Benefits of using SATA
What is SATA?
SATA is an evolutionary replacement for the Parallel ATA physical storage interface. SATA is scalable and allows for enhancements to the computing platform. These include easier integration, faster performance, and more efficient design.
How will the industry benefit from adopting SATA?
Adoption of the Serial ATA specification provides low-cost storage for the industry, improved speed and bandwidth, and serves as an evolutionary replacement for the Parallel ATA interface. Implementation of Serial ATA allows for easy integration due to improved cabling, greater flexibility in regard to system configuration and hot plugability. With these enhancements, system builders can create new solutions with fewer limitations and will experience greater interoperability with other interfaces.
What are the end user benefits of SATA?
End users will benefit by being able to easily upgrade their storage devices. Configuration of SATA devices will be much simpler, with many of today's requirements on jumper and settings no longer needed. Advancements in the SATA specifications also allow improvements and scalability in performance for the storage interface.
What are the IT management benefits of using SATA?
SATA provides:
• Enhanced performance (faster transfer rate and NCQ)
• Enhanced reliability (expanded CRC and latching connectors)
• System integration flexibility
What are the System Integrator benefits of using SATA?
SATA provides:
• Easier system build-up
• Simplified cabling
• Elimination of jumpers
• Improved overall system airflow
• Enhanced reliability
How does the end-user benefit from using SATA technology in servers and NAS?
User benefits for servers and NAS include:
• Hotplug/backplane
• Enclosure management
• Interoperability with SAS
• Backward compatibility with various speeds
• Higher performance
• Ease of integration – no more jumpers
• Improved air flow
How does the system vendor benefit from using SATA technology in servers and NAS?
Benefits for the OEM include:
• Easier configuration and design with cables that are thinner, have smaller connectors, and are simpler to route and install
• Ability to use HDD technology across multiple segments such as desktops, entry and midrange servers, and networked storage
• Easier training for Sales and Tech Support staff
• Improved silicon design with lower voltage that will ease current design requirements in Parallel ATA
• Hot plugging and delayed spin-up are other features well-suited to multi-drive systems.
Does SATA provide better performance than Parallel ATA?
Serial ATA supports data rates up to 6Gb/s, versus the embraced industry standard of 100 MB/s for Parallel ATA. The new interface also provides for command queuing to further boost system performance.
What is the long-term road map for SATA?
SATA defines a roadmap starting at 1.5 gigabits per second (equivalent to a data rate of 150MB/s) and migrating to 3.0 gigabits per second (300 MB/s), evolving to today’s 6.0 gigabits per second transfer rate, and then to even higher data rates. With its widespread usage in the computing industry, the SATA bus architecture will continue to evolve and mature over time. New technologies and techniques in performance, power management, physical configuration, connection options and other storage-centric solutions are constantly being defined and developed, giving SATA a long and promising future.
How does SATA handle backward compatibility issues?
SATA supports legacy drivers for Parallel ATA. OEMs can deploy SATA today using existing parallel ATA drivers. Several vendors currently supply bridges for parallel-to-serial conversion for legacy devices.
Are there any known interoperability issues with SATA?
One of the primary requirements of SATA specifications is to maintain backward compatibility with existing operating system drivers to eliminate incompatibility issues.
How will operating systems handle SATA?
Because of the legacy support inherent in the specification, operating support will be simplified. The SATA specification allows for additional features to be added to applications. Additional features will be subject to normal driver validation processes.
Desktops, Mobile PCs, and Consumer Electronics
What are the compelling reasons why SATA is the preferred choice for use with desktops, mobile PCs and consumer electronics?
SATA was designed to simplify cabling and improve performance.
How pervasive is SATA in desktop and mobile computers?
According to analyst firm IDC, more than 1.1 billion SATA hard drives have shipped from 2001 through 2008. In 2008, SATA captured more than 98 percent of internal hard disk drive shipments, demonstrating that SATA technology is now used in the vast majority of desktop and mobile PCs. (Source: IDC Doc #215614, "Economic Crisis Response: Worldwide 2008-2012 Forecast Update," December 2008.)
For more information about SATA products, see the Integrators List, a reference tool provided on the SATA-IO website which includes information about the components that have passed the SATA-IO Interoperability Testing. The SATA Product Listing is another database featuring SATA products. Please inquire with specific vendors to understand their product roadmaps.
Beyond hard disks, what devices use SATA?
