The methodology to gain these benefits is to centralize and consolidate your storage around SAN-attached storage. Yet, not all SANs are equal. Like network technology, there are many different ways to implement SAN technology. With so many components to choose from, designing the right system solution can be a confusing dilemma fraught with trial and error. In terms of system architecture, the way to sort this out is to view SAN configurations from an availability and accessibility perspective.
Access is a critical dimension of continuous operations.
Switched fabric networks are more accessible than routed networks, which are more accessible than serial loops. At the bottom of the scale, internal, bus-attached storage contributes nothing to improved access or availability. Our recommendation is to implement system architectures based on availability requirements and the ability to scale them to match future needs. Both may be fault tolerant but the degree of redundancy and independence of data access vary dramatically. Enterprise SANs define the pinnacle of consolidated, shared storage networks and are scaleable far beyond any other architecture.