However, XSan is still natively supported within macOS. The operating system contains the client software needed to mount StorNext volumes. This means that an environment can run a modern Quantum StorNext MDC server, while the creative workstations (Mac Pros, iMacs, Mac Studios) mount the volume using the built-in XSan kernel extensions.
Most high-performance Xsan environments use Fibre Channel to move large file data between clients and the RAID storage systems.
macOS or macOS Server systems running the Xsan software that allows them to "see" the SAN as a local disk. Benefits of Professional Shared Storage
Authentication for filesystem access is typically integrated with directory services (Open Directory, Active Directory, or LDAP). Xsan uses standard POSIX permissions (owner/group/other) and, on macOS, can overlay Access Control Lists (ACLs). However, a unique aspect of Xsan access is its concept of —assigning specific file types to specific LUNs (Logical Unit Numbers) within the SAN. For example, a video editing team might assign high-resolution media to a pool of fast SSD LUNs and audio files to a slower HDD pool. The filesystem manages access by directing read/write requests to the appropriate pool automatically, optimizing throughput without user intervention.