SNIA Developer Conference September 15-17, 2025 | Santa Clara, CA
Storage Area Network
1. A network whose primary purpose is the transfer of data between computer systems and storage devices and among storage devices.
A SAN consists of a communication infrastructure, which provides physical connections, and a management layer, which organizes the connections, storage devices, and computer systems so that data transfer is secure and robust. The term SAN is usually (but not necessarily) identified with block I/O services rather than file access services.
2. A storage system consisting of storage elements, storage devices, computer systems, and/or appliances, plus all control software, communicating over a network.
The SNIA definition specifically does not identify the term SAN with Fibre Channel technology. When the term SAN is used in connection with Fibre Channel technology, use of a qualified phrase such as "Fibre Channel SAN" is encouraged. According to this definition, an Ethernet-based network whose primary purpose is to provide access to storage devices would be considered a SAN. SANs are sometimes also used for system interconnection in clusters.