• A complete SAN with no single points of failure, disaster tolerance, and virtualization is not the best option for every business:
–An external DAS or iSCSI device might be a fine solution for some applications
– NAS might be a good solution for file-sharing applications and even some database applications
•A storage service provider (SSP) might be a good interim option for customers with limited budget or IT staff
Storage service providers (SSPs):
Supply storage capacity, as a utility, much like ISPs supply website space
Users lease storage from the SSP as needed, and pay only for the storage that they need
SSPs have evolved to meet the increased workload experienced by users in managing the explosion in data storage, offering storage capacity and management services such as back-up, mirroring and security management.