Seagate ST3300657SS Enterprise-Optimized 6Gb/s SAS Rivals Fibre Channel Perfor - Page 2

Enterprise-Optimized 6Gb/s SAS Rivals Fibre Channel Performance and Scalability at Lower Cost Leading Edge = First Plug-fest 6Gb/s SAS 12Gb/s SAS 3Gb/s SAS Ultra 320 SCSI End-User Products: ~12-18 months later 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2110 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Graphic copyrighted by SCSI Trade Association Figure 1. SAS Roadmap With the recent introduction of this new SAS-2 which enable more secure and efficient scalability standard specification, SAS is once again poised when deploying the enormous number of drives to rewrite the rules for enterprise storage, this increasingly found in high-end enterprise arrays. time setting its sights on the data center's premier Factor in the faster throughput, longer maximum interface, Fibre Channel (FC). cable lengths and greater signal integrity, it's clear According to the STA, "6Gb/s SAS has many enhancements beyond 3Gb/s SAS. It has more that 6Gb/s SAS is a compelling, cost-effective rival to FC in many network storage applications. bandwidth per connection, greater scalability and enhanced features. 3Gb/s SAS usage More Storage, Less Expense models will be preserved in 6Gb/s SAS along Satisfying the enterprise's relentless hunger for with the retention of 1.5Gb/s and 3Gb/s SAS/ more storage capacity and faster throughput SATA compatibility. There are many other targeted poses a difficult challenge for today's storage improvements beyond first-generation 3Gb/s professionals, who are simultaneously expected to SAS, assuring enterprise storage users that SAS cut costs whenever possible. FC has long been the technology will continue to meet their needs." favored interface for a variety of network storage While its blazing 6-Gb/s transfer rate (double architectures used in enterprise data centers: that of the previous generation) is the most • SAN (storage area network) obvious attribute of the SAS-2 specification, a • NAS (network attached storage) comprehensive suite of additional enhancements enables 6Gb/s SAS to rival FC solutions in a variety of enterprise storage environments-at significantly lower cost. What's more, 6Gb/s SAS does so while retaining compatibility with earlier SAS and SATA hard drives. • JBOD/RAID (just-a-bunch-of-disks/redundant array of independent disks) Of course, FC is also known for coupling its remarkable throughput and scalability with daunting cost. Beyond the substantial investment required for the infrastructure itself, Fibre Channel Key 6Gb/s SAS features include standardized solutions also entail complex deployment and expander zoning and expander self-discovery, management procedures that require highly 2