Using iSCSI and Virtualization to Optimize Your Storage
What is iSCSI?
The open secret of enhancing business storage at a lower cost is to create a storage area network (SAN) utilizing Internet Small Computer Systems Interface (iSCSI) and an array of network-attached storage (NAS) devices. iSCSI allows SCSI commands to be sent end-to-end over local area networks, and transports block-level data between an iSCSI initiator on a server and an iSCSI target on a NAS storage device.
iSCSI is widely supported by all major operating systems and hypervisors, and this universality lets your business to build a secure and flexible storage network at lower costs by allowing a wide variety of server hardware across the same network. The compatibility with virtualization enables virtual machine solutions for increased availability and versatile backup and restore options. iSCSI offers tremendous value to SMB as it allows you to consolidate and maximize your storage while streamlining hardware and lowering your total costs.
With iSCSI you can:
- Fully utilize the storage capacity of NAS storage devices on the network
- Simply and seamlessly expand storage capacity to scale with your business growth
- Deploy a flexible storage and backup solution that lowers the total cost of ownership (TCO)
- Add an extra layer of security to your storage network
- Use existing networking equipment without needing to learn or upgrade to Fibre SAN topology
The TeraStation 5020 NAS offers the ability to be configure as an iSCSI target, so you can integrate the physical server into a virtualized iSCSI-SAN system.
Flexible Management/Deployment
One of the key benefits of deploying an iSCSI-SAN is streamlining your network. Because iSCSI protocols work over Ethernet, an iSCSI-SAN can disregard the distance barrier between the storage system and the application system. This eliminates any physical limitations of your network, increasing work efficiency. You can also seamlessly link remote sites to your centralized data repository, and mirror data storage across geographically dispersed locations, enabling more efficient remote work as well.
Since the TeraStation 5020 NAS allows you to quickly increase storage without needing to consider physical storage configuration, you can enjoy faster deployment on new servers, and scale your storage as your business grows as you see fit.
Lowering Your Costs
One of the reasons why iSCSI is widely popular is the significant cost savings. IT managers with limited budgets often have to do more with less. Unlike Fibre Channel, iSCSI does not require any specialized IT knowledge, and utilizes same standardized, inexpensive Ethernet equipment. This saves you the need to look into specialized hardware, as well as additional personnel to manage and troubleshoot your storage network.
iSCSI also allows you to add storage on the fly when needed – connecting a RAID-backed iSCSI storage server will allow you to add terabytes of storage to the existing physical server without actually having to add physical drives. This means that even if the TeraStation NAS no longer has spare bays for additional drives, you can still quickly and seamlessly expand your storage without having to reconfigure your network, saving you time and money.
Enabling Virtualized SANs
Storage virtualization can streamline provisioning, in turn optimizing storage utilization and scalability. If you are running virtual machines (VM), putting them on an iSCSI-SAN make your VMs even more flexible and expandable. You can easily manage your online virtual machines through the iSCSI-SAN. For VMware (ESXi) hosts, the TeraStation Network Attached Storage can provide storage to a cluster as well. Because ESXi uses VMFS (VMware File System) for datastores, you do not need SCSI persistent reservations. All attached hosts can lock the parts they are currently accessing, and prevent other hosts from making changes and possibly causing data corruption.
Increased Data Protection
With modern threats such as ransomware becoming increasingly commonplace, data protection should be top priority for every business, regardless of size. An iSCSI-SAN allows you to increase data security by fluidly backing up data from both physical and virtual servers, and maintain a comprehensive business and disaster recovery (BDR) plan without having to budget additional IT resources. By restoring VMs to any hardware, you can quickly set up a replacement for a downed server without needing to significantly re-configure your network.
An iSCSI-SAN with secure Buffalo NAS can drastically lower your odds of having to wade through the quagmire of critical data loss. By streamlining your IT infrastructure, you can reduce network vulnerabilities that may arise from blind spots in a complex network environment.
A major component of a secure network is endpoint security, and the TeraStation 5020 NAS is purpose-built for security and data protection. The TeraStation 5020 supports CHAP authentication to secure iSCSI data transmissions over the network, further protecting your data, and comes with other native security features such as 256-bit AES drive encryption and a closed system that reduces the attack surface from malware such as ransomware.
Build Your Ideal Storage Network
With the TeraStation Network Attached Storage, you can run it as an iSCSI target and enable flexible data storage and backup while drastically reducing both maintenance and expansion costs. For additional flexibility, the TeraStation 5020 NAS also supports jumbo frames, which enable you reduce overhead and increase throughput on an efficient network. Coupled with native features such as a closed operating system for security and a 2.5GbE port for faster data access and file transfers, the TeraStation 5020 along with iSCSI can help enable new possibilities for your IT infrastructure without breaking the bank.
To extend the life of your server and optimize your Buffalo NAS device in a virtualized environment, feel free to contact us at 800.688.7466 with any questions or to secure a demo unit.
