Dell SAN Storage

A Storage Area Network (SAN) is a high-speed network that allows multiple servers to access consolidated pools of shared, block-level storage. SANs are designed to increase storage utilization rates by enabling multiple hosts to access storage devices, improve application performance and availability, and enhance security and data protection capabilities. By presenting storage devices to hosts in a way that makes them appear as locally attached storage, SANs also facilitate easier presentation of storage to users.

Dell EMC offers a range of SAN storage options, including the Unity, ME, and SC series arrays. Validated Unity arrays include the Unity 300, Unity 400, Unity 500, and Unity 600. The SC series features the SC5020 and SCv3000 models, while the ME series includes the ME4012 array. These validated arrays provide various options for organizations to choose the most suitable storage solutions based on their specific needs.

Organizations of all sizes use SANs to streamline their storage infrastructure and address key challenges. SANs are particularly beneficial for improving storage utilization, application performance, and data availability, all while providing enhanced security and protection for critical data. The ability to present storage devices to hosts as local storage helps simplify data management and enhances overall efficiency.

SANs provide block-level, high-speed network access to storage for multiple hosts by interconnecting hosts, switches, controllers, and storage devices. Using high-speed, high-reliability communication protocols, SANs can consolidate previous “islands” of storage, offering a more efficient and scalable solution. By enabling greater storage consolidation, SANs help organizations reduce costs while ensuring that their storage infrastructure remains highly available and secure.

The benefits of SAN storage include highly reliable, scalable block-level storage solutions accessible by many hosts. This increased storage utilization often leads to lower storage costs over time. Additionally, SANs include multiple security and reliability features to ensure that mission-critical data is always protected and readily available. These enterprise-class features make SANs the storage solution of choice for today’s data-driven organizations.