SAN (Storage Area Network )

• SAN is a network of storage disks.

• In large enterprises, a SAN connects multiple servers to a centralized pool of disk storage.

• Compared to managing hundreds of servers, each with their own disks, SANs improve system administration.

• By treating all the company's storage as a single resource, disk maintenance and routine backups are easier to schedule and control.

• The SAN network allows data transfers between computers and disks at the same high peripheral channel speeds as when they are directly attached.

Fiber Channel is a driving force with SANs.