computer science

Z-SAN

Z-SAN is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Z-SAN rather than just read about it. In short: Z-SAN is a proprietary type of storage area network licensed by Zetera corporation. Z-SAN hardware is bundled with a modified version of SAN-FS, which is a shared disk file system driver and management software product SAN File System (SFS) made by DataPlow.

Key takeaways

Z-SAN belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Z-SAN to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Z-SAN from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Z-SAN is a proprietary type of storage area network licensed by Zetera corporation. Z-SAN hardware is bundled with a modified version of SAN-FS, which is a shared disk file system driver and management software product SAN File System (SFS) made by DataPlow. The shared disk file system allows multiple computers to access the same volume at block level. Zetera calls their version of the file system Z-SAN. The Z-SAN software license is purchased as part of the hardware package and is similar to ATA over Ethernet (AoE) sold by Coraid and LeftHand Networks. Zetera does not sell products directly, but instead licenses its technology to various other companies such as Netgear and Bell Microproducts. Like AoE, Z-SAN is intended to be a low-cost alternative to Fibre Channel and iSCSI. They do this by eliminating the need for the host adapter and TCP offload engine hardware, as well as use standard Ethernet switches instead of the more expensive Fibre Channel switches. While AoE is mostly supported on Linux, Z-SAN is supported on Microsoft Windows platforms. A Z-SAN can array many more disks than a standard RAID. The Zetera website claims that MIT has a Z-SAN array totaling 1.4 Petabytes of storage. The disk arrays can be both striped and mirrored. In 2005, the software was licensed to Netgear to be used in the Netgear SC101 product.

References

External links http://www.computerpoweruser.com/articles/archive/c0604/28c04/28c04.pdf Article about Z-SAN http://www.zetera.com/

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Z-SAN

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Z-SAN claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Z-SAN before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Z-SAN ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Z-SAN

In research: Z-SAN appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Z-SAN in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Z-SAN is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computer network stubs, Storage area networks, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Z-SAN outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Z-SAN in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Z-SAN means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Z-SAN out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Z-SAN in simple terms?

Why does Z-SAN matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Z-SAN?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Z-SAN.