The most basic layer of your SAN is the physical layer, which includes your media and connector choices. These choices depend on the primary purpose of your SAN. Like most technologies, improvements are happening every day, so we will highlight the connectors and components that are most popular today.

You must consider a number of factors as you put together the physical layer of your SAN. One factor is distance, or how far you must connect two points of interest. Next, you need to consider your existing architecture: if there is already fiber or copper that can be used, determine if it is compatible with the components you would like to add. You also need to consider scalability, so your SAN will be easily upgradeable to allow devices to be added and removed with a minimal amount of added materials. The final consideration is cost. What components are the least expensive, and what are their advantages and disadvantages? This section provides information on specific media and connectors, so that you can assemble a cost-effective SAN that is efficient, reliable, and scalable.