iSCSI SAN Storage VS
Fibre Channel Arrays
When it comes to selecting a
storage area network (SAN) for a small and
medium-sized business (SMB) the question of iSCSI storage systems vs. Fibre
Channel (FC) arrays is sure to come up. Here are some differences to keep in
mind when choosing a
SAN for an SMB.
Cost
For the most part, an iSCSI storage system SAN
is cheaper than a Fibre Channel array SAN. Reasons for this include the
components, hard drives and networking technologies used in each type of SAN.
Networking technology
This may be obvious, but its worth mentioning:
An iSCSI SAN uses a standard Ethernet network. An FC SAN uses a fiber network.
Bandwidth differences
Today most Fibre Channel array
SANs support up to 4 GB of bandwidth, with talk
of moving towards 8 GB. All iSCSI SANs support up to 1 GB of bandwidth on an
Ethernet network with 10 GB on the horizon.
Performance differences
For applications that demand high performance,
your best bet is to choose a Fibre Channel SAN. But most SMBs are not looking
for the highest performance, so an iSCSI storage system SAN would be just the
ticket.
Hard disk interfaces
iSCSI SANs commonly use SATA and SAS drives,
primarily for their low cost and large capacity, whereas FC SANs use SCSI and FC
drives for their high performance and reliability.
Overland Storage
Nexsan Technologies