Is a 10 Gigabit backbone an absolute prerequisite for an IP-based SAN solution?
In short, no, 10 Gigabit is not a prerequisite for IP SANs. Most storage applications do not take advantage of the 1 gigabit pipes now available. But 10 Gigabit links enable enterprise customers to build very large non-blocking core infrastructures that feed 100s of storage devices in a single IP SAN. Instead of trunking interswitch links, 10 Gigabit Ethernet links can be used (or for very high performance, trunked 10 Gigabit links). This allows companies to scale to large IP SANs using mainstream Gigabit Ethernet switch equipment. Now for vendors of large storage arrays, it’s probably viable to have a 10 Gigabit iSCSI interface on the array: one big fat pipe (or multiple big fat pipes) to service 100’s of initiators.
