SAN (Storage Area Network)

A SAN (Storage Area Network) is used to aggregate the storage capability available on different devices (e.g. servers) so they appear as a single disk. The key benefits of this approach are efficiency and availability. By combining storage, SANs can prevent uneven distribution of capacity and also offer greater reliability by replicating data across the network. Most SANs require special fibre optic cabling to be effective as the performance across a conventional LAN is insufficient to be of practical use. DAM Systems tend to be established as separate facilities so the use of a SAN is not as widespread, however, they can potentially offer some advantages and should be considered as an option when deciding a DAM hardware and hosting strategy.