SAS (Serial Attached SCSI), serial connection small computer system interface. SAS is a new generation of SCSI technology. It is the same as the popular Serial ATA (SATA) hard disk. It uses serial technology to achieve higher transmission speed and improves internal space by shortening the connection line. SAS is a new interface developed after the parallel SCSI interface. This interface is designed to improve the performance, availability, and scalability of the storage system and provides compatibility with Serial ATA (SATA) hard drives.
SAS interface technology is backward compatible with SATA. The Back panel of the SAS system can be connected to a dual-port, high-performance SAS drive or a high-capacity, low-cost SATA drive. Because the port of a SAS drive looks similar to the port shape of a SATA drive, SAS drives and SATA drives can exist in a single storage system. However, it should be noted that the SATA system is not compatible with SAS, so the SAS drive cannot be connected to the SATA backplane. Due to the compatibility of SAS systems, IT personnel can use hard disks with different interfaces to meet the capacity or performance requirements of various applications. Therefore, when expanding storage systems, they have more flexibility to maximize the investment benefits of storage devices.
SAS technology also has the advantage of simplifying internal connection design. Storage device manufacturers are currently investing considerable cost to support different storage devices including Fibre Channel arrays, SATA arrays, etc., and SAS connectivity technology will reduce design costs through shared components.