SATA supports all ATA and ATAPI devices, and is currently being used to provide solutions for: CDs, DVDs, tape devices, high capacity removable devices, SSDs (solid state drives), and Blu-ray Drives.
What connector options are available for SATA devices?
The SATA Revision 2.6 Specification defines the following connectors: an internal slimline cable and connector that enables SATA optical drives to achieve a smaller form factor; an internal Micro-SATA connector for 1.8-inch hard disk drives which facilities high-capacity SATA-based storage in ultra-mobile PC applications; and a mini-SATA internal/external multi-lane cable and connector that provides high-bandwidth connectivity for use in internal backplane designs and external eSATA or xSATA based protocols for external storage enclosures.
In additon to those listed above, SATA-IO offers two new connectors in the SATA Revision 3.0 Specification: the Low Insertion Force (LIF) connector for compact embedded storage applications, and the 7mm connector for optical disk drives, enabling thinner and lighter mobile notebook PCs.
What is eSATA?
External SATA (eSATA) is an external version of SATA that uses slightly different connectors that withstand wear and tear and static electricity. eSATA offers faster speed and better performance than existing external storage formats such as USB 2.0 and FireWire (IEEE 1394).
What are the benefits of using eSATA?
- Up to six times faster than existing external storage solutions
- Robust and user-friendly external connection
- High-performance and cost-effective expansion storage
- Up to two meter shielded cables and connectors
- Port multiplication to attach multiple disk drives on a single eSATA cable
- External Direct Attached Storage applications for notebooks, desktop, consumer electronics and entry servers, as well as support for multiple streams of content (such as parallel write and read on a digital video recorder, or DVR)
Servers and Networked Storage
What are the compelling reasons why SATA is a viable option for server and NAS networked storage?
Scalability—SATA is a point-to-point connection and allows multiple ports to be aggregated into a single controller that is typically located either on the motherboard or as an add-in RAID card. Through backplanes and external enclosures, SATA will be deployed in high-capacity server and networked-storage environments.
Cost—SATA was created, with desktop cost in mind, as a replacement for Parallel ATA. Initial hard disk drives (HDDs) are expected to be priced competitively for the desktop. With the scalable features of SATA combined with desktop price-points, greater storage capacity may be realized at a lower total solution cost than with traditional server and networked storage.
Cabling—SATA specifies a thin, point-to-point connection, which allows for easy cable routing within a system. This avoids master/slave, "daisy-chaining", and termination issues. Also, better airflow can be realized compared to systems with wider ribbon cables.
Performance—SATA technology delivers up to 6Gb/s of performance to each drive within a disk drive array.
What is the status of the SATA infrastructure?
SATA technology has gained tremendous ground since its introduction in 2001. According to analyst firm IDC, more than 1.1 billion SATA hard drives have shipped from 2001 to 2008. Last year, SATA captured more than 98% of internal hard disk drive shipments, demonstrating that SATA technology is now used in the vast majority of desktop and mobile PCs. (Source: IDC Doc #215614, "Economic Crisis Response: Worldwide 2008-2012 Forecast Update," December 2008.)
Additionally, the technology is increasingly being used in other types of devices, including optical disk drives, solid state drives, servers and external storage systems. SATA implementations are also making inroads in the enterprise market.
"The SATA interface has developed into the de facto standard HDD interface in computing applications," said John Ryding, IDC's research director for hard disk drives. "The new SATA Revision 3.0 Specification builds upon the current market success of SATA, and will help to solidify SATA as the predominant storage device interface for the foreseeable future."
