Storage Area Networks For Dummies®
by Christopher Poelker (Hitachi Data Systems, New York, New York); Alex NikitinFormat: Paperback
Pub. Date: 2003-03-01
Publisher(s): For Dummies
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Summary
In case you weren't sure, a storage area network, or SAN, is a collection of computers and storage devices connected over a high-speed optical network and dedicated to the task of storing and protecting data. SANs solve many of the data storage and management problems that have long bedeviled enterprise networks, and they save companies who use them a bundle. Which is why SAN administration is one of the highest-paid jobs in IT today. Add storage area networking to your resume and your phone will ring off the hook with calls by head-hunters promising of six-figure salaries.Bored with in your current IT job and looking for a change of paceand bigger bucks? Then Storage Area Networks For Dummies is for you. Have you been tasked with designing, implementing, or troubleshooting your company's SAN and need to play catch-up in a hurry? Look no further. In no time, this book gets you on track with the know-how and confidence you need to: Choose the right hardware for the job Design state-of-the-art SANs Implement a SAN and get it running like a well-oiled machine Configure, manage and troubleshoot SANs Seamlessly integrate two or more SANs Become a SAN sage and give your career a major boost From the ABCs of SANs to making the most of advanced SAN features, Storage Area Networks For Dummies covers all the bases in plain English and with loads of real-life examples. Key topics covered include: What are SANs, how they work, and who needs them SAN protocols, components, and common problems Designing and building a SAN SANs and disaster recovery Networking SANs Understanding, choosing, and using SAN backup solutions Making the most of Point-in-Time technology Outsourcing SANs Managing and troubleshooting SANs The solution to so many enterprise data storage problems, SANs equal heightened efficiency and productivity for organizations and greater prosperity for those who build and manage them. Let Storage Area Networks For Dummies help you get in on the ground floor of one of today's hottest IT growth areas.
Author Biography
Christopher Poelker has designed storage area networks for many Fortune 100 companies. <BR>
Table of Contents
| Introduction | p. 1 |
| Whom This Book Is For | p. 1 |
| About This Book | p. 1 |
| Foolish Assumptions | p. 2 |
| Conventions Used in This Book | p. 3 |
| Icons Used in This Book | p. 3 |
| SAN 101 | p. 5 |
| The Storage Area Network | p. 7 |
| Defining a SAN | p. 7 |
| Fiber versus Fibre | p. 8 |
| How SAN Makes Computing Different | p. 9 |
| Understanding the Benefits of a SAN | p. 10 |
| Finding Out Whether a SAN Is Right for You | p. 12 |
| Dissecting a SAN (The Four Ps) | p. 14 |
| The Parts of a SAN | p. 14 |
| The SAN Protocols | p. 17 |
| The SAN Players | p. 19 |
| The SAN Platforms | p. 19 |
| SAN Building Blocks | p. 23 |
| SAN Components and How They're Used | p. 23 |
| The Host Layer | p. 25 |
| The Fabric Layer | p. 28 |
| The Storage Layer | p. 43 |
| SAN Manufacturers | p. 48 |
| SAN Vendors | p. 48 |
| Storage Array Design | p. 50 |
| Explaining Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) | p. 53 |
| Logical Unit Numbers (LUNs) | p. 57 |
| Making the Right Buying Decisions | p. 59 |
| What Makes a SAN Go | p. 61 |
| Networking Basics | p. 61 |
| Moving Data at the Speed of Light | p. 62 |
| Bandwidth | p. 63 |
| Fibre Channel Protocols | p. 64 |
| The Switched Fabric | p. 67 |
| What Makes a SAN Stop | p. 73 |
| Discovering What Causes SAN Problems | p. 73 |
| Preventing Poor SAN Design | p. 74 |
| Using the Right Cables in the Right Way | p. 79 |
| Designing and Building a SAN | p. 87 |
| Designing the SAN | p. 89 |
| Basic SAN Designs | p. 89 |
| Point-to-Point Topology | p. 92 |
| Arbitrated Loop Topology | p. 93 |
| Switched Fabric Topology | p. 100 |
| Basic Fabric Topologies | p. 105 |
| Understanding Zoning | p. 117 |
| Initial Switch Setup | p. 124 |
| The Best Practices--Tips from the Trenches | p. 129 |
| SANs and Disaster Recovery | p. 133 |
| The DR and the BCP | p. 133 |
| How Much Downtime Can You Afford? | p. 134 |
| Crafting a SAN-Based Disaster Recovery Plan | p. 137 |
| Recognizing the Importance of Distance, Bandwidth, and Latency | p. 139 |
| Choosing the Recovery Site: What to Think About before Implementation | p. 142 |
| The Importance of Testing | p. 144 |
| Putting It All Together | p. 145 |
| Building a SAN by Hand | p. 145 |
