SAN Switch

#Infra #On-premises #Concepts

1. What is SAN?

  • SAN (Storage Area Network) = a dedicated storage network
  • Connects servers (compute equipment) and storage (disk equipment) over a separate network, allowing servers to use storage as if it were a local disk.

    • If a regular LAN handles “user ↔ server ↔ internet communication,”

      think of SAN as a dedicated network for “server ↔ storage communication.”

2. What is a SAN Switch?

  • To build a SAN, you need a network device between the server and storage.
  • That device is called a SAN switch.
  • Unlike regular LAN switches, it uses storage-specific protocols such as Fibre Channel (FC).

👉 Key characteristics

  • Connects servers and storage at high speed and with high reliability
  • Typically supports ultra-fast ports such as 8Gb, 16Gb, and 32Gb FC ports
  • Can connect multiple servers and multiple storage systems in a Fabric topology

3. Comparison: LAN Switch vs. SAN Switch

CategoryLAN Switch (Cisco, Juniper, etc.)SAN Switch (Brocade, Cisco MDS, etc.)
PurposeServer/PC ↔ Network ↔ InternetServer ↔ Storage dedicated network
ProtocolEthernet (TCP/IP)Fibre Channel (FC)
Speed1G, 10G, 25G, 100G8G, 16G, 32G FC
ExamplesCisco Catalyst, NexusBrocade DS-7720B

4. Network Architecture Diagram

[ 서버 (R760, R730XD 등) ]
         |
         |  (Fibre Channel)
   [ SAN Switch (DS-7720B) ]
         |
         |  (Fibre Channel)
[ PowerStore 1200T 스토리지 ]

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