Which statement best describes a Storage Area Network (SAN) regarding data transfer?

• A. Transfers data at the block level with a dedicated protocol
• B. Share files over TCP/IP on a home network
• C. Use Ethernet switches for general LAN data transfer
• D. Provide wireless access to storage

Answer: (A)

Block-level access with a dedicated storage protocol is what characterizes a Storage Area Network. In a SAN, servers access storage as raw blocks, which the operating system can format into a filesystem. This block-level access is delivered over a specialized, high-performance storage network fabric—typically Fibre Channel or iSCSI—separate from the regular LAN to minimize latency and contention. This setup contrasts with file-level storage like NAS, where clients access shares over TCP/IP, and with general LAN data transfer, which uses Ethernet switches for everyday network traffic. Wireless access to storage is not how SANs are typically deployed, since SANs rely on wired connectivity to meet performance and reliability needs.