Realize The Benefits Of NAS/SAN Consolidation

Agrowing number of businesses today are looking into consolidating their NAS (network attached storage) and SAN (storage area network) systems. Businesses generally use NAS systems to share data at the file level via IP (Internet Protocol) networks, while SANs are often used to transfer large blocks of data. But by implementing new hardware systems on the market, businesses can reduce costs, simplify management procedures, and improve the performance of their storage networks. "I have always said that a smart company should recognize the fact that it's not NAS versus SAN, but that NAS complements SAN," says John Foley, worldwide product marketing manager for IBM Corp. (Armonk, NY).

A NAS gateway, a type of server, is the most common product businesses are using to streamline their storage systems. In addition, software is now available to monitor SAN and NAS systems simultaneously. Foley and two other storage experts say companies must be sure to perform the necessary due diligence to ensure a successful integration of systems. "Customers should look at their future growth requirements to determine whether NAS and SAN integration makes business sense," says Tom Clark, solutions and technologies director at McDATA Corp. (Broomfield, CO), a developer of hardware and software storage products. "If NAS systems are not experiencing significant growth, there may be little benefit in converging NAS and SANs."

Integrate NAS And SAN With A Gateway
One way businesses can consolidate their storage data is by installing a NAS gateway that supports simultaneous file- and block-level data access. Several major storage vendors have recently introduced this type of NAS server, which connects to a SAN switch to allow integration of SAN and NAS data. In these systems, file data is routed through the NAS gateway to the SAN disk array.

Although these devices enable companies to access both file and block data via a common system, performing the data migration required for this integration can be complicated, says Jon Hudson, senior SAN architect at Finisar Corp. (Sunnyvale, CA), a developer of fiber-optic subsystems and network performance test systems. Hudson recommends that companies prestage the system to produce a successful SAN/NAS integration. "Test everything, and when you're done, test it again. Back up everything before you start," says Hudson. "Losing data is something you can and will be fired for."

Hudson says the chief benefit of installing a gateway is the ability to cut costs by reducing the number of servers needed to maintain a file services infrastructure. "For example, you will probably get a better price if you buy a single NAS/SAN 20 TB solution from one vendor than if you buy a 10 TB NAS box and a 10 TB SAN array," he says. "So, by combining the initial price and service contracts, you can really reduce your cost."

Connecting a NAS gateway to the SAN boosts the storage capacity of the NAS server by enabling it to share the disk resources of the SAN network. "NAS gateways are great investments for customers who have a bunch of old servers," says Foley. "Instead of purchasing Fibre Channel HBAs [host bus adapters] and Fibre Channel ports for each of these aging servers, it may be more effective to channel the servers into a SAN using a NAS Gateway." Each port and HBA costs about $2,000, so the cost can be prohibitive for a business to connect several servers to a SAN network if it purchases all that equipment separately, Foley notes.

Streamline SAN And NAS Management
One of the chief benefits of consolidating SAN and NAS environments is the ability to simplify management of the storage systems. Software vendors are now offering software solutions that can manage the entire storage environment. These systems allow companies to centrally manage storage across both Fibre Channel and IP networks. McDATA and Network Appliance Corp. (Sunnyvale, CA) recently combined their SANavigator and NetApp software to centralize management of SAN and NAS systems. This combined management software enables companies to improve monitoring systems and achieve better capacity planning.

Since companies are able to combine the management of SAN and NAS systems, they can reduce labor costs. "You don't need dedicated administrators to focus on separate systems when you integrate into a shared environment," says Clark. "The potential is that you won't need a dedicated NAS administrator whose task is monitoring and managing the storage that's embedded within the NAS device. You can share that task with integrated management and fewer people."

Verify Interoperability Of Storage Components
A common mistake IT departments make is failing to ensure that the new hardware they install is compatible with their NAS and SAN systems. Fortunately, interoperability of vendor systems is improving. "Vendors are starting to realize that this is a heterogeneous world, and customers are demanding interoperability and open systems," says Foley. "I have been in this business for 20 years, and I have never seen more cooperation between vendors and competitors to provide interoperability between products."

Although Clark says customers should not take interoperability of systems for granted, he agrees that there is more compatibility between hardware products than ever before. "Vendors have invested millions of dollars in compliance testing labs and processes to ensure connected devices can be supported," he says.

Plan Ahead For Extra Storage Loads
Before integrating a NAS into a SAN system, it's crucial for companies to evaluate how much NAS traffic will be added to the SAN. The first step in the planning process, says Clark, is to determine whether additional interswitch links and other improvements will be needed to handle the higher volume of traffic that will result when the systems are integrated. There are monitoring tools on the market that can help companies determine capacity requirements. "It's amazing to me how many of these NAS and SAN combinations are deployed out there with customers not really understanding their performance requirements in advance," says Clark. "Then companies wonder why their performance decreased."