Linux I am aware of

An explanation of storage area networks and network attached storage Storage area networks (SANs)  and  network attached storage (NAS)  both provide networked storage solutions. A NAS is a single storage device that operates on data files, while a SAN is a local network of multiple devices. The differences between NAS and SAN can be seen when comparing their cabling and how they're connected to the system, as well as how other devices communicate with them. However, the two are sometimes used together to form what's known as a unified SAN. SAN vs. NAS Technology A NAS unit includes a dedicated hardware device that connects to a  local area network , usually through an  Ethernet  connection. This NAS server authenticates clients and manages file operations in much the same manner as traditional file servers, through well-established network protocols. To reduce the costs that occur with traditional file servers, NAS devices

Before removing access to the storage device itself, it is advisable to back up data from the device first. Afterwards, flush I/O and remove all operating system references to the device. Stop all access to the device that has to be removed. Unmount the device. Remove the device from any md and LVM volume that is using it. If a multipath device is being removed, run  multipath -l  and take note of all the paths to the device. When this has been done, remove the multipath device: # multipath -f device   Use the following command to flush any outstanding I/O to all paths to the device: # blockdev –flushbufs device   Remove any reference to the device's path-based name, like  /dev/sd  or  /dev/disk/by-path  or the major:minor number, in applications, scripts, or utilities on the system. This is important to ensure that a different device, when added in the future, will not be mistaken for the current device. The final step is to remove each path to

These two storage architectures, both NAS and SAN, are as much complementary as they are competitive and fill different needs and usage cases in the organization. Many larger organizations own both. NAS “versus” SAN doesn’t tell the whole story in comparing these two popular storage architectures. NAS and SAN are as complementary as they are competitive and fill different needs and usage cases in the organization. Many larger organizations own both. However, enterprise IT budgets are not infinite, and organizations need to optimize their storage expenditures to suit their priority requirements. This article will help you do that by defining NAS and SAN, calling out their distinctions, and presenting usage cases for both architectures. NAS is a file-level data storage device attached to an TCP/IP network, usually Ethernet. It typically uses NFS or CIFS protocols, although other choices like HTTP are available. NAS appears to the operating system as a shared folder. Employees

If you are managing your own infrastructure in your own private data center, then you are bound to go through a selection of different storage offerings. Selecting a storage solution pretty much depends on your requirement. Before finalizing a particular storage option for your use case, a little bit of understanding about the technology is always helpful. I was actually going to write an article about object storage (which is the current hottest storage option in the cloud). But before going and discussing that part of the storage arena, I thought its better to discuss the two main storage methods which co-exists together from a very long time, used by companies internally for their needs. The decision of your storage type will depend on many factors like the below ones. Type of data that you want to store Usage pattern Scaling concerns Finally your budget When you begin your career as a system administrator, you will often hear your colleagues talking abo