HP StorageWorks 4000/6000/8000 .HP StorageWorks SAN Design Reference Guide, Pa - Page 28

• Cost savings SAN total cost of ownership is typically less than DAS. The business realizes a higher return on investment because sharing storage among servers utilizes capacity more efficiently, and expenses for backup hardware are reduced. Increased system availability can help prevent costly downtime and lost data. • Centralized management You can manage consolidated storage by using web-based tools from any location, thus reducing labor costs. • Security SANs support network security measures, such as authentication, authorization, access control, and zoning. • Online scalability You can add storage capacity or expand the fabric as needs change. You can add and remove servers, and increase, change, or reassign storage while the SAN is online. • Modularity Modular design simplifies SAN scalability and increases ROI by consolidating and sharing systems. Your SAN can incorporate all of these features, or you can start with a small SAN and add features as your business needs change. HP SAN implementations You can configure a custom SAN by choosing components and following the HP design rules. HP SAN designs employ a configuration philosophy that supports comprehensive SAN implementations. • Flexible design and deployment HP provides standard topologies and design rules to meet the widest range of requirements for small office environments, mid-range business systems, and enterprise-class installations. The design rules and methods described in this guide enable change and expansion as needs arise. • Incremental scaling HP SANs maximize value by optimizing features and functionality of the SAN components. You can expand your SAN over time by adding capacity and features as required. • Interoperability HP SAN designs support multiple operating system, server, storage system, and SAN infrastructure component types. • Geographically dispersed installations HP provides components to meet local and long-distance connectivity requirements. For information about: • SAN infrastructure solutions, see the Storage Networking website: http://h18006.www1.hp.com/storage/saninfrastructure.html • SAN deployment in small-to-medium-sized businesses, see the HP StorageWorks Solution Center: http://www.hp.com/sbso/serverstorage • The Small Business SAN Kit, see the MSA1000 website: http://h18006.www1.hp.com/products/storageworks/msa1000smb/index.html 28 SAN design overview