* Ensuring interoperability of gear used to protect storage traffic
Storage-area networks are shipping around a lot of valuable data that is now being protected by VPN technology under relatively new IETF standards.
While both iSCSI and Fibre Channel are being used over IP networks as SAN protocols, both are being protected by IPSec VPN technology, according to the standards written by the IETF that describe how the protocols work.
This is key for two reasons. IPSec protects the data crossing the wire via encryption. Even though many applications encrypt stored data, encrypting the encrypted data as it moves around the SAN can only make it more secure.
IPSec guards against corruption of the date. By verifying that the data that arrived is the same as the data that was sent, IPSec makes sure the stored data is authentic. In addition, IPSec is used to authenticate the origin of the data to thwart attempts to spoof source IP addresses and store false data.
Since IPSec is being used to support storage networks, it makes sense that the equipment imposing the IPSec protection should be interoperable. This makes it possible for customers to mix equipment from one vendor with equipment from another.
Toward this end, the VPN Consortium (VPNC) is performing interoperability tests on equipment that is used to protect storage traffic from point to point. The first is Cisco’s SAN-OS software, which was tested running on a SAN switch. The test certifies interoperability between vendors’ gear and a VPN server maintained by the VPNC.
The VPNC says it expects more SAN vendors to test their gear for VPNC basic interoperability. “Although SANs are not typically thought of when discussing VPNs, they are a part of the VPN landscape that is rapidly growing in importance.”
