IT Architects often use abbreviations in the Architectural Elevator and this often doesn’t help our conversation partners with architectural topics. Today I will explain some abbreviations on the subject of storage.
Table of Contents
Dealing with abbreviations
If you want to use the Architectural Elevator, give your “stakeholder” a chance to know the term. One variation is to use the long form several times and then switch to the abbreviation.
If you are interested in the topic of Architectural Elevator and have not yet heard of it, take a look here. I will also be covering the topic here on the blog in the coming weeks.
Storage and file systems
Shared Storage
Shared storage refers to the shared use of resources by several computers. This makes it possible for several users to access the same data at the same time. There are various approaches to this, such as NAS or SAN.
NAS (Network Attached Storage)
NAS is a stand-alone storage system that is connected via the network and provides file sharing and storage services for multiple clients. NAS systems are generally easy to install and manage and are particularly suitable for small to medium-sized companies.
SAN – Storage Area Network
A SAN is a storage optimized for storing and accessing data. Unlike NAS systems, which access files over the network, SANs connect storage devices directly to the network through servers and services. This provides higher performance and security. SANs are often used in larger enterprises or data centers.
Hyperconverged Storage
Hyperconverged is an IT architecture that combines storage and compute resources into a single system. In traditional IT infrastructures, storage and compute resources are separated. Hyperconverged systems consist of multiple servers equipped with hard disks and solid state drives (SSDs). These servers are networked together to function as a single unit. By using virtualized environments, these systems can provide high flexibility and scalability.
UNC – Universal Naming Convention
UNC is a standardized way of naming files and folders on a network. UNC addresses are often used to access shared folders and files on network drives. A UNC path consists of the server name + domain name and the drive path, for example, \server01.corp.companyname.com\teamfolder\folder1\subfolder1…
FCL – Fibre Channel Loop
FCL is a topological architecture for SANs in which multiple devices are connected in a loop. Each device in the loop communicates directly with its predecessor and successor. FCL was one of the first architectures designed to use Fibre Channel links in SANs.
NFS – Network File System
NFS is a protocol developed by Sun Microsystems for network file sharing between UNIX-based systems. NFS makes it possible for a client to access files via the network as if they were located on the client’s local file system. It is the most common filesystem for Linux based servers.
SMB – Server Message Block
The protocol for network file sharing between Windows-based systems is Server Message Block. SMB has evolved since its introduction in the 1980s and is now one of the most widely used protocols for file sharing on Windows networks.
CIFS – Common Internet File System
CIFS is an extension of the SMB protocol developed by Microsoft for network file sharing on Windows-based systems. CIFS was introduced to improve support for Internet protocols.
Summary
This is a complex topic and it is important to understand, that it combines different architectures and design options (SAN, NAS, Hyperconverged) wit a lot of possible protocols (SMB, NFS,…). Understand the benefits of each of those and when to use Hyperconverged vs. a 3 Tier Server Design is important. For more abbrevations take a look here.
