The solutions provided by the SAN devices (Elena, which SAN are they btw? ) take into account some of the issues pertaining to deployment of storage. Further, SAN also ensures that integrity of data is kept intact (it doesnot get corrupted), especially in the scenario "when it is not replicated across servers", ie., only a single copy of data is available.

So there are two points here - 1. Data integrity being ensured by SAN, and 2. Data not being replicated (not being kept deliberately redundant).

Usually, though, mirror servers/hot-fix servers are deployed with SCSI level 3 and above to ensure safety of data against system crashes. If you point me to the SAN documentation, a safe guesstimate about whether the "single" copy of data is, _indeed_, advisable, can be arrived at.

As for "deployment considerations", it is an euphemism for the various unforeseen factors that require a hardcore expert's benign presence on the installation site ! :-)))

Hth,
Sanjay.




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Note added at 1 day 2 hrs 19 mins (2004-05-06 17:31:27 GMT)
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\"keep only one copy of the data and at the same time ensure their integrity\" --> This is precisely the point i was trying to make in my earlier note - that, usually, mirror servers/hot-fix servers are deployed to mirror /replicate data - to avoid data-integrity-loss in the event of system crash. Ofcourse, i am talking from a bland, windows/linux point of view :-)))

Can the SAN filesystem and volume controllers really achieve this ? This question could best be answered by looking at the documentation more closely.


\"increase the potential\"? does it mean that it is possible only in certain situations? --> No, the potential of integrity remaining intact, in a scenario of a single-copy data being shared, increases by the deployment of SAN filesystem and volume-controller- is what the writer is trying to say here. Instead of the word \'potential\', substitute the word \'chances\'.

Hth.