01Enterprise SAN arrays
Dell PowerStore
Dell's all-flash, NVMe-based block and file storage appliance family for mixed enterprise workloads.
Best for: Mid-range to enterprise block storage.
Visit Dell PowerStore →Storage Area Networks (SAN)
Block-storage arrays, Fibre Channel and Ethernet fabrics, host adapters and software SANs for shared, high-performance storage networks.
17solutions
3Categories
5FAQs answered
02Enterprise SAN arrays
Dell PowerMax
Dell's high-end NVMe storage arrays for mission-critical block workloads.
Best for: Mission-critical, high-availability databases.
Visit Dell PowerMax →03Enterprise SAN arrays
NetApp AFF A-Series
NetApp's all-flash arrays running ONTAP, with SAN protocols and data-management features.
Best for: Unified SAN and NAS on one platform.
Visit NetApp AFF A-Series →04Enterprise SAN arrays
HPE storage (Alletra)
HPE's storage portfolio, including the Alletra block storage arrays managed from the cloud.
Best for: HPE and GreenLake environments.
Visit HPE storage (Alletra) →05Enterprise SAN arrays
Everpure FlashArray
All-flash block storage arrays from Everpure (formerly Pure Storage).
Best for: Simple operations with all-flash performance.
Visit Everpure FlashArray →06Enterprise SAN arrays
IBM FlashSystem
IBM's all-flash storage systems with block storage, virtualisation and cyber-resilience features.
Best for: IBM environments and storage virtualisation.
Visit IBM FlashSystem →07Enterprise SAN arrays
Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform
Hitachi Vantara's family of block storage platforms for enterprise workloads.
Best for: Always-on enterprise applications.
Visit Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform →08Enterprise SAN arrays
Huawei OceanStor Dorado
Huawei's all-flash storage systems for enterprise databases and virtualisation.
Best for: Large deployments outside US-centric markets.
Visit Huawei OceanStor Dorado →09Enterprise SAN arrays
Infinidat InfiniBox
Infinidat's enterprise storage platform aimed at large-scale, high-availability workloads.
Best for: Very large capacity with consistent performance.
Visit Infinidat InfiniBox →10Enterprise SAN arrays
Lenovo storage
Lenovo's ThinkSystem storage arrays and related data-centre storage.
Best for: Cost-conscious SAN deployments.
Visit Lenovo storage →11Fabrics & host adapters
Broadcom Fibre Channel networking
Fibre Channel switches and directors (the Brocade line) and fabric management for SANs.
Best for: Fibre Channel fabrics.
Visit Broadcom Fibre Channel networking →12Fabrics & host adapters
Broadcom host bus adapters
Host bus adapters that connect servers to storage networks and drives.
Best for: Connecting servers to SAN storage.
Visit Broadcom host bus adapters →13Fabrics & host adapters
Cisco storage networking
Cisco's MDS switches for Fibre Channel and NVMe storage networking.
Best for: Fibre Channel and NVMe/FC switching.
Visit Cisco storage networking →14Fabrics & host adapters
Marvell Fibre Channel adapters
Fibre Channel adapters and controllers for servers and storage systems.
Best for: Fibre Channel server connectivity.
Visit Marvell Fibre Channel adapters →15Software-defined & virtual SAN
StarWind Virtual SAN
Software that turns server-attached storage into a shared, highly available virtual SAN.
Best for: Small and edge clusters without a physical SAN.
Visit StarWind Virtual SAN →16Software-defined & virtual SAN
DataCore SANsymphony
Software-defined block storage that pools and virtualises storage from many vendors.
Best for: Heterogeneous storage consolidation.
Visit DataCore SANsymphony →17Software-defined & virtual SAN
Linux-iSCSI.org
Home of the Linux iSCSI target (LIO), the in-kernel software that exports block devices over iSCSI.
Best for: DIY iSCSI targets on Linux.
Visit Linux-iSCSI.org →Choosing the right approach
Match your requirement to a starting point, then compare vendors.
| Shared block storage for databases and VMs | An enterprise SAN array over Fibre Channel or NVMe/FC |
|---|---|
| Use existing Ethernet | iSCSI or NVMe/TCP on a dedicated storage network |
| Highest availability | A high-end array with synchronous replication |
| No physical SAN | A software-defined or virtual SAN on server storage |
| Heterogeneous arrays | Storage virtualisation such as DataCore |
| File sharing | NAS, not SAN, or a unified platform that offers both |
Related pages on PeterIndia.net
Neighbouring directories and hubs.
IT StorageThe storage hub.Enterprise Storage SolutionsEnterprise arrays and platforms.Network Attached Storage (NAS)File storage over the network.Direct Attached Storage (DAS)Storage attached to one server.RAIDDisk redundancy and striping.Software-Defined StorageStorage as software.Block Storage SolutionsBlock storage in the cloud.IT NetworkingThe networks beneath storage.Object Storage SolutionsObject storage compared.File Storage SolutionsShared file storage.Other Storage SolutionsTape, archive and specialty.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers.
What is a storage area network?
A SAN is a dedicated high-speed network that gives servers block-level access to shared storage arrays. Servers see the storage as local disks, while it is pooled and managed centrally.
How is a SAN different from NAS?
A SAN delivers raw block storage over protocols such as Fibre Channel and iSCSI, so servers format it themselves. NAS delivers files over protocols such as NFS and SMB. Many modern arrays can provide both.
Fibre Channel or iSCSI?
Fibre Channel is a dedicated, lossless fabric that is common in large enterprises. iSCSI runs over standard Ethernet and is cheaper to start. NVMe over Fabrics is now an option on both.
What is NVMe over Fabrics?
NVMe over Fabrics carries the NVMe command set across a network, over Fibre Channel, RDMA or TCP, giving lower latency than SCSI-based protocols.
When is a SAN the wrong choice?
For small environments, simple file sharing or cloud-native workloads, a SAN can be costly and complex. NAS, hyperconverged infrastructure or cloud block storage may fit better.
Descriptions summarise each vendor's or project's own positioning, checked on 5 October 2026. Product names and offerings change often, so confirm details on the linked site before deciding.