually have lower perdisk capacity, but much higher. Nas appears to the operating system as a shared folder.
Nas network attached storage, using that definition and your loose definitions, san is and nas are equivalent. San and nas are not competing technologies, but were designed for different needs and purposes. Introduction to storage area networks july 2006 international technical support organization sg24547003. Basically what you need to know if if your computer can mount the drive space as presented by the san nas in question. Migrating virtual servers from san to nas storage vmware. A san typically is a dedicated network of storage devices not. The second provides detailed analysis of instant secure erase and autolock sed technology, explaining how seds are used in servers, nas and san arrays, virtualised environments. Conference paper pdf available february 2016 with 1,073 reads.
An improvement on the traditional storage model is to use network attached storage nas figure1 middle where physical disk drives are attached to a server, allowing the storage to be made accessible over a network using such protocols as nfs and tcpip. Nas systems provide a richer, typed, variablesize file, hierarchical interface including createor delete file, open or close file, read or write file subset, get or set file attribute, create or delete directory, insert or remove link between directory and. I have heard of san but have no clue how to set one up or really what the heck a san is. However, nas is ethernetbased, while san can use ethernet and fibre channel. Employees access files from the nas like they do any other file on the network. Converging san and lan infrastructure with fibre channel. San use in network architecture nas provides both storage and a file system.
Converging san and lan infrastructure with fibre channel over ethernet for efficient, costeffective data centers page 1 overview fibre channel over ethernet fcoe is an emerging data transport technology that simplifies the network fabric by converging both storage area network san and lan connectivity onto a single 10 gigabit ethernet link. If youre looking for a free download links of using sans and nas. Essentially, nas is a highly specialized file server and because of its hardware, software, or specific configuration, nas only does storage. San conceptual and design basics vmware esx server can be used in conjunction with a san storage area network, a specialized high. The coupon code you entered is expired or invalid, but the course is still available. Todays data center and cloud environments have converged infrastructures and management tools, and with the advent of virtualization technologies like vmware and microsoft hyperv, external san.
Nas is optimized for easeofmanagement and file sharing using lowercost ethernetbased networks. See references for a resource that discusses fibre channel sans in detail. What is a storage area network, and which benefits does it. San is typically used in data centers, enterprises or virtual computing environments. A storage area network san or storage network is a computer network which provides access to consolidated, blocklevel data storage. In addition, while san focuses on high performance and low latency, nas focuses on ease of use, manageability, scalability, and lower total cost of ownership tco. Difference between nas and san data storage spiceworks. Introduction to storage area networking this chapter describes in general terms the benefits, the challenges, and risks of using a storage area network san. A san typically uses fibre channel connectivity, while nas typically ties into to the network through a standard ethernet connection.
183 1405 1480 356 1152 1496 234 757 1122 413 1199 1560 598 375 94 628 1542 43 708 119 955 1398 372 1021 424 1391 1430 464 198 1401 1493 718 695