SUMMARY
This article provides an overview of Storage Attached
Network (SAN) and network-attached storage devices, and describes the use
of these storage systems with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server, and Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5.
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Storage-Attached Network
A SAN is also referred to as a Storage Area Network. A SAN
connects multiple servers and different storage devices on a single network.
SANs use technologies such as Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) and Fiber
Channel to provide fast and reliable connectivity between the storage devices
and the servers that use them.
Note Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server includes another
technology that uses the same "SAN" acronym, System Area Network.
For additional information
about System Area Networks and Storage Area Networks, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
264135
Differences between a System Area Network and a Storage Area
Network
260176 Description
of System Area Networks
SAN support in Exchange Server 2003
SAN storage systems that are Windows Hardware Quality Lab (WHQL)-certified meet the necessary requirements and are supported as Exchange Server 2003 storage devices.
Non-WHQL certified storage devices may also work with Exchange Server 2003. Contact your storage device vendor to verify that the storage device is compatible with Exchange Server 2003, or for more information about how to correctly configure and deploy it.
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SAN support in Exchange 2000 Server
SAN storage systems that are WHQL-certified meet the necessary requirements and are supported as Exchange
2000 Server storage devices.
Non-WHQL certified storage devices may
also work with Exchange 2000 Server. Contact your storage device vendor to
verify that the storage device is compatible with Exchange 2000 Server, or for
more information about how to correctly configure and deploy it.
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SAN support in Exchange 5.5 Server
SAN storage systems that are WHQL-certified meet the necessary
requirements and are supported as Exchange 5.5 Server storage devices.
Non-WHQL certified storage devices may also work with Exchange 5.5
Server. Contact your storage device vendor to verify that the storage device is
compatible with Exchange 5.5 Server, or for more information about how to
correctly configure and deploy it.
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Network-attached storage
Network-attached storage is a disk storage system in which the
network-attached storage server is attached to another server through the network redirector by
using a file sharing protocol (such as server message block [SMB], Common
Internet File System [CIFS], or network file system [NFS]). You can access the
network resource if you map a drive to the network share, or by using a
Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path (for example,
\\
ServerName\
ShareName).
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Network-attached storage support in Exchange Server 2003
Network-attached storage devices that are WHQL-certified meet the necessary requirements and are supported as Exchange Server 2003 storage devices.
For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
839687
Microsoft support policy on the use of network-attached storage devices with Exchange Server 2003
Network-attached storage support in Exchange 2000 Server
The use of network-attached storage devices with Exchange 2000 Server is not
supported. Exchange 2000 Server requires access to physical disk
characteristics that are available on locally-attached disks. These physical
disk characteristics are not available when the Exchange databases are stored
on network file shares.
For additional information
about NAS support in Exchange 2000, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
317173
Exchange Server and
network-attached storage
Network-attached storage support in Exchange 5.5 Server
Network-attached storage devices that are WHQL-certified meet the necessary
requirements and are supported as Exchange 5.5 Server storage devices.
Non-WHQL certified storage devices may also work with Exchange 5.5
Server. Contact your storage device vendor to verify that the storage device is
compatible with Exchange 5.5 Server, or for more information about how to
correctly configure and deploy it.
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Additional reading
For additional information about related topics, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
317173
Exchange Server and network-attached storage
317172 Exchange Server 5.5 and network-attached storage
314916 Issues that might occur if you place Exchange data files on network
shares