Front cover Introduction to Storagee Area Networks Learn basic SAN terminology and component uses Introduce yourself to the benefits a SAN can bring Discover the IBM TotalStorage SAN portfolio Jon Tate Rajani Kanth Andre Telles ibm.com/redbooks International Technical Support Organization Introduction to Storage Area Networks April 2005 SG24-5470-02 Note: Before using this information and the product it supports, read the information in “Notices” on page xv. Third Edition (May 2005) This edition applies to the IBM TotalStorage portfolio. © Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 1999, 2003, 2005. All rights reserved. Note to U.S. Government Users Restricted Rights -- Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp. Contents Figures . xi Tables . xiii Notices . xv Trademarks . xvi Preface . xvii The team that wrote this redbook. xviii Become a published author . xx Comments welcome. xx Chapter 1. Introduction to storage area networks . 1 1.1 The need for a SAN. 3 1.1.1 Infrastructure simplification . 4 1.1.2 Information lifecycle management . 5 1.1.3 Business continuance . 5 1.2 The storage area network . 5 1.3 Storage device connectivity. 7 1.3.1 Server-attached storage . 8 1.3.2 Fibre Channel . 8 1.3.3 FICON® . 8 1.3.4 SCSI . 9 1.3.5 Ethernet interface . 9 1.3.6 Network Attached Storage . 9 1.3.7 iSCSI . 9 1.3.8 iFCP . 10 1.3.9 FCIP . 10 1.4 SAN definition and evolution . 11 1.4.1 Fibre Channel architecture . 12 1.5 SAN components . 16 1.5.1 SAN servers . 16 1.5.2 SAN storage . 16 1.5.3 SAN interconnects . 17 1.6 Storage technology trends driving SAN solutions . 17 1.6.1 Today’s SAN requirements . 18 1.6.2 SAN standards . 19 1.6.3 SANs and storage virtualization . 20 © Copyright IBM Corp. 1999, 2003, 2005. All rights reserved. iii Chapter 2. SAN servers and storage . 23 2.1 Servers and storage environments . 25 2.1.1 The challenge . 25 2.2 Server environments . 27 2.2.1 zSeries servers . 28 2.2.2 pSeries servers . 29 2.2.3 iSeries™ servers. 30 2.2.4 xSeries servers . 31 2.3 IBM storage products . 32 2.4 IBM TotalStorage DS Family. 32 2.4.1 Entry-level disk systems . 32 2.4.2 Mid-range disk systems . 35 2.4.3 Enterprise disk systems . 41 2.5 IBM Tape Storage Systems . 46 2.5.1 IBM Tape autoloaders. 46 2.5.2 Tape drives . 51 2.6 Storage virtualization in the SAN. 60 2.6.1 Block virtualization at the LUN level . 61 Levels of storage virtualization . 61 2.6.2 Server, fabric, storage subsystem or file system virtualization . 62 2.6.3 Virtualization models . 63 2.6.4 IBM TotalStorage SAN Volume Controller . 64 2.6.5 IBM TotalStorage SAN File System . 66 2.7 Network Attached Storage . 67 Chapter 3. SAN fabrics and connectivity . 71 3.1 The SAN environment . 73 3.1.1 The storage area network . 73 3.2 Fibre Channel topologies . 74 3.2.1 Point-to-point. 75 3.2.2 Arbitrated loop. 76 3.2.3 Switched fabric . 77 3.3 Fibre Channel technology components. 78 3.3.1 Fibre Channel transmission rates . 79 3.3.2 SerDes . 79 3.3.3 Backplane and blades. 79 3.4 Fibre Channel interconnects . 79 3.4.1 Ten Gigabit small Form-factor Pluggable . 80 3.4.2 Small Form Factor Pluggable Media. 80 3.4.3 Gigabit Interface Converters . 81 3.4.4 Gigabit Link Modules. 82 3.4.5 Media Interface Adapters . 83 3.4.6 1x9 Transceivers. 84 iv Introduction to Storage Area Networks 3.4.7 Cables . 84 3.4.8 Host bus adapters . 86 3.4.9 Inter-switch links . 87 3.4.10 Cascading . 87 3.4.11 Latency . 88 3.4.12 Trunking . 88 3.4.13 Frame filtering . ..