Storage Networking Fundamentals: An Introduction to Storage Devices, Subsystems, Applications, Management, and File Systems

Product Description

An Introduction to Storage Devices, Subsystems, Applications, Management, and File Systems

• Learn fundamental storage concepts with this comprehensive introduction
• Compare storage device technologies, including Fibre Channel, SCSI, ATA, and SATA and understand their uses in network storage subsystems
• Learn about key storage processes such as volume management, storage virtualization, data snapshots, mirroring, RAID, backup, and multipathing
• Clarify the roles of file systems and databases within network storage
• Take the next step—this book prepares you to become a storage networking expert

Storage networking has become an essential ingredient in Internet information infrastructures. Becoming competent in this new and important technology area requires a sound understanding of storage technologies and principles. Storage Networking Fundamentals gives you an in-depth look into the most important storage technologies. The entire storage landscape is described, incorporating a complete view of system, device, and subsystem operations and processes. Learn how to protect data effectively using mirroring, RAID, remote copy, and backup/ recovery systems. Virtual storage technologies, such as volume management, RAID, and network virtualization, are analyzed and discussed in detail. High-availability storage through dynamic multipathing and clustered/distributed file systems is explained as are designs for robust storage subsystems. Finally, the confusing and arcane worlds of file systems and SCSI are clarified, including the role of initiators, targets, logical units, and LUNs.

Storage Networking Fundamentals is a comprehensive overview of storage technologies that also provides insights on designing and running SAN and NAS implementations. 

This book is part of the Cisco Press Fundamentals Series. Books in this series introduce networking professionals to new networking technologies, covering network topologies, example deployment concepts, protocols, and management techniques.

Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful Excellent at the Fundamentals, June 26, 2005 By  J. Sargent (Gurnee, IL) - See all my reviews    This review is from: Storage Networking Fundamentals: An Introduction to Storage Devices, Subsystems, Applications, Management, and File Systems (Vol 1) (Paperback) This book was not what I expected...I pre-ordered it as soon as I saw that Cisco Press had a new storage book coming out, and I expected that at least some of its content would cover Cisco's storage products (the MDS line in particular). I got the book the week it came out, looked at the TOC and was immediately disappointed. That's the bad news. The good news is that I read the book anyway and was very pleasantly suprised. This is an awesome book about "storage networking fundamentals". Had my expectations been in line with the very clear title, I wouldn't have been disappointed. The title is not misleading, I just assumed that it would have MDS content. This is definitely the most relevant and up-to-date text about storage networking, and I find myself constantly recommending it to other engineers who want to see what storage networking is all about. As other reviewers noted - the author doesn't go terribly deep on every topic. Again, the title says it all -... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you?  Report abuse | Permalink  Comment 10 of 10 people found the following review helpful Broad, High Level Overview, October 21, 2006 By  David Douglass (Bloomingdale, NJ) - See all my reviews    This review is from: Storage Networking Fundamentals: An Introduction to Storage Devices, Subsystems, Applications, Management, and File Systems (Vol 1) (Paperback) This book is a broad overview of all things related to data storage: * how disk drives work * how file systems and drivers use disk drives * direct attached storage (local disk drive) * SCSI * RAID * NAS (network attached storage) * SAN (storage area network) * backups and tape technologies With this much territory to cover, the author had to choose between writing an encyclopedia and keeping things high level. He opted for high level. The book is a good way to get started with these topics but it doesn't take you far enough to be practical. The author strives for vendor neutrality (and achieves it), but of course you can only use products from vendors. Getting a handle on any particular product should be easier once you've read this. The ordering of the material is not the best. Of the topics covered, most people understand the file system best. This... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you?  Report abuse | Permalink  Comment 6 of 6 people found the following review helpful Great Book!! Great for Fundamentals, August 8, 2005 By  David Hodde "David" (Richardson, TX) - See all my reviews    This review is from: Storage Networking Fundamentals: An Introduction to Storage Devices, Subsystems, Applications, Management, and File Systems (Vol 1) (Paperback) Storage Networking Fundamentals: An Introduction to Storage Devices, Subsystems, Applications, Management, and File Systems Reviewer Name: David Hodde Reviewer Certification(s): CCIE Rating: **** out of ***** As the name indicates this book is an introduction to all aspects of storage networking. While you think it may just deal with SANs, it does not. Author Marc Farley starts with as he calls it, "The Big Picture of Storage Netorking". These chapters cover basic storage principles and how storage I/O works. He then follows with a discussion of the different storage architectures available and their history. While this may not seem important, for the person entering the storage arena it's valuable information to know where storage has come in the last 20 years. The next two parts cover data redundancy and storage and data management. Farley gives very good descriptions on the different redundancy options available. He also goes... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you?  Report abuse | Permalink  Comment

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Praise For Storage Networking Fundamentals: An Introduction to Storage Devices, Subsystems, Applications, Management, and File Systems

Storage Networking Fundamentals
Reviewer Name: David Hodde, Instructor
Reviewer Certification: CCIE
Rating: **** out of *****

As the name indicates this book is an introduction to all aspects of storage networking. While you think it may just deal with SANs, it does not. Author Marc Farley starts with, as he calls it, "The Big Picture of Storage Netorking." These chapters cover basic storage principles and how storage I/O works. He then follows with a discussion of the different storage architectures available and their history. While this may not seem important, for the person entering the storage arena it's valuable information to know where storage has come in the last 20 years.

