What is managed SAN Hosting? SAN hosting is a managed storage/hosting solution -  it is a viable and affordable alternative to dedicated servers and dedicated hosting. For businesses that run critical applications requiring 100% uptime and super fast recovery from data corruption but do not want the expense and management headache of a complex bespoke solution, then managed SAN Hosting is worthy of serious consideration.   Who does it work?  A SAN server stores data securely on an IP SAN and is mirrored across several drives with hot swaps available, should your drive fail. The server boots off the SAN and if a fan or CPU fails it can be replaced within minutes, using a shared standby server without any data loss. Compare this to a standard dedicated server which would stand alone and in the event of drives or CPUs failing they would need rebuilding or replacing which would mean more downtime. Typical Users of SAN Hosting  Small & mid-sized enterprises looking for a high end solution without high end pricing or hassle  High availability sites requiring maximum uptime  Businesses looking for a managed hosting, storage and disaster recovery solution in one.

What is a SAN? Definition: A storage area network (SAN) is a type of local area network (LAN) designed to handle large data transfers. A SAN typically supports data storage, retrieval and replication on business networks using high-end servers, multiple disk arrays and Fibre Channel interconnection technology. SAN technology is similar but distinct from network attached storage (NAS) technology. While SANs traditionally employ low-level network protocols for transfering disk blocks, a NAS device typically works over TCP/IP and can be integrated fairly easily into home computer networks  [Source:   About.com ] Why have storage area networks (SANs) evolved? Rapid growth of highly transactional data that require high speed, block-level access to the hard drives (such as data from email servers, databases, and high usage file servers). Historically, enterprises were first creating "islands" of high performance SCSI disk arrays. Each island was dedicated to a different application and visible as a number of "virtual hard drives". SAN essentially enables connecting those storage islands using a high-speed network.

 Reduce costs associated with hosting mission critical applications / servers
 Reduce existing dedicated hosting/server costs
 Provides robust back up & disaster recovery solution
 Reduce systems management time

The heart of the problem lies in the traditional relationship between the server and its dedicated storage, and between the location of stored data and users' ability to get at it. For decades, only one model persisted - directly attached storage (DAS) - where individual storage units are tied to, or even in-built within, a specific server. Aside from the inherent wastage, that model has also created several other headaches: if either the server or the storage fails, both become useless; providing user access to the dispersed data has required cumbersome copying and data movement; and it makes the management of back-up complex.

 

The SAN, by linking all the storage resources over a network, not only is data more accessible, but the failure of one unit has only a moderate impact, utilisation rates can be much higher, and back-up and restore can be carried out in a more centralised fashion.

 

Over the past few years, many IT organisations have been building such storage area networks (SANs), pooling their storage arrays and pumping data around the network using specialist switches and data servers or controllers.

 

Evidence suggests SANs are dramatically improving storage utilisation rates and allowing companies to consolidate previously dispersed data on larger systems. Additionally, the new networks are reducing storage staff levels as each administrator can now handle much larger amounts of storage.

 

Savings on systems management costs are crucial to the case for storage networks :

 

 Far easier to manage than direct attached storage
 Lower overall costs – significant savings on systems management costs
 As data is shared between a number of disk units, hardware failures are easier to fix

 A SAN is configured so that there is more than one copy of the information, so even if one drive or a drive array fails, there is a standby copy of the information.
 Administrators find it far simpler to back up a SAN, even as applications are running
 Adding additional storage arrays to a SAN does not mean shutting down the whole network, and new capacity can be distributed between multiple applications.
 SANs help to increase storage capacity utilization, since multiple servers share the same growth reserve on disk arrays.

 Adopting a traditional SAN architecture involves a large upfront outlay. But businesses, especially larger businesses, appear to be convinced the outlay is justified.

 Above all, though, cost remains a hurdle - especially for mid-sized and smaller companies.

 

However, a managed SAN solution is an attractive alternative to building a traditional SAN architecture, particularly to small and mid-market businesses, as it provides a fully managed storage solution at competitive rates.

 

We’ll save you time identifying and evaluating qualified SAN hosting providers.   

Complete our managed SAN enquiry form, or call one of our Solution Advisers on 0870 382 5008. Within 4 business hours of your enquiry, we will introduce you to a short-list of vendors who meet your exact needs. For each vendor you will receive a Fact Sheet, sharing with you our valuable market intelligence.