3.8 Storage Area Networks

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The best way to protect data and applications is to distribute them, rather than centralize them. This can be accomplished with a SAN, which provides fast, reliable access to servers and external or independent storage resources, regardless of physical location. Fibre Channel or Gigabit Ethernet links can provide high-speed transfers of data between systems distributed within a building, campus, or metropolitan area. For longer distances, ATM and IP technologies can be used to transport data over the WAN. Graphical user interface (GUI)-based management systems, as well as SNMP, play a key role in configuring and maintaining SANs. This important topic is covered in more detail in Chapter 4.

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