File Area Network
SAN Recovery - File Area Network
File area network (FAN) refers to a systematic approach to organizing various file-sharing technologies over a network of storage devices connected to a file server or network attached storage (NAS). FAN provides organizations with a scalable and flexible approach to file management.
FAN is a combination of Storage Admission Tier (SAT), Tiered Storage Model and NAS/SAN. SAT has the ability to abstract and virtualize the actual file system architecture from the application servers. Like a Distributed File System (DFS) with referrals, SAT will map network file share access requests to the actual NAS hardware, enabling central control over the ultimate placement of the file data in the storage space.
Elements of FAN
FAN consists of storage devices (SAN/NAS), file-service devices/interfaces, namespaces (the ability of the file system to organize, present, and store file content for authorized end clients), file optimization services (compression and de-duplication), file security and DRM services, file management services, and end clients.
Benefits of FAN
FAN provides IT organizations with the following:
- Non-disruptive movement of data across geographical boundaries.
- Optimization of file content through compression and de-duplication of redundant content.
- Ability to set user visibility and access rights on the basis of preferences.
- Ability to create file management services deployed as true services to the entire infrastructure rather than having to deal with them in silos on different storage islands.
In short, FAN enables IT administrators to gain better control over the file systems connected to a network.
