Storage structure

The demand for storage structures in the digital file, publishing and printing fields has always been very urgent. After entering the digital world, storage systems have become an integral part of the digital workflow. From file generation to final archiving, if you want to keep the workflow smooth, you must effectively combine all kinds of storage hardware. Therefore, the infrastructure and related software that connects these hardware are critical in the storage structure. .
This article will briefly introduce some of the knowledge related to storage networks and network storage services.

The two popular storage products in use today are SANS (Storage Area Network) and NAS (Network Attached Storage) products. SANS is a special network consisting entirely of storage hardware. Connect the SAN to the corporate LAN and provide everyone on the network with access to large storage on the storage hardware. If people on the local area network (LAN) need to store more content, they can be added directly to the SAN managed by the network center. This SAN storage off the LAN can eliminate network consumption, and adding new storage capacity will not bring delays.

Most SAN products rely on visible Fibre Channel technology for connectivity. Most Fibre Channel products have full dual-channel bandwidth of up to 100 Mbits per second (100 MBPS) and are especially suitable for handling large prepress files. This standard can theoretically support transmission rates in excess of 4G per second (4GPS). In addition, the existing 2GBPS transformer can meet the need to achieve this transmission rate.

Fibre Channel uses a series of transmission paths. Data can travel from one node to another node 6 kilometers away. Different Fibre Channels can be routed separately with almost no errors. This technology also allows up to 126 devices to be attached to each connection. All of these advantages make visible fiber technology a great alternative to SCSI technology. The best point is that it can be integrated into existing SCSI devices so that users who need to add fiber-optic communications do not have to eliminate existing legacy storage products, even though the new fiber technologies will not have any function on these products. enhance.

NAS products are slightly different from SAN products in providing storage services. The NAS product is a server designed for file storage and services. They can download files from other servers in the customer's local area network. When the storage needs to expand, any number of NAS devices can be added to the network immediately and the network does not need to be shut down. The tasks of the standard server are focused on some standard operations such as sending letters, and the NAS server can handle some troublesome tasks such as automatically backing up, passing the user's required files, and executing all other storage related commands.

Usually NAS products are mostly associated with Gigabit Ethernet, which can provide a transmission rate of 1000 negabits per second, which is 10 times faster than the current Fast Ethernet standard. Gigabit Ethernet also has more advantages than Ethernet technology in the past. It can be easily added to an existing network. Because Gigabit Ethernet is fast and relatively inexpensive, using standard data protocols, it is also used in SAN products. The combination of these two technologies is called "through IP storage" (SOIP) or "SAN over IP" ( SAN over IP), SAN products using this technology can be comparable with 10GBps Ethernet, it is expected that 10GBps Ethernet will be widely used in the next few years.

First, major manufacturers currently provide SAN products for almost every memory manufacturer, among which EMC Corporation has the largest market share. It is reported that EMC Corporation has recently developed the enterprise storage network structure combining the ClariiOn line of optical fiber ICT storage products with SAN technology and NAS technology. EMC also recently announced its own ESN management software, which is used to manage all the storage hardware attached to the ESN network without having to worry about who the hardware manufacturers are.

Network Appliance recently dominated the NAS market. The company offers a full range of NAS facilities to meet a variety of different needs. Its NetApp filer series, which stores from the low-end products 50GB to the high-end products 12TB, scale complete. At the same time, NetApp offers a variety of management software that is used on the company's Data ONTAP products and designed specifically to control incompatible storage networks.

Sun Microsystems also supports NAS standards, and the company offers StorEdge N820 with up to 800GB of storage. In other NAS products, the company recently developed its own turnkey (turnkey, turnkey application) SAN solution. This new SAN product combines Sun's best-selling StorEdge T3 and the new Stor Edge Fibre Channel Switcher in a variety of pre-configured combinations, with storage energy ranging from 327GB to 169TB per server, and customers can choose from Sun's The "on-demand reserves" program frees up unnecessary storage.

