With gateways, SANs can be extended across WAN networks as well. Switches allow many advantages in building centralized, centrally managed, consolidated storage repositories shared across a number of applications. SANs will enable almost any application that moves data around the network to perform better. Just like conventional 'subnets', SANs add bandwidth for specific functions without placing a load on the primary network. In this fashion, SANs compliment LANs and WANs.
SANs also enable higher performance solutions such as data warehousing.
In fact, as this illustration shows, SANs are really pervasive and applicable to many networking environments. SAN technology enables the network architecture of shared multi-host storage, connecting all storage devices as well as interconnecting remote sites. This will soon be the standard configuration for centralized networks running mission critical applications. Both disk and tape operations are centralized, attached via the SAN, and more resilient as well as operating faster. SAN architecture holds the keys to the future.