Storage Area Networks (SAN) and Network-Attached Storage (NAS)

Information Technology and Digital Systems October 25, 2025
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Introduction

Data storage is a critical component of any enterprise IT infrastructure, demanding high availability, performance, and scalability. This course provides a detailed examination of dedicated storage technologies, specifically Storage Area Networks (SAN) and Network-Attached Storage (NAS). Participants will learn the architectural differences, implementation steps, and management techniques for Fibre Channel, iSCSI, and file-based storage. The curriculum is focused on practical configuration, advanced features like replication and snapshots, and optimizing storage performance to meet application demands.

Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Differentiate between DAS, NAS, and SAN and choose the appropriate solution for a given workload.
  • Explain the architecture and protocols of Fibre Channel (FC) and iSCSI SANs.
  • Configure SAN components including HBAs, FC switches, and LUNs.
  • Set up and manage NAS solutions using protocols like NFS and SMB/CIFS.
  • Implement advanced storage features such as thin provisioning, snapshots, and cloning.
  • Perform basic troubleshooting for storage connectivity and performance issues.
  • Understand and apply RAID levels and storage redundancy best practices.
  • Manage data lifecycle and develop effective storage capacity planning strategies.

Target Audience

  • Storage Administrators and Engineers.
  • Virtualization Administrators managing shared storage.
  • System Administrators responsible for backup and disaster recovery.
  • IT Architects designing enterprise storage solutions.
  • Individuals preparing for storage vendor certifications (e.g., Dell, NetApp, HPE).

Methodology

  • Hands-on labs configuring LUNs, volumes, and file shares on simulated arrays.
  • Individual exercises on calculating RAID capacity and performance.
  • Group activities focused on designing a storage solution for a specific application workload.
  • Case studies involving storage performance bottlenecks and data loss scenarios.

Personal Impact

  • Gain specialized knowledge in high-demand, mission-critical storage technologies.
  • Develop the skills to design and implement robust, scalable storage infrastructure.
  • Improve ability to optimize application performance through efficient storage utilization.
  • Acquire expertise in data protection features like snapshots and replication.
  • Elevate career prospects in data center and cloud infrastructure roles.

Organizational Impact

  • Ensure high availability and fault tolerance for mission-critical data.
  • Optimize capital expenditure by maximizing storage efficiency with features like thin provisioning.
  • Improve application performance with correctly configured high-speed SAN/NAS.
  • Enable faster disaster recovery and business continuity capabilities.
  • Better long-term data management and compliance through lifecycle planning.

Course Outline

Unit 1: Storage Fundamentals and Concepts

Storage Architectures
  • Direct Attached Storage (DAS) vs. Network-Attached Storage (NAS) vs. SAN.
  • Defining block-level vs. file-level vs. object storage.
  • Understanding disk technologies: HDD, SSD, and NVMe.
  • Data redundancy: various RAID levels and their performance/protection trade-offs.
Network-Attached Storage (NAS)
  • Protocols: NFS (Network File System) and SMB/CIFS.
  • Configuring shares, user access, and permissions on NAS devices.
  • Use cases for NAS: home directories, file serving, and unstructured data.
  • High-availability concepts for NAS (e.g., clustering).

Unit 2: Storage Area Networks (SAN) - Fibre Channel

FC SAN Architecture
  • Components of a Fibre Channel network (HBAs, FC Switches, Zoning).
  • Fibre Channel protocols and addressing (WWN).
  • Configuring zoning for security and fabric isolation.
  • Connecting host servers to the SAN fabric.
FC SAN Management
  • Creating and presenting Logical Unit Numbers (LUNs).
  • Multi-pathing software and configuration (e.g., MPIO).
  • Troubleshooting FC connectivity and performance issues.
  • Introduction to Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE).

Unit 3: Storage Area Networks (SAN) - iSCSI

iSCSI Architecture
  • How iSCSI leverages standard Ethernet networks.
  • Components: iSCSI Initiators and Targets.
  • Configuring network switches for iSCSI traffic (e.g., Jumbo Frames).
  • Security considerations for iSCSI (e.g., CHAP authentication).
iSCSI Implementation
  • Configuring iSCSI initiators on Windows and Linux hosts.
  • Setting up iSCSI targets and presenting volumes.
  • Best practices for network segmentation and dedicated iSCSI networks.
  • Troubleshooting iSCSI connection failures and discovery issues.

Unit 4: Advanced Storage Management Features

Capacity and Efficiency
  • Thin provisioning vs. Thick provisioning and its implications.
  • Data reduction techniques: deduplication and compression.
  • Storage tiering and automated data placement.
  • Performing storage migration and expansion.
Data Protection and Recovery
  • The importance of local and remote replication.
  • Implementing array-based snapshots and cloning.
  • Data backup integration with SAN/NAS (e.g., VTLs).
  • Developing a business continuity strategy for storage failure.

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