The Emergence of the File Area Network (FAN)

Anyone responsible for managing data in an enterprise IT environment during the past few years realizes that a large—and growing—percentage of corporate data now takes the form of files. This includes unstructured data organized within a file system and accessed as a file—such as Microsoft Word documents or PowerPoint presentations.

When you consider the sheer growth in the number of files to manage, the increasingly complex file systems, and the large-scale applications that utilize files, you quickly understand why file management has taken on a much higher level of prominence throughout the enterprise.

 

This is especially true if your organization is implementing new initiatives such as application-level disaster recovery and Information Lifecycle Management (ILM). These emerging initiatives, as well as many others, have created the need for a new type of file management paradigm: The File Area Network (FAN).

This concept requires an increasingly sophisticated suite of file management technologies, including file-level descriptions and classification to attach policies to file data. To address this need, Brocade is developing a wide range of products and services that can help you streamline the management of your file-based data as part of an enterprise FAN.

A BETTER WAY TO MANAGE FILE DATA

A FAN is simply a logical way to describe the hardware and software technologies used to organize, route, switch, and provide consistent access to massive amounts of files. The ultimate goal of a FAN is to provide a more flexible and intelligent platform to move and manage your file data in the most cost-effective and controlled manner.

At a fundamental level, FANs provide several key functions:

  • Enterprise-wide control of file information, including the management of file attributes
  • The ability to establish file visibility and access rights regardless of physical device or location
  • Non-disruptive, transparent movement of file data across platforms and/or geographical boundaries
  • The consolidation of redundant file resources and management tasks
  • The ability to support file data management in both data centers and branch offices

FAN Characteristics

Basic Concepts
  • Uses IP as a transport protocol
  • Targets file system volumes on file servers
  • Manages CIFS/NFS file requests
Basic Services
  • File-level virtualization (Global Namespace) that provides paths to files
  • File replication and migration
  • Central point of administration
  • Remote site data connectivity
Key Benefits
  • Consolidation of file servers
  • Management of a pool versus discrete file servers
  • Increased file server utilization
  • Non-disruptive file migration
  • High ROI in terms of both capital and operating expenses

KEY FAN BENEFITS

To help you streamline operating efficiency across your enterprise, FANs are designed to:

  • Make file location and movement transparent
  • Centralize file storage and management for efficiency
  • Eliminate the cost of remote data backup
  • Intelligently migrate files based on ILM policies
  • Consolidate branch office IT infrastructure
  • Support greater compliance with industry regulations and corporate objectives

    • BROCADE SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR FAN ENVIRONMENT

    As you begin to design and implement your FAN, Brocade provides a wide range of resources to help you understand FAN concepts and benefits. In addition, Brocade has developed unique File Services and Professional Services offerings to simplify FAN implementation and management for key business areas such as:

    • Data center migration and consolidation
    • Branch office consolidation and optimization
    • Business continuity and disaster recovery