Related Experiment Videos
Performance analysis of an iSCSI-based unified storage network
Xiang-lin Fu1, Kun Zhang, Chang-sheng Xie
1Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China. fu_xianglin@sina.com.cn
Journal of Zhejiang University. Science
|December 10, 2003
Summary
This study introduces the Unified Storage Network (USN), merging Network Attached Channel (NAC) and Storage Area Network (SAN) with iSCSI. iSCSI proves more suitable than Fibre Channel (FC) for wide-area network storage solutions.
Area of Science:
- Computer Science
- Network Engineering
- Data Storage Technologies
Background:
- Traditional storage networks like Fibre Channel (FC) have drawbacks.
- Network Attached Channel (NAC) and Storage Area Network (SAN) offer distinct I/O services.
- A unified approach is needed to combine file and block I/O efficiently.
Purpose of the Study:
- Introduce a novel Unified Storage Network (USN) architecture.
- Evaluate the suitability of iSCSI over FC for implementing USN.
- Compare iSCSI and FC protocols for network performance impact.
Main Methods:
- Designed a Unified Storage Network (USN) merging NAC and SAN.
- Employed iSCSI protocol for USN implementation to overcome FC limitations.
- Analyzed and compared iSCSI and FC protocols based on network performance components.
Main Results:
- iSCSI is identified as more suitable than FC for implementing USN in wide-area networks.
- Detailed analysis of iSCSI and FC protocols highlights performance differences.
- Experimental results support the suitability of iSCSI for the proposed architecture.
Conclusions:
- The Unified Storage Network (USN) architecture effectively merges file and block I/O services.
- iSCSI is a superior choice for wide-area network storage compared to FC in this context.
- The findings provide valuable insights for designing efficient and scalable storage networks.