Brittany Hafer
Flash Research Assignment #2 - Servers and Storage Technologies
September 20, 2012
Storage technologies are imperative for businesses to preserve and access
data efficiently. Internet Small Computer System Interface, an Internet Protocol
based storage network, allows you to access stored data over linked storage
facilities. Our company would benefit by implementing an iSCSI because it is the
most cost effective, and infrastructure costs would decrease significantly.
An iSCSI is a network protocol that allows you to link data storage facilities
by using SCSI commands through an IP network. Therefore, allowing you to send
data to other facilities over the intranet as well as being able to manage the stored
data facilities over long distances. It’s main benefits are easily installed, inexpesive
and does not require a special set of skills. iSCSI does not need special-purposing
cabling and can be run over existing IP. iSCSi uses Ethernet and TCP/IP which is a
familiar networking standard to IT administrators.
As previously stated, the main benefits of implementing an iSCSI is that it is
the most cost effective and can be easily installed and maintained. We would see a
significant decrease in infrastructure costs, total storage costs and installation and
maintenance expenses. Since replication occurs over an IP network, distance
limitations and costs coupled with FC routers decrease as well. “Gartner estimates
that revenue for iSCSI disk storage systems reached $2.7 billion in 2011, a 37.8%
increase from 2010, and is projected to exceed $4.2 billion by 2016”. Furthermore,
top companies such as Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, and Intel support iSCSI.
Works Cited
"Benefits of ISCSI Technology." ISCSI Protocol. Star Wind Software, n.d. Web. 19 Sept.
2012. <http://iscsi.starwindsoftware.com/>.
Rinnen, Pushan Rinnen, and Dave Russell. Hype Cycle for Storage Technologies, 2012.
Rep. no. G00231133. Gartner, 5 July 2012. Web. 19 Sept. 2012.
<http://my.gartner.com/portal/server.pt?open=512>.
Rouse, Margaret. "ISCSI (Internet Small Computer System Interface)." Search Storage.
Tech Target, May 2011. Web. Sept. 2012.
<http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/definition/iSCSI>.