SAS - Serial Attached SCSI Hard Drive Interface Overview

SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) is a high-performance storage interface designed for use in enterprise-level systems. It's used to connect SAS hard drives and solid-state drives (SSDs) to a computer.

Performance:

• SAS has a fast data transfer rate of up to 12 Gbps, making it suitable for demanding applications and high-performance computing.
• SAS supports dual-ported drives, which provide redundancy and improve reliability. This means that if one port fails, the other can take over, reducing the risk of data loss.
• SAS also supports hot-swapping, allowing drives to be replaced without shutting down the system, improving system uptime and availability.

SAS Technology:

• SAS is based on SCSI technology and uses a serial communication interface for data transfer.
• SAS drives are physically compatible with SATA drives but use a different communication protocol that provides higher performance and advanced features.
• SAS can be used in a variety of configurations, including point-to-point connections and shared storage systems, making it highly flexible and scalable.

In summary, SAS is a high-performance and reliable storage interface designed for use in enterprise-level systems (e.g. Dell PowerEdge server hard drive & SSD kits). It provides fast data transfer rates, advanced features such as hot-swapping and dual-ported drives, and supports both hard drives and SSDs.

If you're evaluating which interface type to deploy in your system and what to understand the difference between NVMe, SAS or SATA, take a look at our explanation here.