Nas-San Fusion - Aberdeen AberNAS 120 Manual

Microsoft® Windows Storage Server 2003 White Paper

NAS-SAN Fusion

NAS devices can be seamlessly integrated into a storage area network, providing clients access
to unlimited storage. In this configuration, NAS storage is separated from the NAS filing function
and placed on the SAN. The NAS head now acts as a gateway to the SAN, controlling distribution
of the data over the network and providing clients with maximum scalability and high-performance
storage solutions.
NAS-SAN fusion also enables system administrators to move NAS backups off the LAN onto the
storage network for highly efficient and extremely fast backups that do not impact LAN
performance.
Figure 7. Windows Storage Server 2003 (NAS "head") integrated into storage area network.