Today's SAN challenge lies not in implementing a SAN, but in understanding the performance requirements to tune a SAN for maximum benefit to the enterprise. If a SAN is not properly tuned, access to storage can become slow, inefficient, and costly. SAN tuning via the implementation of a SANaccelerator delivers a powerful way to provide maximum benefit with minimal time and cost outlays. 

The first step to tuning a SAN is obtaining information on specific facets of SAN performance such as device throughput rates, daily throughput, and average block or record size. Good SAN management software should provide this information. 

Since the SAN infrastructure shares common components (switches, directors and storage resources), ensuring that high priority data requests get immediate response and are not queued behind pending low-priority data requests is critical. Architecting a hierarchical storage model into the SAN using SANaccelerators, RAID Arrays, JBOD, and Tape drives can ensure consistent data accessibility and meeting Quality of Service (QOS) objectives. 

SANaccelerators that use solid state technology are playing an increasingly important role in tuning the performance of SANs. Flexibly apportioned to different SAN needs, SANaccelerators can be managed with standard tools to allow the performance benefits to be effectively directed to areas of the SAN where performance acceleration is needed. SANaccelerators complement other storage resources in the SAN by ensuring that frequently accessed data is positioned on the fastest media available when it is needed, where it is needed.