San Servers; San Storage - IBM TotalStorage DS300 Best Practices Manual

Heterogeneous
Servers
UNIX
Figure 1-3 SAN components

1.4.1 SAN servers

The server infrastructure is the underlying reason for all SAN solutions. This
infrastructure includes a mix of server platforms such as Windows, UNIX® (and
its various flavors), and z/OS. With initiatives such as server consolidation and
e-business, the need for SANs will increase, making the importance of storage in
the network greater.

1.4.2 SAN storage

The storage infrastructure is the foundation on which information relies, and
therefore must support a company's business objectives and business model. In
this environment simply deploying more and faster storage devices is not
enough. A SAN infrastructure provides enhanced network availability, data
accessibility, and system manageability. It is important to remember that a good
SAN begins with a good design. This is not only a maxim, but must be a
philosophy when we design or implement a SAN.
The SAN liberates the storage device so it is not on a particular server bus, and
attaches it directly to the network. In other words, storage is externalized and can
be functionally distributed across the organization. The SAN also enables the
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IBM TotalStorage DS300 and DS400 Best Practices Guide
zSeries
xSeries
SAN
Switch
JBOD
ESS
LINUX
pSeries
Hub
Director
Router
Tape
DS
Family
iSeries
Shared
Storage
Devices