Chapter 2. Storage and Networking Concepts

Storage and networking have evolved as two distinct technologies. Storage, as embodied by the concepts of initiators and targets, assumes a master/slave relationship between connected devices. Networking, by contrast, assumes more egalitarian peer-to-peer relationships between connected devices. The focus of storage technology has been efficient data placement, whereas the focus of networking has been efficient data transport.

By converging storage with networking, SAN technology must provide high-performance transport of data from A to B as well as efficient placement of data after it has safely arrived. In addition, SANs must resolve the contradiction created by thrusting master servers and storage slaves into a democratic peer infrastructure. This chapter examines the basic concepts of networking and storage to provide a foundation for understanding what occurs when they are combined.