Book details of 'Designing Storage Area Networks'

Title	Designing Storage Area Networks
Author(s)	Tom Clark
ISBN	0201615843
Language	English
Published	September 1999
Publisher	Addison-Wesley Pub Co

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Reviewer Rob Slade wrote:
All things old are become new again. Data independence has become platform independence. Time sharing has become client/server. Database integration has become data warehousing. Systems analysis has become enterprise resource planning. Terminals have become thin clients. And clustering has apparently become the Storage Area Network (SAN), at least in terms of disk attachment. Chapter one is an introduction, but only to the book. There is, for example, discussion of the limitations of current networks, but the scope is limited to server based networks with SCSI (Small Computer Systems Interface) disks. While predominant, this model is not the only one around. There is an overview of basic networking concepts along with a quick introduction to network attached storage and a simple SAN model in chapter two. The preliminary background on fibre channel protocols that is provided in chapter three is interesting, but possibly more detailed than desired by the target audience managers and administrators addressed in the preface. In addition, the presentation could have been improved for communications professionals by placement within the standard OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) layered model. SAN topologies are listed in chapter four, but, again, the level of detail is probably more than users want while some of the explanations could be clearer. Chapter five presents the major components of a SAN. Diagnostic procedures and tools get a quick once-over in chapter six. The discussion of network management, in chapter seven, mentions a number of peripherally related technologies, but seems to conclude only that management is possible. Chapter eight describes some applications that might benefit from SAN technologies. There is speculation about future development of the technology in chapter nine. The preface states that the book is intended for managers, system administrators, consultants, and data storage technical staff. SANs are a hot topic right now, and this book does provide a background for this audience. However, the material is not written at the proper level for this audience. Administrators and planners do not need to know the microscopic details of semiconductor laser fabrication. They do need to know what the technology is for, its strengths and weaknesses, and where it fits into the system they already have in place. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1999
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