A SAN (storage area network) is an operational network that contains storage devices/elements as its nodes and end points. It is an architecture that contains multiple storage devices and disk arrays interconnected with each other and is connected to a remote data-sharing network (like LAN or WAN). It is through this data-sharing network that information is interactively stored in and retrieved from the storage area network.
The concept of a SAN is to create a logically local but geographically separated pool of storage devices to simultaneously store and retrieve huge amounts of data from multiple locations at high speeds. To achieve this concept, the framework of a SAN is designed as an extremely high-speed network, which not only is dedicated to store and retrieve data but is interactive and controllable in nature as well.
The architecture of a SAN is very simple: It normally contains a set of high-capacity storage devices interconnected to each other with the help of a high-speed optical fiber switch, termed a fiber channel switch. This infrastructure (with some minute changes) is then connected to the local network via a fiber link, which serves as a medium between SAN and its users.
The biggest benefit that is offered by a SAN is in the form of fixed location of storage devices. It means that even when the arrangement of computers within the data network is changed, it has no effect on the availability of storage devices. Further, any physical damage occurred at the end of the data network has no effect on the integrity of storage devices.
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