SAN is an acronym for Storage Area Network, which is a high-speed
specialized network that links different storage devices at particular
data servers. The system connects a number of virtual hard drives
referred to as LUNs. It provides a channel for a large network of users
to store and retrieve information from particular servers on the
network. SAN storage systems are part of the many resources owned by
many elite business enterprises. They offer access to merged, block data
storage operations as opposed to file abstraction operations. In some
cases, these additional systems can be designed on top of the SAN
systems to provide access to the files and are referred to as SAN file
systems. This system simplifies storage management and increases
flexibility as the data cables don't have to be moved physically to
change storage from one server to the next. Therefore, it makes
administration of data easier. There are many companies that offer
quality SAN storage products that meet diverse storage needs. Choice of a
SAN system depends on your storage needs. This technology has found
wide application in contemporary data center enterprises.
Advantages of
SAN Storage Systems
SAN
systems offer many benefits to business enterprises. The main benefit
of this system is that it allows easy management of storage resources.
In addition, you can change from one storage divide in an associated
server to another without much hustle.
This system also allows
servers to boot from the resources of linked within. They allow for
faster replacement of servers that are down since the storage area
network can allows the replacement servers to use the virtual hard disks
of the replaced servers.
Moreover, SAN systems enable high
efficiency in the disaster recovery process. This system can link up
with secondary storage device at a distant server to enable storage
replication. The SAN Storage system can use many Internet Protocols to
transport data to different locations. These include Fiber Channel over
Internet Protocol (FCIP) and iSCSI.
Companies that Offer SAN Storage Products
The
most common computer companies such as HP, Dell and IBM produce SAN
products tailored to serve corporate needs. These systems ensure
continuance of the business enterprises even in the event of disaster by
providing backup data storage facilities. Below are some of the most
popular computer technology companies and the SAN products they offer.
1. HP Storage Area Network
This
company is a global leader in the provision of SAN systems that are
compatible to most corporate computer infrastructure. They offer open,
flexible and standard-based product that can suit any scale of business
operations. Their products can be customized according to your
specifications. They include SAN switches, SAN directors, routers etc.
2. IBM SAN Systems
IBM
offers SAN solutions that are tailored to integrate both enterprise and
SMB SAN solutions. Their products include enterprise SAN directors,
mid-range SAN switches, entry SAN switches, Converged switches and more.
3. Oracle SAN Systems
This
company offers many SAN storage products that suit all sizes of
business. An example of its products includes the Pillar Axiom 600,
which offers consolidation of storage devices at high performance and
efficiency. This equipment supports multiple applications and i very
suitable for any business.
These are just but a few companies in a
market that has numerous companies and products. The choice of a
SAN storage system will depend on the pricing, your needs and the features
offered. Basically, a SAN system requires the purchase of SAN switches,
routers, SAN directors and many other hardware components and software
programs.
You can get more information about
SAN Storage Systems by
IT Services.
The radical change in business landscape has forced organizations to
offer the best service delivery, calling for streamlined operational
processes. This is why mission critical applications, like servers and
network, have to be efficient. This requires that these gadgets be
consistently monitored round the clock, so that any failure or
malfunction is detected immediately. Monitoring the server and network
infrastructure is critical.
The Top 10 Server and Network Monitoring Tools
GFI Network Server Monitor. This
application comes embedded with features that automatically scan the
network for irregularities. When failures are detected, the software
provides instant notification to the administrator via SMS, pager, or
e-mail technology. In addition to notifications, the system can be
configured so that it can take remedial actions such as automatic
rebooting of the system, running a script, or restarting certain
services.
Monit. An open source application that
is used to manage and monitor file systems, directories, files,
programs, and processes on UNIX based system. The application performs
automatic maintenance and repair. The system can be used to monitor
server systems, network, or even cloud services.
Ganglia. Mainly
used to monitor high performance computing systems such as servers,
clusters, and grids. The application leverages popular technologies such
as XML, XDR, and RRD tool.
Nagios. This is a
server and network monitoring application that enables enterprise
identify and resolves IT infrastructure related problems before they
affect critical business processes. The software enables the system
administrator to detect and repair faults within servers and networks
before the problem directly affects end users and customers.
Zenoss. This
is a freeware open source application that is used to monitor servers,
networks, and applications. It is very popular and since its launch it
has been downloaded over a million times and it is widely deployed
across the globe.
Argus. Comes with capabilities
to monitor virtually anything residing within the company network
infrastructure including databases, application programs, SNMP OIDS, IP
connectivity, TCP + UDP applications, and server systems. In case it
discovers faults, it can send alerts to the system administrator through
SMS or pager services.
Multi Router Traffic Grapher (MRTG). This
particular application monitors while graphing traffic on network
links. It can provide hourly, daily, monthly, or weekly graphs. It can
also possible to graph any SNMP variable.
Ntop. An
open source application that monitors the traffic, this software looks
at the IP traffic, protocol information, and any other network related
statistics. The system then sorts out the collected information by
subnet or hosts, or can scan the entire network. It works under both
windows and Linux environment.
Big Brother. A low
cost application with the capabilities of supporting hundreds of
network devices, it can also monitor various aspects of the network such
as functions, event logs, applications, and processes.
Observium. This
monitoring application comes with support for PHP/MySQL/SNMP and it is
primarily geared towards Cisco and Linux based networks. It also comes
with support for various network hardware and operating systems.
You can get more information about
Computer Network Security and
IT Services by visiting OpenTek.
