Quite often the terms storage and back up are used interchangeably, and indeed one can consider the storage solution is a kind of backup. There are many ways of storing data, for example we can store data on CD / DVD, in another computer or using new technologies such as NAS or SAN.

In choosing the right storage solution there are many factors to consider such as; cost, performance, manageability, availability and flexibility. It is estimated that the ratio of management cost vs. acquisition cost for storage has increased over time to 8:1 (SNW). That means that for every £1 spent purchasing storage systems, another £8 will be spent to perform ongoing maintenance and management.

A typical NAS storage

NAS unit can be plugged directly into the network to allow quick and easy access. Normal permissions can be used to allow or disallow access to the data on the NAS devices. The fact that the network is used exclusively for data transfer to and from the NAS means that if you have already a straining infrastructure then NAS will only add to the problem. NAS can slow down the network and backup must be considered before initial purchase. Although NAS can be a ‘quick fix’ to an immediate storage capacity requirement, it does not address the networking and management costs that SANs are more suitable for.

A typical SAN solution

Storage Area Networks is a new architecture for storage rather than a storage device with NAS. The primary interface for SAN infrastructure is Fibre Channel which a block level interface running at 100MB/sec shortly increasing to 200MB/sec with 10Gbit/sec standard under ratification. By using a SAN the performance of the LAN increases. Fibre Channel is also designed for device I/O in that it is much more efficient in moving large blocks of data than Ethernet.

As you see choosing the right storage solution is a tricky business, a decision which you should not make lightly without consulting. Xironet is a business partner with all the large vendors and are in position to offer you the required hardware, software, management and maintenance. We can also offer you an alternative storage solution, that is online storage.