Tallennusalueverkot

Tallennusalueverkot, often referred to by their English acronym SAN (Storage Area Network), are high-speed networks designed specifically for connecting storage devices to servers. Unlike traditional network-attached storage (NAS) where storage is accessed over the general-purpose LAN, SANs provide block-level access to storage devices, making them appear as locally attached drives to the servers. This distinction is crucial as it allows for faster data transfer rates and more efficient storage utilization.

SANs are built using specialized networking hardware and protocols. Common technologies include Fibre Channel, which is a high-speed serial interface designed for data storage, and iSCSI (Internet Small Computer System Interface), which encapsulates SCSI commands within IP packets, allowing storage to be accessed over standard Ethernet networks. The architecture of a SAN typically involves dedicated switches and Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) in servers to manage the high-speed connections to storage arrays.

The primary benefits of SANs include improved performance, enhanced scalability, and better availability. By offloading storage traffic from the LAN, SANs reduce network congestion and improve server responsiveness. They also allow for centralized management of storage resources, making it easier to provision, allocate, and protect data. Furthermore, SANs support features like data replication, snapshots, and disaster recovery, contributing to business continuity. These characteristics make SANs a common choice for enterprise-level applications requiring high performance and reliability, such as databases, virtualization environments, and large-scale data processing.