The next two parts cover data redundancy and storage and data management. Farley gives very good descriptions on the different redundancy options available. He also goes into an analysis of the different advantages and disadvantages of each. While it’s not an extensive discussion it does give an administrator a basis for an analysis. Discussions of remote file copy and multipathing, which are very important in storage networking, are described and broken down into terms that the novice storage person can comprehend.

While the first three parts of the book may seem like a review and unnecessary to most. They do provide a good foundation for Parts IV and V, which deal with storage and data management. As Farley points out these two areas are important and should not book overlooked by the storage administrator. With the ever changing legal environment and governmental regulations, data management and retention looks to be the next big evolution in storage management.

As advertised Storage Networking Fundamentals: An Introduction to Storage Devices, Subsystems, Applications, Management, and File Systems provides a good introduction to storage fundamentals for the person new to storage. For the person already familiar with storage it provides details that were either not know or forgotten. At the very least it provides some of the latest information in the storage arena.

I would highly recommend this book for anybody involved with storage administration or storage networking.

Storage Networking Fundamentals
Reviewer Name: Michael J. Morris, WAN Architect
Reviewer Certification: CCIE No. 11733
Rating: ***** out of *****

Storage Networking Fundamentals is a very well-written book. As the title implies, it provides a fantastic introduction to Storage Area Networking, providing details from disk drive mechanics to Information Life-Cycle Management (ILM). Furthermore, this book impressed me because it consistently did one thing: it did not push or suggest Cisco products. This book very clearly at the beginning stated it was not a networking book, but a storage book. It then sets out to explain Storage Area Networking in vendor neutral terms. If fact, it pokes fun at a few vendors because of the multitude of standards and technologies in Storage Networking. This should be commended as well as appreciated. The author does not adhere to one vendor's technology, but addresses general terms and explains where differences between vendors occur.

I particularly liked Part II of the book that covered the actual hardware and software that makes a SAN work. This nicely started with a detailed overview of hard drives, the building blocks of storage, and ended with technologies for connecting Storage Area Networks. Very nice growth and building on previous chapters.

My only small complaint about the book was its chapter layout. It would've been easier to understand Part II if Chapter 14 and 15 would've come first. This explains file systems and how they interact with storage. Being an introduction to Storage Area Networking, it would've been appropriate to explain storage to the reader as they perceive storage now. And since an introductory reader understands file systems, since they interact with a personal computer daily, it would've been nice to include these concepts earlier in the book. However, this is a minor flaw.

Overall, I recommend this book to anyone looking to start learning Storage Area Networking. A very well-written book with easy to understand concepts. 5 Stars!

Index

Download - 277 KB -- Index

Table of Contents

Part I The Big Picture of Storage Networking

Chapter 1 Data Access in the Internet Era

Chapter 2 Establishing a Context for Understanding Storage Networks

Chapter 3 Getting Down with Storage I/O

Part II Working with Devices and Subsystems in Storage Networks

Chapter 4 Storage Devices

Chapter 5 Storage Subsystems

Chapter 6 SCSI Storage Fundamentals and SAN Adapters

Chapter 7 Device Interconnect Technologies for Storage Networks

Part III Applications for Data Redundancy

Chapter 8 An Introduction to Data Redundancy and Mirroring

Chapter 9 Bigger, Faster, More Reliable Storage with RAID

Chapter 10 Redundancy Over Distance with Remote Copy

Chapter 11 Connection Redundancy in Storage Networks and Dynamic Multipathing

Part IV The Foundations of Storage and Data Management

Chapter 12 Storage Virtualization: The Power in Volume Management Software and SAN Virtualization Systems

Chapter 13 Network Backup: The Foundation of Storage Management

Part V Filing Systems and Data Management in Networks

Chapter 14 File System Fundamentals

Chapter 15 Network File Systems and Network Attached Storage

Chapter 16 New Directions in Network Filing: Clustered File Systems, Distributed File Systems, and Network Storage for Databases

Chapter 17 Data Management

Part VI Appendixes

Appendix A Q & A Answers

Appendix B  INCITS Storage Standards

Glossary

Index

Downloadable Sample Chapter

Download - 270 KB -- Chapter 4: Storage Devices