Designing Storage Area Networks

Today’s organizations must manage unprecedented amounts of information, and explosive growth in both the quantity of data and users’ demands for it. Fibre Channel-based Storage Area Networks are the only practical solution — and they, too, are experiencing exponential growth. This concise design and implementation guide introduces Fibre Channel SAN technology and demonstrates exactly how it can be used to address specific application challenges, from server clustering to ISP hosting, server-free tape backup to full-motion video. Readers learn how Fibre Channel works, and how to organize Fibre Channel components into an effective, scalable design. They discover today’s best approaches for managing storage area networks — including brandnew troubleshooting techniques. Detailed case studies demonstrate how to select and configure SAN components for seven of today’s most challenging storage applications. For networking professionals, consultants, managers, and IT executives, there’s no faster way to get up-to-speed on today’s most important storage technology.