IBM System Storage N series Software Guide

Book excerpt: Corporate workgroups, distributed enterprises, and small to medium-sized companies are increasingly seeking to network and consolidate storage to improve availability, share information, reduce costs, and protect and secure information. These organizations require enterprise-class solutions capable of addressing immediate storage needs cost-effectively, while providing an upgrade path for future requirements. IBM® System Storage® N series storage systems and their software capabilities are designed to meet these requirements. IBM System Storage N series storage systems offer an excellent solution for a broad range of deployment scenarios. IBM System Storage N series storage systems function as a multiprotocol storage device that is designed to allow you to simultaneously serve both file and block-level data across a single network. These activities are demanding procedures that, for some solutions, require multiple, separately managed systems. The flexibility of IBM System Storage N series storage systems, however, allows them to address the storage needs of a wide range of organizations, including distributed enterprises and data centers for midrange enterprises. IBM System Storage N series storage systems also support sites with computer and data-intensive enterprise applications, such as database, data warehousing, workgroup collaboration, and messaging. This IBM Redbooks® publication explains the software features of the IBM System Storage N series storage systems. This book also covers topics such as installation, setup, and administration of those software features from the IBM System Storage N series storage systems and clients and provides example scenarios.