In this post I have listed main difference between SAN and NAS environment. To select the right technology for your infra structure ,find the advantages and disadvantages of each technology.
SAN (Storage Area Network) and NAS (Network Attached Storage) are both types of network storage, but they have different architecture, functionalities and are used for different purposes.
SAN (Storage Area Network) is a dedicated, high-speed network that provides block-level access to data. SANs use Fibre Channel or iSCSI protocols to connect servers to storage devices, typically disk arrays. SANs are typically used in enterprise environments to provide storage for applications such as databases, virtualization, and backups. SANs are typically faster than NAS systems, and are optimized for high-performance and high-availability environments.
NAS (Network Attached Storage) is a type of storage that connects to a network and provides file-level access to data. NAS devices typically use the NFS or SMB/CIFS protocols to connect to servers and client systems. NAS systems are typically used for file sharing and storage, and are often used in small-to-medium sized businesses and home networks. NAS systems are typically less expensive than SANs, and are optimized for ease of use and low cost.
In summary, SANs are designed for block-level storage, high-performance and high-availability and are used in enterprise environments, while NAS is designed for file-level storage, ease of use and low cost, and are used in small-to-medium sized businesses and home networks.
It's also important to note that in recent years the distinction between SAN and NAS is becoming blurry as some vendors are providing products that support both block and file level access, this is called SAN/NAS or unified storage.
NAS
- Independent device
- Uses standard protocols such as TCP/IP, CIFS,NFS, HTTP
- Connected by Ethernet
- NAS follows a client/server model
- Best suited for File sharing applications
Advantages
High Storage capacity
Fast file access for multiple clients
Easy for data sharing
Disadvantages
Less efficient than SAN for moving large amount of data.
SAN
- Network of storage devices
- Uses FC , SCSI or iSCSI protocol for data transfer
- Connected using Fiber Channel (FC) or SCSI over IP (iSCSI)
- SAN provides direct access to the disks
- Best suited for mission critical database applications
Advantages
Centralized Storage
Better disk utilization
Higher application performance
Disadvantages
High cost
Difficult to deploy and manage