| The SAN Plan | p. 147 |
| Setting Up the SAN | p. 149 |
| Preparing the Servers | p. 158 |
| Configuring the Array | p. 160 |
| Plugging Things In | p. 164 |
| Configuring the Zones | p. 168 |
| Back to the Servers: Did it Work? | p. 171 |
| Data Migration | p. 175 |
| Using Advanced SAN Features | p. 177 |
| Networking SANs | p. 179 |
| Defining a SAN Island | p. 180 |
| Connecting SAN Islands | p. 181 |
| The Storage WAN, MAN, and SWAN | p. 183 |
| Choosing and Using SAN Extenders | p. 185 |
| Choosing the Correct Link for the Job | p. 187 |
| Using Compression to Reduce Costs | p. 190 |
| SAN Connection Protocols | p. 191 |
| Stretching the SAN (The Rubber Band Approach) | p. 196 |
| Using Connected SAN Islands (The Two Rubber Bands Approach) | p. 199 |
| Using SAN as Network Attached Storage | p. 202 |
| SAN-based Backup | p. 207 |
| Understanding Backup | p. 207 |
| Understanding SAN Backup | p. 209 |
| Choosing Your Backup Solution | p. 213 |
| Determining How Long Backup Will Take | p. 223 |
| Booting into the SAN | p. 229 |
| Why SAN-Based Booting Makes Sense | p. 230 |
| Booting Basics | p. 231 |
| Choosing the Right Host Bus Adapters | p. 233 |
| Booting into the SAN the Right Way | p. 235 |
| Performing a SAN Boot, Step by Step | p. 235 |
| Mirror, Mirror: Point-in-Time Copies | p. 251 |
| The Uses of Point-in-Time Technology | p. 252 |
| Complete versus Metadata Copies | p. 258 |
| Which PiT Type Should You Use? | p. 260 |
| Creating a PiT Copy | p. 261 |
| Managing Your Point-in-Time Copies | p. 263 |
| The Finer Points of PiT | p. 268 |
| SAN Management and Troubleshooting | p. 275 |
| SAN Management | p. 277 |
| Management: From Simple Networking to SANs | p. 278 |
| SAN Management from the Ground Up | p. 279 |
| Cable Management: Spaghetti, Anyone? | p. 280 |
| SAN Management Frameworks | p. 286 |
| Providing a Service Level Agreement | p. 298 |
| Building a Storage Management Team | p. 299 |
| Outsourcing Your SAN | p. 305 |
| Outsourcing the Whole Thing | p. 305 |
| Alternatives to Outsourcing | p. 311 |
| Deciding Whether to Outsource | p. 314 |
| Writing a Request for Proposal | p. 315 |
| SAN Vendor Relations | p. 318 |
| Troubleshooting SANs | p. 321 |
| Troubleshooting Methodology | p. 322 |
| Typical Problem Types | p. 326 |
| Example Scenarios | p. 338 |
| The Part of Tens | p. 349 |
| Ten Things to Ask in an RFI | p. 351 |
| Performance | p. 352 |
| Reliability and Availability | p. 353 |
| Connectivity and Security | p. 354 |
| Backups | p. 356 |
| Capacity Planning and Performance Analysis | p. 357 |
| Automation | p. 358 |
| Storage Management | p. 358 |
| Diagnostic and Debugging Tools | p. 359 |
| Service and Support | p. 360 |
| Cost | p. 361 |
| Ten Places to Go for More Information | p. 363 |
| Getting All the Real Geeky Stuff | p. 363 |
| Using Books as a Resource | p. 365 |
| Using the Internet to Find Information | p. 365 |
| Subscribing to Periodicals | p. 366 |
| Getting Information from Vendors | p. 366 |
| Using Universities for Information | p. 366 |
| Picking the Brains of Others | p. 367 |
| Going to Industry Conferences | p. 367 |
| Industry Analysts | p. 368 |
| On-the-job Training | p. 368 |
| Ten Reasons to Use a SAN | p. 369 |
| You Want Better Disk Utilization | p. 369 |
| You Need a Good DR Solution for Multiple Applications | p. 370 |
| You Need Better Availability for Your Applications | p. 370 |
| You Need More Storage Room | p. 371 |
| Backup is Taking Too Long | p. 371 |
| You're Focusing on Server and Storage Consolidation | p. 371 |
| You've Been Tasked to Save Your Company Money | p. 372 |
| You Need to Manage Storage for Many Locations from a Central Site | p. 372 |
| You Need to Decrease IT Management Costs | p. 373 |
| You Need Better Performance for Your Applications | p. 374 |
| Ten Reasons NOT to Use a SAN | p. 375 |
| You Need Larger File Servers | p. 375 |
| You Only Have a Few Inexpensive Servers | p. 376 |
| You Want to Use the Latest and Greatest Solutions Available | p. 376 |
| You Want to Save Your Company Money This Year | p. 376 |
| You Need a Disaster Recovery Solution for a Single Application | p. 377 |
| You Want a SAN, but You Don't Have the Budget | p. 377 |
| You Use Gigabit Ethernet on Your LAN | p. 378 |
| Everything Already Runs Fine | p. 378 |
| You Need to Backup Multiple Remote Offices over Slow Links | p. 379 |
| You Need to Replicate Your Data for Disaster Recovery but Can't Afford Fast WAN Connections | p. 381 |
| Index | p. 383 |
| Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved. |
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