Introduction

Windows Server System Reference Architecture (WSSRA) is an integrated set of service solutions based on architectural guidance for typical enterprise scenarios.

This guide provides information on how exactly the various storage architectures and technologies identified in the Storage Architecture Blueprint and Storage Devices Blueprint were implemented in the test labs. The following architectures were considered for the storage design:

In addition, the following storage technologies were examined:

WSSRA makes use of two of these storage technologies for all services; DAS and SAN. The NAS option was not available at design time, as no Windows-powered NAS solution was available in the market. It is envisioned that future WSSRA implementations will use the Windows Storage Server 2003 NAS technology because it provides a number of significant benefits to the overall storage solution. For more information on this option, refer to the Storage Devices Blueprint.

To provide the required level of detail in this documentation, the overall storage solution has been split into the following four areas:

These areas address the detailed design of the complete storage solution for the CDC and SBO scenarios.

On This Page

	Who Should Read This Guide
	Knowledge Prerequisites
	Business Need
	References

Who Should Read This Guide

This guide is written for storage administrators who are responsible for the deployment of storage technologies. This guide provides information on technology selections made from the choices discussed in the Storage Devices Blueprint.

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Knowledge Prerequisites

The reader of this guide is expected to have a practitioner-level understanding of storage infrastructure and networking, as detailed information about the hardware and software components used in the development of storage infrastructure in the CDC and SBO environments is provided. Specifically, a good understanding of the DAS and SAN technologies described in the Storage Devices Blueprint is required.

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Business Need

The business issues surrounding storage were discussed in the Storage Architecture Blueprint. As described in that blueprint, the functional requirements for the enterprise and corporate environments are very similar, and the selection of storage can be affected largely by the geographical issues.

All organizations will have some core storage goals, including:

Hidden within these three needs are an array of subordinate requirements, such as zero data-loss, 24x7 operation, effective utilization of resources, and interoperability.

The design used in this planning guide makes use of two different storage technologies for all services, direct-attached storage (DAS) and storage area networks (SAN). Windows Storage Server 2003 appliances provide a relevant technology solution, and can be incorporated into WSSRA if specific business needs require.

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References

The following references can be used to find additional information about storage devices used in our scenarios:

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