Storage Area Networks

Storage Area Networks are netwrks that are created to store data. SANs allow computers to use storage devices from a remote location by use of a network. What this means is that I can have a room full of harddrives that store space. I can save things to these drives from any computer hooked up to the network. SANs are used in large businesses, schools, and other places that require a good deal of memory.

There are commercials for remote storage devices on TV frequently. Dell , Apple , HP , and a few other companies make storage devices for SANs. To operate a SAN you need a few things:

Server

A server handles all information travelling to and from the storage drives. It connects all the computers and keeps them working together.

Storage

The storage drives hold all the information that needs stored. It is connected to the server and in constantly storing, reading, managing, or changing information.

Cables!

Cables are very important for every network. Cables run from every computer to the server and then from the server to the storage drives. All the information that is transferred runs along these cables.

SANs increase storage and flexablility without slowing down computers. The data is sent very quickly, interpreted, and the task done within a miniscule ammount of time. The servers redirect and interpret the tasks from a computer. Then the task is sent to the corresponding storage disk and then the data travels back through the server to the computer. All these parts work together to accomplish tasks.

Here is a Wikipedia article on Storage Area Networks.

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Created by Zachary Adams.

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