SAN Network Solutions

Data center networking has always been a gray area for me, but I always want to learn it. I have spent sometime reading documents about MAN & WAN, and now I would like to have your expertise in it. I understand SAN Network Solutions are purely based on the application latency tolerance level, your infrastructure, distance between sites and transport medium available between sites, but I am focusing mainly on widely used methods.

Objectives:

1. Remote Replication

2. SAN extension

Methods available:

1. SAN over fiber - Direct connections between two SAN switches. Distance is limited to 10km - Long wave lasers GBICs. FC protocol.

                SAN switch <-Fiber-> SAN switch

2. SAN over DWDM over fiber - SAN switch/GigE connectors will be connected to DWDM Multiplexer - Supported FC and GigE protocols [Diff wavelengths]. These wavelengths are then multiplexed in single light bundle, which can be transported on a single fiber pair. DWDM cannot be used in WAN - i.e., more than 200KMs. Is that correct?

SAN switch/GigE Connector - DWDM MUX <-Fiber-> DWDM MUX - SAN switch/GigE Connector

3. SAN over IP over GigE over Fibre - Can we call this as a FCIP tunneling?

SAN switch - IPSAN GW switch - GigE Switch <-Fiber-> GigE Switch - IPSAN GW switch - SAN switch

4. SAN over GigE over Fiber - 10GigE - Optical media only - Only Fibre. 10GigE does not support copper. Is that correct?

           SAN over GigE - GigE Switch <-Fiber-> GigE Switch - SAN switch

5. Is anyone using WAN IP?

6. Widely used methods in WAN?