Storage Networking Fundamentals: An Introduction to Storage Devices, Subsystems, Applications, Management, and File Systems (Vol 1) (Paperback)

by Marc Farley (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

An Introduction to Storage Devices, Subsystems, Applications, Management, and File Systems

• Learn fundamental storage concepts with this comprehensive introduction
• Compare storage device technologies, including Fibre Channel, SCSI, ATA, and SATA and understand their uses in network storage subsystems
• Learn about key storage processes such as volume management, storage virtualization, data snapshots, mirroring, RAID, backup, and multipathing
• Clarify the roles of file systems and databases within network storage
• Take the next step—this book prepares you to become a storage networking expert

Storage networking has become an essential ingredient in Internet information infrastructures. Becoming competent in this new and important technology area requires a sound understanding of storage technologies and principles. Storage Networking Fundamentals gives you an in-depth look into the most important storage technologies. The entire storage landscape is described, incorporating a complete view of system, device, and subsystem operations and processes. Learn how to protect data effectively using mirroring, RAID, remote copy, and backup/ recovery systems. Virtual storage technologies, such as volume management, RAID, and network virtualization, are analyzed and discussed in detail. High-availability storage through dynamic multipathing and clustered/distributed file systems is explained as are designs for robust storage subsystems. Finally, the confusing and arcane worlds of file systems and SCSI are clarified, including the role of initiators, targets, logical units, and LUNs.

 

Storage Networking Fundamentals is a comprehensive overview of storage technologies that also provides insights on designing and running SAN and NAS implementations. 

 

This book is part of the Cisco Press Fundamentals Series. Books in this series introduce networking professionals to new networking technologies, covering network topologies, example deployment concepts, protocols, and management techniques.

 

About the Author

Marc Farley has more than 13 years of experience in the field of network storage. He started working with the technology in 1991 as a systems engineer with Palindrome Corporation, an early innovator in data management technologies for PC LAN environments. Since 1991, Marc has worked in a variety of marketing and strategy-related positions, covering a wide variety of storage technologies, including storage routers, disk subsystems, file-level virtualization, and storage switches. Marc is well-known throughout the networked storage industry for his objective, vendor-independent, in-depth analysis of storage technologies. His writing includes Building Storage Networks, first and second editions. He has also written many articles, white papers, and opinion pieces that have been published in the computer industry trade press. He regularly speaks at industry conferences and events and participates in online seminars and discussions. Marc holds a bachelor of science in physics from the University of Washington.

 

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Cisco Press; 1 edition (December 19, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587051621
• ISBN-13: 978-1587051623
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #127,307 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent at the Fundamentals, June 26, 2005

By	J. Sargent (Gurnee, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book was not what I expected...I pre-ordered it as soon as I saw that Cisco Press had a new storage book coming out, and I expected that at least some of its content would cover Cisco's storage products (the MDS line in particular). I got the book the week it came out, looked at the TOC and was immediately disappointed. That's the bad news. The good news is that I read the book anyway and was very pleasantly suprised. This is an awesome book about "storage networking fundamentals". Had my expectations been in line with the very clear title, I wouldn't have been disappointed. The title is not misleading, I just assumed that it would have MDS content.

This is definitely the most relevant and up-to-date text about storage networking, and I find myself constantly recommending it to other engineers who want to see what storage networking is all about. As other reviewers noted - the author doesn't go terribly deep on every topic. Again, the title says it all - "fundamentals". If you are new to the storage world, this is currently the one "must read" in my opinion.

One small gripe that comes to mind is the author's failure to differentiate between RAID 0+1 and 1+0. He, like many others, makes the mistake of calling RAID 0+1 "RAID 10". To be clear, 0+1 is striping and then mirroring the striped sets. 1+0 (aka RAID 10) is mirroring and then striping across the mirrored sets. Too many people think this difference isn't important, but it is!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Broad, High Level Overview, October 21, 2006

By	David Douglass (Bloomingdale, NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is a broad overview of all things related to data storage:

* how disk drives work
* how file systems and drivers use disk drives
* direct attached storage (local disk drive)
* SCSI
* RAID
* NAS (network attached storage)
* SAN (storage area network)
* backups and tape technologies

With this much territory to cover, the author had to choose between writing an encyclopedia and keeping things high level. He opted for high level. The book is a good way to get started with these topics but it doesn't take you far enough to be practical. The author strives for vendor neutrality (and achieves it), but of course you can only use products from vendors. Getting a handle on any particular product should be easier once you've read this.

The ordering of the material is not the best. Of the topics covered, most people understand the file system best. This could have been used as the starting point to go deeper into what lays behind the file system. Unfortunately, the file system isn't really discussed until chapter 14.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!! Great for Fundamentals, August 8, 2005

By	David Hodde "David" (Richardson, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Storage Networking Fundamentals: An Introduction to Storage Devices, Subsystems, Applications, Management, and File Systems
Reviewer Name: David Hodde
Reviewer Certification(s): CCIE
Rating: **** out of *****


As the name indicates this book is an introduction to all aspects of storage networking. While you think it may just deal with SANs, it does not. Author Marc Farley starts with as he calls it, "The Big Picture of Storage Netorking". These chapters cover basic storage principles and how storage I/O works. He then follows with a discussion of the different storage architectures available and their history. While this may not seem important, for the person entering the storage arena it's valuable information to know where storage has come in the last 20 years.

The next two parts cover data redundancy and storage and data management. Farley gives very good descriptions on the different redundancy options available. He also goes into an analysis of the different advantages and disadvantages of each. While it's not an extensive discussion it does give an administrator a basis for an analysis. Discussions of remote file copy and multipathing, which are very important in storage networking, are described and broken down into terms that the novice storage person can comprehend.

While the first three parts of the book may seem like a review and unnecessary to most. They do provide a good foundation for Parts IV and V, which deal with storage and data management. As Farley points out these two areas are important and should not book overlooked by the storage administrator. With the ever changing legal environment and governmental regulations, data management and retention looks to be the next big evolution in storage management.

As advertised Storage Networking Fundamentals: An Introduction to Storage Devices, Subsystems, Applications, Management, and File Systems provides a good introduction to storage fundamentals for the person new to storage. For the person already familiar with storage it provides details that were either not know or forgotten. At the very least it provides some of the latest information in the storage arena.

I would highly recommend this book for anybody involved with storage administration or storage networking.