Storage Area Network Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Component (Hardware, Software, Service), By Technology (Fibre Channel, Fibre Channel Over Ethernet, InfiniBand, iSCSI Protocol), By SAN Type, By End-use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 To 2030

A Storage Area Network (SAN) is a specialized network architecture designed to provide high-speed block-level access to storage devices. SANs are typically composed of dedicated hardware components such as switches, host bus adapters (HBAs), and storage arrays. Factors such as the growth in data storage requirements and theincreased demand for cloud services are expected to drive market growth. Moreover, increased demand for high-performance computing and growth in virtualization presents a significant growth opportunity for the market.

Some of the recent developments related to SAN are the adoption of nonvolatile memory express (NVMe) over Fabrics (NVMe-oF), the growth of Software-Defined Storage (SDS), and the convergence of SAN and Network Attached Storage (NAS). NVMe-oF is a technology that allows storage devices to be accessed over a network using the NVMe protocol. This technology is gaining popularity in the SAN market because it provides high-speed access to storage devices with low latency, making it ideal for high-performance computing and data-intensive applications. SDS is an emerging technology that separates the storage software from the underlying hardware, allowing organizations to use commodity hardware to build scalable and flexible storage solutions. This approach is gaining popularity in the SAN market because it provides organizations with more control over their storage infrastructure and can reduce costs.

Some of the advantages of SAN are improved data security, increased scalability, responsive backup, and reliable disaster recovery. The use of a SAN can enhance the availability of applications that may otherwise be impacted by issues such as disk failure and data corruption. SAN provides a high level of data security since it is extremely difficult for unauthorized users to steal data from the network. The utilization of high-speed optic fibers in a SAN results in fast data transfer and retrieval speeds, often exceeding 5 Gbps. Additionally, a SAN can effectively address issues related to bandwidth bottlenecks that may be experienced in LAN-based server storage.

Based on technology, the market is segmented into fibre channel (FC), fibre channel over ethernet (FCoE), iSCSI protocol, and InfiniBand. Fibre channel over ethernet (FCoE) SAN uses a converged enhanced Ethernet (CEE) network to transport FC storage traffic alongside standard ethernet traffic over high-speed ethernet links.

In May 2023, NetApp launched its first block storage-only appliance, which is designed to streamline its storage array portfolio and provide a simpler option for the company’s SAN customers who are using its unified storage arrays for block storage. In addition, the company introduced a new initiative called the NetApp Ransomware Recovery Guarantee. This program guarantees that if customers are unable to recover their data from a ransomware attack, NetApp will provide compensation to the affected parties.

Storage Area Network Market Segmentation

• By Component

  • Hardware

  • Software

  • Service

• By Technology

  • Fibre Channel (FC)

  • Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE)

  • iSCSI Protocol

  • InfiniBand

• By SAN Type

  • Hyperscale Server SAN

  • Enterprise Server SAN

• By End Use

  • BFSI

  • IT and Telecom

  • Retail and E-commerce

  • Government

  • Education

  • Healthcare

  • Others

• Key players

  • Dell Inc.

  • Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP

  • IBM Corporation

  • NetApp

  • NEC Corporation

  • Cisco Systems, Inc.

  • Fujitsu

  • Hitachi Vantara LLC

  • Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

  • Citrix Systems, Inc.