Analysis of Current Snapshot Options

摘要

Data storage is essential to host databases, applications and web services. Storage Area Network (SAN) architecture has several benefits over Direct Attached Storage (DAS) devices in terms of efficient storage utilization and greater application performance. SAN architecture uses snapshot technology for Disaster Recovery (DR) and Business Continuity (BC). In addition, snapshots are typically performed to a cheaper disk system such as serial ATA. Traditionally, within the same SAN, if data on an original virtual disk is lost, snapshot provides a quicker recovery and can reduce application downtime tremendously. Conversely, it is cumbersome to perform snapshot operations on DAS devices. With the invention of Fibre Channel over Internet Protocol (FCIP) technology, snapshots can be replicated and copied between SANs that are placed at different physical locations and provides greater DR capabilities. Currently, all storage-level snapshots are disk-based. This paper explains the benefits of integrating tape-based appliances with SAN architecture for local and remote snapshots; especially, in terms of cost savings and efficiency.