How to evaluate your storage system

How to evaluate your storage system

whether you want to evaluate, design, build, or buy a NAS or San, it should be as simple as possible at the beginning, and then increase the complexity according to your actual needs, so as to establish a storage scheme suitable for you

in the traditional sense, it companies prefer additional storage methods, such as mobile hard disk. This method is to connect a single external storage resource with a master device (server or workstation). The more storage methods are used, the more problems will be involved, including the cost of ownership, measurability and manageability

storage space network (SAN) and network attached storage (NAS) have now entered the joint stage. These two technologies allow you to share storage resources among a wider range of processing systems and users, which can not only improve work efficiency, but also simplify management. Because you can share data through multiple platforms (maybe the device you use or the operating system), network storage technology will make you more quickly access the data you want

detailed description of San and NAS

in addition to NAS being more advanced than San, these two technologies have other internal differences

nas is a special product, which is set between an application server and a file system. However, San depends on the specific organization. A San is a network that connects all storage devices with all servers. San can solve the connectivity problems in multiple storage devices and servers. A San can also provide new storage methods, such as hard disk and tape storage, different types of data sharing, offline/serverless support and recovery. Secondary network can help reduce the pressure of large-scale data transmission in the main network, because it supports data transmission between storage devices in the storage space network

on the other hand, a NAS allows you to add storage devices while having network support. Because NAS usually works at the document level, users can share and access the same information, even if they use different operating systems. NAS devices also have a cross platform cooperation function, which is to share data among multiple application servers

nas becomes a single node on the network in order to make the host directly contact the files stored on NAS. Common software designed for NAS includes unified storage devices, Internet and e-commerce applications, and digital multimedia devices. However, a NAS can only send files, not data modules

nas and San benefits

these two enterprise storage options provide a great benefit for enterprises using them: greatly reducing it labor costs. In a distributed environment, storage management consumes about 55% of the total storage cost budget. Comparatively speaking, San controls this proportion between 15% and 20%. Moreover, NAS devices are easier to operate because they are only connected to the network. Pay attention to the specific file service needs since the first half of this year. GUI based management software further makes storage system management much easier

nas advantages

easy to add

you can add NAS devices to the network in a few minutes without having to go to your local area. These devices often have high-intensity reading and writing capabilities

reduce the pressure on the network server

nas devices will greatly increase the storage capacity. You can use these expanded capacities to help network transmission reroute or reduce the need to increase network nodes. Managers of enterprises can reduce the reaction time by executing file service nucleating agent 0.2~0.7 tasks on the web server, so as to avoid hindering important business tasks, such as the permission of application software or the sending and receiving of e-mail. The mobility of NAS can support you to add storage devices whenever you need them, even remotely. Finally, for NAS, you can backup files without affecting the work of the network server

promote data sharing

modern networks are a diverse environment. NAS enables you to connect with multiple operating systems, or share data between distributed users and servers. NAS also supports network file system protocol and common interconnected file system for UNIX and Microsoft respectively, so as to promote this cross platform data sharing method

advantages of San

centralized information

the biggest advantage of a San is that it allows you to put a large amount of information together and put it into a central storage network. The San is connected with all storage devices, and the information on the decentralized network is downloaded through the storage devices. This process is short and efficient

fast data reception

the optical channel where the San is located uses a loop, which provides a true data transmission speed of 100 megabytes per second. Compare it with today's SCSI Technology (the transmission speed is generally 40 to 80 megabytes per second), and you will find its obvious advantage in speed. However, the latest SCSI technology is under development, and it is expected that the upcoming SCSI technology can also be comparable to the speed of San. San can also support countless devices, if your company is willing to invest in infrastructure (there are enough devices, such as servers, multiplexers, shunts and storage devices)

simplified backup and recovery functions

san provides enterprises with simple backup and recovery functions. The data can be copied remotely, and the copy is no different from the original. It can also be quickly backed up locally without affecting the speed of network transmission. With San, you can save billions of bytes of data in a few hours. In addition, San also provides a large number of networking technologies, such as path allocation, data aggregation, data backup, replication and other technical functions. These functions help prevent data loss and improve the availability of data information

abnormal measurability

because San itself has almost unlimited measurability, it is a very good choice for networks. The network is not only growing rapidly, but also has a continuous need for higher storage levels, so using San is the most appropriate. By using reallocation and management tools, network managers can reallocate storage space from one server to another. Reallocate storage space for a server instead of directly connecting to the storage space of the server. However, San also has its own limitations. The cost of connecting to a San is very expensive. Connecting to a medium-sized San costs US $250000. In addition, it also lacks the ability to work together, for which sellers are trying to improve

considerations before deciding to buy

Security: a good product must provide security. For these two technologies, the reliability of data and network is very important. It is a key problem for users to find and buy products that provide data security and excellent uptime. For example, the StorEdge n8200 NAS of Sun company provides the function of adding heat exchange to ensure the high quality of operation. Auspex NS2000 NAS includes netservices 2.0 software, which provides Windows NT 4.0 management tools and security services. If the reliability of the product is the key to your choice, you must determine what features of the hardware you choose are redundant

access time: especially in the San environment, the speed of obtaining data information and receiving training on the use of Evonik products is very critical. NAS devices serve at the file level, while San serves at the information module level. In this way, San can process data faster than NAS

interoperability: This is not a problem for NAS, because NAS devices are only accessory devices. However, San has been plagued by the problem of interoperability. Usually, the salesperson will recommend that users purchase all parts of the San. Sometimes sellers will provide extensive interoperability testing, and will advise users to buy supporting products that work well together. Dell recently announced the launch of its Dell PowerVault San configuration tool and Dell powersuites for backup and restore software to help users build different types of sans more easily. IBM has developed its seascape structure, which can support users to establish optimal solutions for special business models. The structure of seascape includes IBM's general storage server, network storage manager, virtual tape server and cross platform expansion device, which can be integrated into the optimized solution designed for special business environment

Management: as sans become larger and more complex, managing all parts becomes challenging. Therefore, choosing a suitable management software has also become a key issue. A powerful solution will enable San managers to control the entire network through a single interface and change network parameters to meet changing storage needs. Some current suitable software packages are vixel's San insite and connex's sanavigator. Language support: when used for network related purposes, supporting multiple languages and text functions will attract attention. Users are all over the world. They understand information and use programs in different languages

price: the good news is that San and NAS technology solutions have become more affordable. However, building a network storage solution still requires a huge investment in hardware and software. A NAS with four ide drives and 80-gb storage capacity costs about $4000. The medium level -- six SCSI drives -- costs $12000. High level NAS with 10 drives is generally about $40000. The price of a medium-sized San usually reaches 250000, and the time to recover the cost investment is about 18 months to 2 years

summary

whether you want to evaluate, design, build or purchase a NAS or San, you should be as simple as possible at the beginning, and then increase the complexity according to your actual needs, so as to establish a storage scheme suitable for you