Use of Storage Area Network (SAN) by small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) is likely to grow.

A storage area network (SAN) is a dedicated, self-contained high-speed network that links and distributes shared storage pools to numerous machines. Each server can access shared storage as if it were a hard disc connected directly to it. A storage area network (SAN) is made up of cabling, host bus adapters, and SAN switches that are connected to storage arrays and servers. On the SAN, each switch and storage system must be connected. A SAN (storage area network) is a network of storage devices that can be accessed by multiple servers or computers, providing a shared pool of storage space. Each computer on the network can access storage on the SAN as though they were local disks connected directly to the computer.

We can also say, A Storage Area Network (SAN) is a customised, high-speed network that allows users to access storage at the block level. Hosts, switches, storage elements, and storage devices are often connected utilising a variety of technologies, topologies, and protocols in SANs. SANs can also connect numerous locations. A storage area network (SAN) delivers storage devices to a host in such a way that they appear to be locally attached. The usage of various types of virtualization allows for this streamlined presentation of storage to a host.

SANs are often used to: Improve application availability (e.g., multiple data paths), Enhance application performance (e.g., off-load storage functions, segregate networks, etc.), Increase storage utilization and effectiveness (e.g., consolidate storage resources, provide tiered storage, etc.), and improve data protection and security. SANs also typically play an important role in an organization's Business Continuity Management (BCM) activities. Fibre Channel (FC) technology, which uses the Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP) for open systems and proprietary variations for mainframes, is extensively used in SANs. Furthermore, the adoption of Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) allows FC traffic to be moved across existing high-speed Ethernet infrastructures, allowing storage and IP protocols to be converged onto a single cable. Other technologies, such as the Internet Small Computing System Interface (iSCSI), which is often used in small and medium-sized businesses as a less expensive alternative to FC, and InfiniBand, which is commonly used in high-performance computing environments, can be employed. Additionally, gateways can be used to transfer data across different SAN technologies.

For enterprise computing, storage availability and accessibility are significant problems. Traditional direct-attached disc installations within individual servers can be a simple and low-cost choice for many enterprise applications, but the discs — and the essential data they hold — are connected to the physical server via a specific link, such as SAS. Modern workplace computing frequently necessitates far more organisation, flexibility, and control. These requirements influenced the development of the storage area network (SAN) .A distinct, dedicated, highly scalable high-performance network designed to interface a number of servers to an array of storage devices is provided by SAN technology, which fulfils advanced business storage demands. After that, the storage can be arranged and handled as tiers or pools. When compared to traditional direct-attached storage, a SAN allows an organisation to treat storage as a single collective resource that can be centrally replicated and protected, while additional technologies like data deduplication and RAID can optimise storage capacity and vastly improve storage resilience (DAS).