• Technology
  • Unified Storage
  • NetApp Technology
  • Storage Virtualization
  • Protocols
    • FC SAN
    • IP SAN
    • NAS
    • NFS
    • CIFS
  • Interoperatbility
  • Open Storage Networking
  • Advanced Technology Group
•  

NetApp delivers certified Fibre Channel (FC) Fabric TapeSAN backup solutions with multiple switch and tape storage vendors for data management in enterprise SAN environments.

Open Storage Networking
NetApp has a strategy for delivering the best storage networking product solutions in the industry. We have a deep commitment to the integral technologies as well as a deep expertise in these technologies. We strongly believe that our vision of what storage networking means to customers—as well as the inherent capabilities of our company—is what makes us an industry leader. This is an exciting movement forward for both NetApp and our customers, since we are already embedded into the key solutions customers choose today as well as into the future.

What is storage networking? What is Open Storage Networking (OSN)?
Storage networking allows companies to deliver data anywhere, any way, in any quantity, anytime, and any type of data...with data that is always available. Open means that companies can construct best-of-breed solutions that can easily incorporate legacy equipment as well as new and emerging technologies. Standards are the essence of open systems, meaning that companies can utilize and leverage their existing staff and skills base, current installed base of equipment, software, and management tools, as well as benefit from an extremely large and diverse base of mature suppliers to ensure that these companies can focus on their business problems and initiatives rather than guessing about which emerging technology to deploy.

Open storage networking means that in an age when the opportunities and issues are extraordinarily diverse, complicated, and compelling, companies can precisely calibrate their operations and business development efforts to yield the best return, use information to disarm and control their competition, and create higher than ever levels of company valuation.

Example of OSN Implementation:

Why is storage networking such an important development?
Storage networking provides a sound architectural evolution away from the model of storage being directly attached to servers. The ability to redeploy, manage, centrally protect, and leverage data between servers and end users comes from the premise that a network is the link to data. In addition, by offloading the front-end networks from many of the activities that will be migrated to the storage network, you free up bandwidth thereby improving responsiveness for all network users. Separating the data from the servers allows customers to use solutions optimized for managing and deploying data.

• Advanced networking technology: Networking technology allows companies to put storage in the hands of users whenever and wherever they are and with the advantage of readily available, industry-standard management tools, skills, a tremendous bandwidth-improvement roadmap, and the most compelling TCO of any alternative for connecting storage, servers, and users.
• Advanced data management-focused operating system: Data ONTAP™ software is an operating system that has been specifically designed to provide data-management tools and technologies in a network-oriented environment, thereby giving customers the ability to fully leverage the enormous investment they are making in data and information as well as giving customers a tool for managing the sheer magnitude of data and information they need to cope with (which is growing at an extraordinary rate).
• Appliance architecture: The appliance architecture ensures the lowest possible TCO.

Which components make up an OSN?
An OSN is made up of many components that are very familiar to NetApp customers. These components include:

• Simplicity: It's a NetApp-infused solution, after all!
• Heterogeneous data sharing
• Homogeneous data consolidation
• Greater scalability than direct-attached storage
• High-speed tape backup and tape resource sharing
• Well-established protocols and standards for file-level data protection and security
• Investment protection because the solution leverages the installed base of equipment and personnel
• Flexibility because it is a network that can grow, scale up, and change to meet new needs and challenges
• Redundancy because it is a network and you can build failover and multiple paths to the storage network elements
• Asynchronous mirroring for affordable replication solutions, which are essential to tomorrow's Internet-based business systems.
• Everything that is special and powerful about NetApp technology such as the Snapshot™ capability

What is the goal of OSN?
Data anywhere, anytime via integrated servers, switches, and storage devices.