A
storage area network (
SAN) is a network which provides access to consolidated,
block level data storage. SANs are primarily used to enhance storage devices, such as
disk arrays,
tape libraries, and
optical jukeboxes, accessible to
servers so that the devices appear to the
operating system as
locally attached devices. A SAN typically has its own network of storage devices that are generally not accessible through the local area network (LAN) by other devices. The cost and complexity of SANs dropped in the early 2000s to levels allowing wider adoption across both enterprise and small to medium-sized business environments.