Introduction

Choosing a Storage Area Network (SAN) provider can be a complex task, especially with the myriad of technical terms and features to consider. This guide aims to simplify the process by providing you with a comprehensive list of key terms and considerations. Whether you’re a seasoned IT professional or new to the world of SAN, this guide has something for you.

Key Terms and Considerations

Performance Metrics

1. IOPS (Input/Output Operations Per Second): This measures the performance of the SAN, indicating how many read and write operations it can handle per second.
2. Latency: This is the delay in data transfer within the network. Lower latency means faster access to your data.
3. Throughput: This tells you the amount of data that can be transferred within the SAN in a given time frame.

Data Protection and Security

4. RAID Levels Supported: Different RAID levels offer varying degrees of data protection and performance. Make sure the SAN supports the RAID level that suits your needs.
5. LUN Masking/Zoning: These are security features that control which servers can access different parts of the SAN.
6. Replication: This feature allows for data backup and disaster recovery.
7. Snapshots: These are point-in-time data copies that can be useful for backups and data recovery.
8. Encryption: This ensures that your data is secure from unauthorized access.

Storage Management

9. Tiering: This involves automated data placement based on usage patterns, which can improve performance and reduce costs.
10. Scalability: This indicates how easily you can add more storage to the SAN as your needs grow.
11. High Availability: This involves failover and uptime guarantees to ensure data is always accessible.
12. Management Software: This is the interface you’ll use to manage various SAN functions.
13. Quality of Service (QoS): This allows for the prioritization of data transfer within the SAN, ensuring that critical applications get the bandwidth they need.

Connectivity and Integration

14. Protocol Support: Check for support for protocols like Fibre Channel and iSCSI, which dictate how data is transferred over the network.
15. Multi-pathing: This feature allows for multiple physical paths between servers and storage devices, improving reliability and performance.

Additional Considerations

16. Open Standards Support: Ensure the SAN adheres to open standards for easier integration, especially important for Linux-based systems.
17. Scripting and Automation: Look for SANs that allow for scripting and automation, particularly useful for tasks like provisioning and monitoring.
18. Performance Monitoring: Opt for SANs that offer real-time performance monitoring tools.
19. Vendor Lock-in: Be wary of how tied you’ll be to a particular vendor for future upgrades or additional features.
20. Cost of Ownership: Consider not just the initial purchase price but also ongoing costs like maintenance and support.
21. Compliance: Ensure the SAN meets any industry-specific compliance requirements you may have.
22. Community and Support: A strong community and robust vendor support can be invaluable for troubleshooting and best practices.
23. Interoperability: Assess how well the SAN integrates with your existing infrastructure.
24. Redundancy: Look for support for redundant hardware and network paths to prevent single points of failure.

Conclusion

While most of these terms and features are standard across the industry, different SAN providers may implement them in unique ways. Some may even use branded names for these common features. Therefore, it’s crucial to not only understand these terms but also to evaluate how each provider implements them.