Networked storage

Each year is declared the year of storage networking. And while it is wise to be sceptical there is finally independent evidence that in 2006 large numbers of users are beginning to explore the move.

A key factor in the take-up is the number of Windows environments where networked storage is being considered for the first time. Traditionally, storage in Windows based IT consisted of some type of Direct Attached Storage option such as a Tape drive.

Vendors such as HP, EMC, IBM and Brocade are pushing the Windows compatibility message hard and people are starting to take notice. And if that weren't evidence enough even Intel is jumping the networked storage bandwagon with recently announced plans for NAS, SAN and other networked storage appliances. The traditional storage suppliers are also increasingly opting for a simpler approach so expect to see more easy to install, configure and run network storage (mostly network attached storage - NAS) products come to market this year.

However challenges remain. One of the biggest barriers to network storage adoption is simply the bewildering array of technologies on offer, from Fibre Channel, iSCSI in networking, SAS, SATA or ATA in disk drives, through to products such as the many NAS boxes on the market all overlaid with concepts and issues such as WAFS, ILM, tiered storage and virtualisation. Confused? Then be confused no longer. Here's a quick guide to the whys and wherefores of networked storage...

What's the buzz?

Storage, and networked storage in particular has a lexicon all of its own. But before we drown in jargon let's run though some of the basic products that go to make up a networked storage environment.

Hard disks

Disks remain the secondary storage platform (see Tape below). Usually used for information that is in current use, data will sit on a disk before being shifted to tape for permanent storage. In drive technology the latest buzz is SAS or Serial Attached SCSI. Auper fast SAS is an expensive platform and is currently restricted to top end configurations and enterprise deployments.

Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) drives are the current sweet spot in drive technology. They are an advance on traditional ATA or parallel ATA drives with the serial interface making for faster information data retrieval at lower cost. SATA drives are bringing disk technology and therefore network storage within the budgets of mid sized companies. SATA is designed for capacity but not speed, and is slower than both Fibre Channel and SCSI disk technology.

Older IDE drives are being phased out.

Disk arrays

A disk array is simply a number of connected disk drives sitting inside a single cabinet of shell. Disk arrays, though an expensive medium when compared with tape, are popular because they offer high capacity, fast access and redundancy - often there is instance failover, where if one disk fails data is automatically transferred to another. Disk arrays also often offer hot swap options which reduces downtime and means that again information is always accessible.

Tape

When people refer to Storage as snorage, they are often referring to tape. But tape is the primary storage platform today and the appeal of tape endures despite its demise having been oft predicted. Tape endures because it is cheap, reliable, secure and has huge capacity for its cost.

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