IP Storage : The Challenge Ahead

Advanced networking technology has led to the genesis of the storage area network model, where host servers can access storage as a service from various devices connected to the network. While the initial approach to storage area networks has involved specialized networking technology, the emergence of Gigabit Ethernet technology has raised the question of whether we can use commodity IP networks for storage. This paper examines the issues involving IP storage networks and presents a performance analysis to dispel some of the myths and outline some of the challenges.