Do san always need to be connected to a switch?

Do sans always need to be connected to switch or can they be plugged directly to server?

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I guess my question would first be what type of server is not hooked up to a switch? By definition a SAN is a storage area network...what are you trying to achieve?

Can you hook it off the back of a server box...depends on your connection, but if you have an add-on card or but than I'm thinking you want a NAS not a SAN (network attached storage) rather than a storage area network.

jahaziel

I agree with you. My company currently connecting the San to our servers using nic directly to the San instead of using a switch. When they told me That I was completely amazed.

joelsfood

There are times that directly attaching a SAN device makes sense, particularly in old days of high cost FC only SANs. I've also done DR sites that used just two servers, dual controller iSCSI SAN and direct connect (As client didn't want to spend the money on a 10g switch for a cold DR site).

So in terms of cost, there can be times it makes sense, but it's definitely the exception, not the rule.

Priston

By SAN device you mean storage array right? If so, yes you can directly connect a server to a storage array.

Switches are almost always used though, since storage arrays aren't designed with a high volume of ports and most people want to connect multiple servers to a storage array.