220-1101 Question 165
Single answerStorage area network (SAN)A small business is replacing direct-attached storage on its application servers with a centralized storage solution so multiple servers can access block-level storage over a high-speed dedicated network. The IT technician must recommend the technology that best meets these requirements while separating storage traffic from the regular user LAN. Which solution should the technician choose?
- A
Storage area network (SAN)
- B
Network-attached storage (NAS)
- C
Direct-attached storage (DAS)
- D
Network file share hosted on a standard workstation
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The key phrase in the scenario is "block-level storage over a high-speed dedicated network." That is the defining use case for a SAN. SANs differ from NAS because SANs present storage volumes to servers as if they were locally attached disks, while NAS provides shared files over standard network protocols. DAS is local to one system and does not provide centralized storage across multiple servers. CompTIA A+ Core 1 commonly expects candidates to distinguish SAN, NAS, and DAS by access method and use case. Best-practice vendor and industry documentation from storage providers such as Dell, HPE, NetApp, and IBM consistently describes SANs as dedicated networks for block storage, often implemented with Fibre Channel or iSCSI depending on the environment.
- A. Correct.
Correct. A storage area network (SAN) provides block-level storage to servers over a dedicated high-speed network, commonly using Fibre Channel or iSCSI. This matches the requirement for centralized storage that can be presented to multiple servers while keeping storage traffic separate from the normal user LAN. In practice, SANs are used in business environments where performance, scalability, and centralized management are important.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Network-attached storage (NAS) provides file-level access over the network, typically using protocols such as SMB/CIFS or NFS. Although NAS is centralized storage, it does not usually present raw block-level storage to servers in the same way a SAN does. A candidate might choose this because NAS also uses the network, but the scenario specifically requires block-level storage over a dedicated storage network.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Direct-attached storage (DAS) is storage connected directly to a single computer or server, such as internal drives or an external USB/SAS enclosure. This does not meet the requirement for centralized shared storage across multiple servers. Someone might select DAS because it is common in small environments, but it lacks the centralized networked storage capability described in the scenario.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. A standard network file share on a workstation provides file-level access and is not designed to serve as enterprise block-level shared storage for multiple servers. It also would not provide the performance, resilience, or dedicated storage fabric expected in a SAN deployment. This option reflects a common misconception that any shared folder can substitute for storage infrastructure.