Hitachi 9900 manual Glossary, Freedom Data Networks, Fibre Channel, Ficon, File Backup, Front End

Glossary

Freedom Data Networks™

Hitachi Data Systems groups its storage area network (SAN) and network attached storage (NAS) solutions under the label Freedom Data Networks. Freedom Data Networks provides an open architecture that leverages SAN and NAS technology and offers organizations freedom of choice in deploying data-access and data-sharing capabilities across the enterprise through Hitachi Data Systems advanced implementations: Hitachi Freedom SAN™ and Hitachi Freedom NAS™.With Freedom Data Networks, customers gain a powerful new tool that enables the consolidation of servers and storage, increased data availability, centralized storage management, and the ability to back up and migrate data without affecting the performance of enterprise networks.

Fibre Channel

Fibre Channel is an ANSI standard designed to provide high-speed data transfers among workstations, servers, desktop computers, and peripherals. Fibre Channel makes use of a circuit/packet switched topology capable of providing multiple simultaneous point-to-point connections between devices. Fibre Channel is widely deployed in SAN implementations today. Standards for Fibre Channel SANs are being worked on by the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA). The technology has attracted interest as a channel for the attachment of storage devices, but it has a limited popularity as a high-speed networks interconnect. Fibre Channel can be deployed in point-to-point, arbitrated loop (FC-AL), or switched topologies. Fibre Channel nodes log in with each other and the switch to exchange operating information on attributes and characteristics. This information includes port names and port IDs and is used to establish interoperability parameters.

FICON ™

FICON is an IBM® trademark for Fibre Connection technology (ESCON® over Fibre

Channel).

File Backup

The practice of copying a file that is stored on disk or tape to another disk or tape is referred to as file backup. This is done for protection in case the active file gets damaged. Backup is considered “local copy” as opposed to “remote copy.” See also Remote Copy.

Front End

In reference to storage arrays, the front end is considered to be the interfaces or ports to the “real world,” the processors servicing these ports, and in some cases the cache memory. On the Htachi Freedom Storage™ Lightning 9900™ V Series systems, the front end consists of CHIP pairs.

GB

Abbreviation for gigabyte.

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