NAS vs SAN. Boot from SAN benefits

+ From Wikipedia

SAN and NAS

Network-attached storage (NAS), in contrast to SAN, uses file-based protocols such as NFS or SMB/CIFS where it is clear that the storage is remote, and computers request a portion of an abstract file rather than a disk block. Recently,^[when?] the introduction of NAS heads, also called NAS gateways^[1], has allowed easy conversion of SAN storage to NAS.

+ From Microsoft

Key Benefits of Boot from SAN

Boot from SAN helps enable all of the “RAS” advantages of fabric connectivity – Redundancy, Availability, Serviceability. The key benefits are:

Reduce Server Footprints

Boot from SAN alleviates the necessity for each server to have its own direct-attached disk, eliminating internal disks as a potential point of failure. Thin diskless servers also take up less facility space, require less power, and are generally less expensive because they have fewer hardware components.

Centralized Image Management

When operating system images are stored on networked disks, all upgrades and fixes can be managed at a centralized location. Changes made to disks in a storage array are readily accessible by each server.

Disaster and Server Failure Recovery

All the boot information and production data stored on a local SAN can be replicated to a SAN at a remote disaster recovery site. If a disaster destroys functionality of the servers at the primary site, the remote site can take over with minimal downtime.

Recovery from server failures is simplified in a SAN environment. With the help of snapshots, mirrors of a failed server can be recovered quickly by booting from the original copy of its image. As a result, boot from SAN can greatly reduce the time required for server recovery.

High Availability

A typical data center is highly redundant in nature - redundant paths, redundant disks and redundant storage controllers. When operating system images are stored on disks in the SAN, it supports high availability and eliminates the potential for mechanical failure of a local disk.

Rapid Redeployment

Businesses that experience temporary high production workloads can take advantage of SAN technologies to clone the boot image and distribute the image to multiple servers for rapid deployment. Such servers may only need to be in production for hours or days and can be readily removed when the production need has been met. Highly efficient deployment of boot images makes temporary server usage a cost effective endeavor.

Green

When boot images are stored on a SAN, it enables the server not to have any local spinning media. Boot from SAN can provide greater power efficiency and help largely towards datacenter green initiatives.