1 The HP storage server solution
This chapter describes some basic storage technologies along with the underlying software components
that comprise an HP ProLiant Storage Server.
The HP ProLiant Storage Server products can be used in many types of computing environments, from
basic Microsoft
®
Windows
®
workgroups to complicated multiprotocol domains using Distributed File
System (DFS), Network File System (NFS), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP),
and Microsoft Server Message Block (SMB). The corresponding varieties of clients that can be serviced
include any Windows, UNIX
®
, Linux, Novell, or Macintosh variant.
The HP ProLiant Storage Server family of products includes enterprise class, as well as remote of
fi
ce or
small to medium business class solutions that provide reliable performance, manageability, and fault
tolerance. Each HP ProLiant Storage Server has been speci
fi
cally designed to function as a network
attached storage server. Refer to the HP ProLiant Storage Server QuickSpecs (available on the HP web
site
http://www.hp.com/go/storage
) for a list of server hardware and software features. Click
NAS
,
select a storage server, and then select a link for the QuickSpecs.
Server identi
fi
cation
The model identi
fi
ers of ProLiant Storage Servers have a pre
fi
x of DL or ML. DL is the optimized density
line, and is mounted into a rack. ML is the maximized con
fi
guration line, and considered to be a
desktop server. The number following the pre
fi
x increases with the amount of features and capability. For
example, the 100 series generally has fewer features than the 300 or 500 series storage servers. Each
major revision to the server is designated by a generation (G) designation. For example the DL100 G2 is
a rack-mounted, second-generation, 100-series server.
The storage environment
Servers play an important role in the storage environment. They can connect into a storage area network
(SAN) infrastructure with cabling, hardware, and software, to manage the data
fl
ows moving in and out.
This section describes some of the technology involved in the storage environment.
SAN
A SAN is a specialized, dedicated high-speed network. Servers and storage devices may attach to the
SAN. It is sometimes called “the network behind servers.” Like a local area network (LAN), a SAN
allows an “any to any” connection across the network using interconnect elements such as routers,
gateways, hubs, and switches. Fibre Channel is the standard SAN networking architecture, although
other network standards could be used. A decision to implement a SAN is usually a decision to develop
a new storage network infrastructure.
NAS
Storage devices which optimize the concept of
fi
le sharing across the network have come to be known
as network attached storage (NAS). NAS solutions use the mature TCP/IP network technology of the
Ethernet LAN. Data is sent to and from NAS devices over the LAN using the TCP/IP protocol. By making
storage devices LAN addressable, the storage is freed from its direct attachment to a speci
fi
c server, and
any-to-any connectivity is facilitated using the LAN fabric.
In principle, any user running any operating system can access
fi
les on the remote storage device. This
is done by means of a common network access protocol. In addition, a task, such as backup to tape,
can be performed across the LAN using specialized software, enabling sharing of expensive hardware
resources, such as automated tape libraries, between multiple servers.
HP ProLiant DL380 G5 Storage Server
17
Summary of Contents for ProLiant DL380 G5 DPSS
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