Shared Disk Architecture
Shared Disk Architecture is a computing design pattern where multiple servers or nodes access and share a common storage system, such as a SAN (Storage Area Network) or NAS (Network Attached Storage), for data persistence. It enables high availability, scalability, and centralized data management by allowing concurrent access to the same disk resources across a distributed system. This architecture is commonly used in database clusters, high-performance computing, and enterprise applications requiring fault tolerance.
Developers should learn Shared Disk Architecture when building or maintaining systems that require high availability, load balancing, and data consistency across multiple servers, such as in database clustering (e.g., Oracle RAC) or distributed file systems. It is particularly useful in scenarios where applications need to scale horizontally while maintaining a single source of truth for data, reducing the risk of data silos and simplifying backup and recovery processes. Understanding this concept helps in designing resilient infrastructures for mission-critical applications.