SAS: The Emerging Storage Fabric (Fall 2012)

SAS is the backbone of nearly every enterprise storage deployment, rapidly evolving, adding new features, enhanced capabilities and offering “no compromise” system performance. SAS not only excels as a device level interface, its versatility, reliability and scalability have made it the connectivity standard of choice for creating new Enterprise storage architectures. This presentation covers the advantages of using SAS as a device interface, and how its capabilities as a connectivity solution, are changing the way data centers are being deployed. Advantaging 12 Gb/s transfer rates, bandwidth aggregation, SAS Fabrics (including switches) active connections, and multi-function connectors (connectors that support SAS as well as PCIe Attached Storage devices) allows data center architects to create sustainable storage solutions that scale well into the future.

Learning Objectives

Understand the basic capabilities of SAS, including its compatibility with SATA, that makes SAS the best device level interface for Enterprise class storage devices.
Gain insight on how SAS continues to be the primary building block for advanced storage solutions based in large part due to it’s architectural flexibility which provides for continuous technological advancements and further storage innovations. The audience will also learn about the market adoption timelines and scenarios for 12Gb/s SAS and why it’s significance to the “Emerging Storage Fabric” story.
See examples of how SAS is a potent connectivity solution especially when coupled with a SAS switching solutions. These innovative SAS configurations become a vehicle for low cost storage expansion, providing a central point for storage management and serviceability while supporting legacy enterprise investments.