August Definition of the Month

IP Storage: IP storage is a general term for using the Internet Protocol in a storage area network, usually run over gigabit Ethernet. IP storage presents an alternative to a Fibre Channel fabric that constitutes the modern SAN. Proponents of IP-based storage claim that it offers a number of benefits over the FC alternative, and will promote the wide-spread adoption of SANs that was predicted when they were first introduced. Although SANs have been around since the mid 1990s, they haven't enjoyed the market acceptance that developers expected, especially in the Small to Medium Business marketplace. Fibre Channel issues, including expense, complexity, and integration/interoperability issues are frequently cited as the cause.

According to its proponents, IP storage provides a solution to these issues that will enable the SAN to fulfill its early promise. The hardware components are less expensive, and because the technologies are widely known and used there are few interoperability issues and training costs are lower. Furthermore, the high availability of TCP/IP networks permits extension or connection of SANs worldwide. ISCSI is the odds-on favorite protocol for implementing IP storage, as it is an established IETF standard. Other alternatives such as Fibre Channel over IP (FCIP) and Internet Fibre Channel Protocol (iFCP) have not picked up as much momentum.