So: It was the first demonstration of the compatibility of the network 6 Gb / s SAS to see each component of the input-output - the server, HBA, SAS expansion and hard drives. It was a test development efforts of all three companies seeking to bring the most reliable storage solutions for the industry. This opens the way for 6G SAS in late 2009.
Q: What makes 6G SAS preferred 8G Fibre Channel or 10 GbE?
So: SAS was not designed to replace or Fibre Channel or ISCSI. It was initially developed as the next generation of SCSI, replacing parallel SCSI solutions to the DAS. But the main drawback of both GbE and Fibre Channel is cost. SAS is a cheap interface to implement, and too fast. Standard external connections, usually consists of four SAS physical layer. Every day 3 Gbps SAS / PHY is that gives you a 24Gbps. Upping that 6G provides a link 24Gbps.
We are seeing interest in SAS for host interface as a replacement for Fibre Channel in the lower price levels. SAS provides higher performance at lower cost than other technologies, but it is limited by cable distances. 3G SAS tops out at eight meters. With 6G, we look at the 10-meter cable. But the significance here is that we are doubling the data rate and still get great distance. With parallel SCSI, the line lengths become shorter, as bandwidth has increased.
Q: So, we could see an entirely new SAN solution, then?
So: We are seeing interest in 6G SAS topology as included in the blade centers especially. We look at the switch product for 3G, and we're moving forward on the product for 6G. There's also a new interest in the SAS as a host interface for external storage, primarily as a SAS-to-SAS-interface for external RAID boxes. We still do FC-to-FC and ISCSI-to-SAS, but the interest is for the SAS-to-SAS.
The fact is, 6G SAS does not really make sense until the entire infrastructureG. What is the meaning of 6G, if it is a bottleneck as soon as it gets 3G infrastructure? With 6G, you get greater reliability in the link - a more reliable link at a faster pace. You also get new features, such as decision feedback equalization and standardized zoning, which eliminates the compatibility issues SAS was when each supplier by zoning in their own unique way.