Like Sun, most companies provide both SAN and NAS products. Many companies are also trying to integrate the two technologies, the most typical of which is IBM. IBM has invested in SAN and NAS technologies and is working hard to bring these two technologies to market closer together. In February of this year, IBM released its new ISCSI-based product, a product that is stored over an IP interface, allowing SCSI commands to work over a standard IP network. This product allows users to use ordinary Ethernet hardware to generate SANS. Scott Kozar of IBM's Storage Systems Division believes that this product is really the first step in IBM's integration of SAN technology and NAS technology.

Last December, IBM also announced its intention to develop its own Storge Tank, a product promised to combine data from various incompatible storage devices into a single repository via a network. It can be accessed through a unified interface. This product is a rule-based management system that allows users to give various rules for information storage, and then let the software interface complete all storage management tasks based on these rules. Koazr said that this product can well solve the various management problems of high-speed storage, and introducing this system will introduce users' storage management into a more effective mode.

Compag Computer Corp. is also promoting its Enterprise Network Storage Architecture (ENS) standard, which is loosely based on the SAN model. The optical communication technology used by ENSA has management software that can control an incompatible storage environment. Compag's StaorageWork SAN products and Task Smare NAS devices represent Compag's latest technology in this area. And Compag's Versa Stor technology is a clout for IBM's Storage Tank and other comprehensive storage management products.

Hewlett-Packard also enjoys a significant market share in the NAS and SAN markets. HP's recently introduced Netstorgae Plus 00 series of NAS products, ranging from 144GB to 73GB storage per box, provides users with the most choice of SAN hardware and management software.

Of course, building a proper storage structure for your company is a real headache, but you don't have to worry too much about the compatibility between the device and the software, because when you need to make certain changes to the storage structure You will find that most of the original technology is compatible. Most companies provide solutions that integrate various types of storage hardware, not just their own company's products.

Second, network storage using the company's external storage is a feasible way for companies to keep their expenses to a minimum. At present, many SSPC storage service providers are beginning to provide external storage services to enterprises. In this way, SSP will assume all tasks, including configuration, storage hardware, software, hardware and software management equipment, backup for customers, provide storage space according to demand, and charge accordingly.

SSP customers can also propose to pay for each MG storage volume, depending on the accuracy of the storage period (usually from 99.99% to 99.999%) and additional services provided by the SSP, such as real-time data backup, off-line storage of tape backups. Wait. Most SSPs will provide storage space from 100GB to tens of terabytes. Many ASP and storage device manufacturers also offer some types of off-line storage services.

StorageNetoorks is a leading SSP in this field, providing a variety of external storage services, such as: a complete off-line solution to manage the enterprise's existing line of storage hardware, precision software layer.

StorageNetworks' PACS service is its core business, which includes DataPass SAN, NetPACS NAS, BackPACS tape backup, and SafePACS damage repair services. All these services are managed by the company's flagship product, STORmanage. Chuck Eberl, head of the audio and video department at StorageNetwork, said that StorageNetworks is not the only storage service provider, but it is the company that is really developing the best technology.

STORmanage can be placed at the top of an existing network, providing "dot" access to every storage device connected to the network. Eberl said that this technology represents the technological trend in this field. It can increase the utilization rate of the equipment from 20% to 85% or even 90%. This avoids unnecessary loss of investment for customers.

The Anacomp Anacomp File Solutions Group is an SSP that provides external storage to the digital publishing market through CD and .com services. Customers can transfer their data to Anacomp's storage in the form of tapes or electronic files via the data transmission service of the Anacomp file solution.

There are many other SSPs in this area, including Centripetal, whose CentriStore service includes automated schedule backups and monthly usage reports. Other services include off-line storage of back-up tapes provided at an additional charge. StorageProveder uses its RecoveryPro service to provide complete data backup management, using OnlinePro service data storage capacity from the most 50GB to the largest number of TB to choose from, other services such as Storege Way's OutStore (outside storage) and OutBackUp (external backup); WorldStor Corporation Atlas Suite and Storage Access on-demand reserves; Storability's AssurENT structure and webBASIS's managed storage services.

III. Conclusions This article has outlined some of the basic theories of storage network architecture, as well as the current major players and their services in this field. Of course, to establish a complete storage system, if there is no hardware, it is worthless to have such a storage structure. In the future, we will continue to introduce the storage hardware on the current market, and we will discuss the storage interface and hardware technology in the next five years. Potential development

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