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The term “IP Storage” is generally used to refer to a storage area networking solution that uses standard Ethernet connectivity in some way. These solutions typically fall into one of the two categories: Those that use an Ethernet link to interconnect Fibre Channel SAN environments via gateways; and those where a SAN is built using Gigabit Ethernet infrastructure instead of Fibre Channel.
Consequently, IP, storage solutions typically extend and complement existing SAN environments, or they provide affordable new SAN storage solutions in parts of the IT infrastructure that are still dominated by direct-attached storage.
The benefits shared by all IP storage solutions derive from advantages associated with standard Ethernet networking:
Mature, well-understood technology with a long history of plug-and-play interoperability
Low costs through commodity economics
Strong roadmap to 40Gb and beyond
Reliable, fault-to learn, with built-in quality of service
Routable transport with no distance limitations
Flexible provisioning and configuration
A broad range of proven management tools
Enormous knowledge and experience base-expertise in every IT organization
Taken all together, IP, storage solutions greatly broaden the options available to IT executives to address the cost, availability, performance and manageability issues caused by continual, data growth, and to accelerate their transition from yesterday's direct-attached storage architecture to tomorrow's networked Storage model.
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