SANs Across MANs and WANs (Spring 2009)

Extending storage networks across distance is essential to BC/DR (Business Continuance/Disaster Recovery), compliance, and data center consolidation. This tutorial will provide both an overview of available techniques and technologies for extending storage networks into the Metro and Wide area networks and a discussion of the applications and scenarios where distance is important. Transport technologies and techniques discussed will include SONET, CWDM, DWDM, Metro Ethernet, TCP/IP, FC credit expansion, data compression, and FCP protocol optimizations (Fast Write, etc). Scenarios discussed will include disk mirroring (both synchronous and asynchronous), remote backup, and remote block access.

Learning Objectives

Overview of transport technologies used in Metro and Wide area networks
Overview of protocol and transport optimizations for Metro and Wide area networks including data compression and fast write
Overview of deployment scenarios and business drivers for extending storage networks across metro and wide are networks