Storage Technology Comparisons

Direct Attached Storage (DAS) Benefits Price per megabyte is low; therefore the cost of adding drives and/or servers is reasonable   Manage storage using the network operating system of the attached server   Scalable to 16 devices for each SCSI host adapter in the server   Limited dependency on network bandwidth   Separation of storage and server purchases Operating system independent Manufacturers Adaptec Hewlett-Packard IBM JES Sony Storage StorCase

Network Attached Storage (NAS) Benefits Works independently without host support Centralizes storage control Provides fast, easy installation and administration Offers a potentially lower-cost alternative Provides cross-platform file server Operates unattended with low data security risk Fast time to data -- fast recovery and minimal downtime Manufacturers Hewlett-Packard Iomega JES Meridian Snap Teac

Storage Area Network (SAN) Benefits Availability Configurations contain fully redundant components, redundant fail-over switches and controllers.   Scalability As storage needs grow, simply add devices to the switch ports for increased bandwidth and overall system availability.   Value TCO and ROI is simple and trouble-free to accelerate and manage applications. Manufacturers Adaptec Hewlett-Packard IBM StorCase

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DAS Diagram

DAS (Direct Attached Storage) means each server has dedicated storage that is directly connected to that device.

The storage device is seen and accessed by a single host system, and in the event that another host system will need additional storage, that host will add more physical storage and/or I/O interfaces or host bus adapters. This model offers an alternative solution to NAS and can be used, designed and implemented with various vendor storage and management interfaces.

Notes:

• Implementation
  Direct attached storage (DAS) is in the form of independent drives, RAID arrays or tape libraries. Currently it is the most common storage architecture.
  
   
• iSCSI
  iSCSI is an appealing solution for customers who have traditionally bought storage systems that attach directly to a server. Microsoft Windows-based storage systems will initially have the largest impact with iSCSI.
  
   
• Low Cost
  Corporations that are looking for a lower-priced way to store less critical data and ease the burden on their NAS or SAN devices will benefit from a DAS solution.
  
   
• No Dedicated Technical Staff Needed
  After the initial configuration, the DAS design requires little administrative work. Disk quotas and permissions can be set to limit unnecessary access and data storage. Most Windows administrators have been content with the simple and straightforward configuration and management, excellent performance and low cost that DAS provides.
   

Configuration
To ensure complete compatibility and interoperability of all the components, all designs need to be reviewed and endorsed by Technical Support.

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Traditional and Wireless NAS

Traditional NAS
The wired NAS Server can be used in your traditional LAN Configuration in any configuration that best supports your business needs.

Typical Capacity falls into the range of: 80GB, 120GB, 160GB, 240GB Minimum Memory Requirements are: 64MB RAM Interface: Ethernet 10/ 100 Base T (single or dual NIC card configuration) Remote Access: Wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11b) with external antenna.

Target Markets:

• SOHO Market
• Small Businesses
• Departmental Workgroup
• System Integrators
• ISP
• Engineering Lab
• Education or Government

Wireless NAS

• Use as a File Server, Web Server or Print Server
• Includes WLAN Access Capabilities
• Use as an Internet Router for Shared Internet Connections
• Provides File, User and Share Level Security
• Ethernet 10/ 100- Base- T- LAN Connectivity Provided

Main Office
Using a wired/ wireless NAS server can provide a solution for both the wired and wireless LAN configuration.

Possible opportunities for selling this product would be:

• Temporary network configurations
• Hard to wire buildings
• No more room in your existing servers

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Office In A Box NAS Solution

Utilizing pre-configured software and hardware, NAS devices are suited for rapid deployment. All software and hardware features are focused on file serving, and the browser- based installation provides for easy, headless installation on the network. With knowledge of some basic network information like machine name and a network-addressing scheme for the box, can be up on the network and serving files in under fifteen minutes.

Network Area Storage
NAS is storage that is connected directly to a network, such as a LAN, that provides file-level access to data using standard protocols such as NFS (Network File System) or CIFS (Common Internet File System). Computer systems can access data from a NAS appliance over a network via a file "redirector" that changes the access to a file from the native file system (on the originating computer system) to a network operation using TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) to a remote server that is running software to provide the file system to support the individual client access. The file system on the NAS server determines the location of the data requested by the application client whether it is in its cache or on the storage.

• Features
  Works independently without host support Centralizes storage control Provides fast, easy installation and administration Usually improves network throughput Offers a potentially lower cost alternative Provides cross-platform file server Operates unattended with low data security risk Fast time to data – fast recovery, minimal downtime.
  
  NAS features provide organizations of any size the ability to install NAS and have it up and running in minutes with minimal interruption of service to end- users.
  
   
• Configuration:
  To ensure complete compatibility and interoperability of all the components all designs need to be reviewed and endorsed by Technical Support.

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SAN Diagram

Notes:

• SAN Fabric
  The SAN fabric consists of two or more interconnected Fibre Channel switches that connect to Fibre Channel storage devices.
  
   
• Management
  There are two ways to integrate management into this scenario. The first is to directly manage the devices, either through their own management interface or through a third part application. The rest of the network devices and infrastructure are managed through standard SNMP interfaces.
  
   
• Servers Connection to Fabric
  Fibre Channel HBAs (Host Bus Adapters) are intelligent interface cards that will physically make the connection to the switches as well as provide the necessary interface to the operating system.
  
   
• Connecting the HBA and Switches
  Both copper and fiber optics are viable solutions. Each has it's own benefits and features to be considered. Basically cooper is less expensive, but fibre optics provide a reliable connection over long distances.
  
   
• SAN Security Issues
  SAN solutions are secure. In association with a SAN management station, certain policies can be designed that will protect the network and data from unauthorized use or intentional damage.

Configuration
To ensure complete compatibility and interoperability of all the components all designs need to be reviewed and endorsed by Technical Support.