Using Exchange Server with Storage Attached Network and network-attached storage devices

This article provides an overview of Storage Attached Network (SAN) and network-attached storage devices, and describes the use of these storage systems with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server, and Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5.

Storage-Attached Network

A SAN is also referred to as a Storage Area Network. A SAN connects multiple servers and different storage devices on a single network. SANs use technologies such as Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) and Fiber Channel to provide fast and reliable connectivity between the storage devices and the servers that use them.

Note Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server includes another technology that uses the same "SAN" acronym, System Area Network. For additional information about System Area Networks and Storage Area Networks, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

SAN support in Exchange Server 2003

SAN storage systems that are Windows Hardware Quality Lab (WHQL)-certified meet the necessary requirements and are supported as Exchange Server 2003 storage devices.

Non-WHQL certified storage devices may also work with Exchange Server 2003. Contact your storage device vendor to verify that the storage device is compatible with Exchange Server 2003, or for more information about how to correctly configure and deploy it.

SAN support in Exchange 2000 Server

SAN storage systems that are WHQL-certified meet the necessary requirements and are supported as Exchange 2000 Server storage devices.

Non-WHQL certified storage devices may also work with Exchange 2000 Server. Contact your storage device vendor to verify that the storage device is compatible with Exchange 2000 Server, or for more information about how to correctly configure and deploy it.

SAN support in Exchange 5.5 Server

SAN storage systems that are WHQL-certified meet the necessary requirements and are supported as Exchange 5.5 Server storage devices.

Non-WHQL certified storage devices may also work with Exchange 5.5 Server. Contact your storage device vendor to verify that the storage device is compatible with Exchange 5.5 Server, or for more information about how to correctly configure and deploy it.

Network-attached storage

Network-attached storage is a disk storage system in which the network-attached storage server is attached to another server through the network redirector by using a file sharing protocol (such as server message block [SMB], Common Internet File System [CIFS], or network file system [NFS]). You can access the network resource if you map a drive to the network share, or by using a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path (for example, \\ServerName\ShareName).

Network-attached storage support in Exchange Server 2003

Network-attached storage devices that are WHQL-certified meet the necessary requirements and are supported as Exchange Server 2003 storage devices.

For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Network-attached storage support in Exchange 2000 Server

The use of network-attached storage devices with Exchange 2000 Server is not supported. Exchange 2000 Server requires access to physical disk characteristics that are available on locally-attached disks. These physical disk characteristics are not available when the Exchange databases are stored on network file shares. For additional information about NAS support in Exchange 2000, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Network-attached storage support in Exchange 5.5 Server

Network-attached storage devices that are WHQL-certified meet the necessary requirements and are supported as Exchange 5.5 Server storage devices.

Non-WHQL certified storage devices may also work with Exchange 5.5 Server. Contact your storage device vendor to verify that the storage device is compatible with Exchange 5.5 Server, or for more information about how to correctly configure and deploy it.

Additional reading

For additional information about related topics, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

For more information about WHQL, visit the following Microsoft Web site: For information about how to contact SAN or network-attached storage hardware vendors, click the appropriate article number in the following list to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: