DAS, NAS, SAN (FC & ISCSI & FCOE)

LINKS:
http://www.stonefly.com/resources/watch.asp?vid=FCoE-vs-iSCSI,-What%27s-The-Better-Choice-For-You#video


DAS:

SERVER-SERVER: 

PHYSICAL: ETHERNET

PROTOCOL: TCPIP

SERVER-STORAGE:

PHYSICAL: SCSI (SATA CARDS)

PROTOCOL: SCSI

CONS:

Free Storage in one server could not be shared with other

NAS:

SERVER-SERVER: 

PHYSICAL: ETHERNET

PROTOCOL: TCPIP

SERVER-STORAGE:

PHYSICAL: ETHERNET

PROTOCOL: TCPIP

PROS:
- Centralized Storage
- Sharable
- Data can be accessed as \\12.11.1.2\file_name (means, the server or host knows the storage is not Local)
CONS:
- File Level Transfer, hence slower
- Did support all applications (like mail exchange, database so on)
But now it supports all the applications

SAN (with FC):

SERVER-SERVER: 

PHYSICAL: ETHERNET

PROTOCOL: TCPIP

SERVER-STORAGE:

PHYSICAL: Fiber Channel

PROTOCOL: Fiber Channel

PROS:
- Centralized Storage
- Block Level Transfer
- Data can be accessed as D:\ (which means, the server assumes the storage is local BUT IT IS NOT)
CONS:
- High Cost
- New deployment needed server to have HBA (new PCI card)

SAN (with iSCSI):

SERVER-SERVER: 

PHYSICAL: ETHERNET

PROTOCOL: TCPIP

SERVER-STORAGE:

PHYSICAL: Ethernet

PROTOCOL: ISCSI (NOT TCPIP; and hence supports BLOCK_TRANSFER)

PROS:
- Centralized Storage
- Block Level Transfer
- No need for HBA
CONS:
- NO CONS IDENTIFIED AS OF NOW (IT IS TAKING OVER FC MARKET)

SAN (with FCOE):

SERVER-SERVER: 

PHYSICAL: ETHERNET

PROTOCOL: TCPIP

SERVER-STORAGE:

PHYSICAL: Ethernet

PROTOCOL: Fiber Channel (NOT TCPIP or ISCSI)

PROS:
- Centralized Storage
- Block Level Transfer
CONS:
- FCOE HBA Cards are needed for servers