HP B6960-96035, Concepts Manual

Page: 171 / 422

Storage Area Networks
A Storage Area Network (SAN), depicted in Figure 51 on page 172, is a new
approach to network storage that separates storage management from server
management with a network devoted to storage.
A SAN provides any-to-any connectivity for all network resources, thus enabling
device sharing between multiple client systems and increasing data traffic performance
as well as the availability of devices.
The SAN concept allows the exchange of information between multiple data storage
devices and servers. The servers can access data directly from any device and do
not need to transfer data over the conventional LAN. A SAN consists of servers,
backup devices, disk arrays, and other nodes, all connected with a fast network
connection, typically Fibre Channel. This additional network provides off-loading
storage operations from the conventional LAN to a separate network.
Data Protector’s direct backup functionality is a productive application of SAN and
fibre channel technology.
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