This could be as HTTP, file, database or authentication server. RAM is about 100 times the expense of hard storage, so abstracted data doubles cost. In addition, abstraction servers are sized for the number of clients and volume space making scaling difficult. By allowing clients remote access to the SAN in an exclusive fashion using their own abstraction servers, the best performance is achieved and servers are properly scaled. Direct SAN access would be through a translation of fibre-channel at a switch aggregating FC nodes into a single SCTP IP connection.
Simple encapsulation ensures no state information is remembered at any translation node.
Ethernet provides a great deal of flexibility with respect to possible data rates on the IP connection and paths. Shortly, 10G-bit ports will be available. A review is required to determine if FC structures are suitable. In examining a minimal case of one device using FCP structures, the sequence rate is examined. Normal use will increase the number of devices reducing the demand of concurrent sequences.