Please inquire with individual vendors on their specific product plans and expected availability
SATA 优势
什么是 SATA？
SATA 是并行 ATA 物理存储接口的新一代替代技术。SATA 具有良好的可扩展性，并能为计算平台带来诸多强化优势，其中包括简化集成、加快性能和提高设计效率。
SATA 可为整个行业带来哪些优势？
作为并行 ATA 接口的新一代替代技术，串行 ATA 规范的采用将为整个行业带来降低存储成本、增加速率和带宽等优势。由于连线技术的改进以及系统配置和热插拔灵活性的增加，串行 ATA 的实施可为用户带来更加简便高效的集成体验。借助这些强化优势，系统集成商可打造出限制更少、并能与其他接口实现更高互操作性的全新解决方案。
SATA 可为最终用户带来哪些优势？
最终用户将因存储设备的轻松升级而受益匪浅。SATA 设备的配置将变得更加简单，而如今对跳线和设置的诸多要求将不再需要。此外，SATA 规范的先进功能还可使存储接口的性能和可扩展性得到显著增强。
| “SATA 接口已发展成为计算机行业硬盘驱动器接口的实用标准。” John Rydning，IDC |
SATA 可提供：
• 更高的性能（更快的传输速率和 NCQ）
• 更强的可靠性（CRC 和闭锁连接器得到扩展）
• 系统集成灵活性
SATA 可为系统集成商带来哪些优势？
SATA 可提供：
• 更轻松的系统集成
• 更简单的连线技术
• 跳线的消除
• 更通畅的整体系统空气流动
• 更强的可靠性
SATA 技术在服务器和 NAS 中的应用可为最终用户带来哪些优势？
其在服务器和 NAS 中的应用将为用户带来以下方面的优势：
• 热插拔/背板
• 存储设备管理
• 与 SAS 的互操作性
• 向后兼容各种速率
• 更高的性能
• 轻松集成 – 不再需要跳线
• 更通畅的空气流动
SATA 技术在服务器和 NAS 中的应用可为系统供应商带来哪些优势？
OEM 将获得以下优势：
• 电缆和连接器体积的减小、路由和安装的简化使得配置和设计变得更加轻松简便
• 跨多个市场细分（例如台式机、入门级和中端服务器及网络存储）地使用 HDD 技术的能力
• 面向销售和技术支持员工的培训变得更加简单
• 较低电压的改进型硅设计可降低并行 ATA 中的电流设计要求
• 可为多驱动器系统提供热插拔和延迟启动等其他卓越功能。
SATA 能否提供优于并行 ATA 的卓越性能？
串行 ATA 可支持高达 6Gb/秒的数据速率，而并行 ATA 数据传输的行业标准仅为 100MB/秒。 而且，这种新型接口还可为命令队列提供更强劲的系统性能。
SATA 的长期路线图如何？
根据 SATA 的路线图，其传输速率依次经历了最初的 1.5Gb/秒（等价于 150MB/秒的数据速率）、后来的 3.0Gb/秒（300 MB/秒）以及如今的 6.0Gb/秒，并且还将在今后实现更高的数据速率。随着其在计算机行业的应用日益广泛，SATA 总线架构还将进一步发展和成熟。 而性能、电源管理、物理配置、连接选项及其他以存储为中心的解决方案等领域的新技术的不断出现和发展，则预示着 SATA 必然能实现长期而光明的发展前景。
SATA 如何处理向后兼容问题？
SATA 可支持采用并行 ATA 的遗留驱动程序。OEM 可运用现有的并行 ATA 驱动程序部署 SATA。 目前已有多个供应商可提供面向遗留驱动程序的并行至串行转换设备。
SATA 是否存在任何已知的互操作性问题？
SATA 规范的主要要求之一就是保持对现有操作系统驱动程序的向后兼容性，从而彻底消除兼容性问题。
操作系统将如何处理 SATA？
优于规范中已经包括对遗留设备的支持，因此系统的操作支持将变得更加简单。SATA 规范可为各种应用添加许多新增功能，而这些新增功能则需受常规驱动程序验证流程的限制。
台式机、笔记本电脑和消费电子产品
SATA 为何能成为台式机、笔记本电脑和消费电子产品的首选接口？
SATA 的目的在于在简化连线技术的同时提高性能。
SATA 在台式机和笔记本电脑领域的普及程度如何？
根据分析机构 IDC 的报告，2001 至 2008 年间共有 11 亿件 SATA 硬盘驱动器包装出货。2008 年，SATA 占内置硬盘驱动器总出货量的 98%，这表明 SATA 技术已应用于绝大多数的台式机和笔记本电脑中。（来源：IDC 文档 #215614，《经济危机响应：2008-2012 全球预测更新》，2008 年 12 月。）
如需了解有关 SATA 产品的更多信息，请参阅由 SATA-IO 网站提供集成商名录，该参考工具中可提供已通过 SATA-IO 互操作性测试的产品的相关信息。此外，SATA 产品清单数据库中也可提供 SATA 产品的相关信息。请咨询具体供应商以了解其各自产品的路线图。
除硬盘外，还有哪些设备可使用 SATA？
SATA 可支持所有 ATA 和 ATAPI 设备，并已广泛应用于以下领域的解决方案：CD、DVD、磁带设备、高容量可移动设备、SSD（固态驱动器）和蓝光驱动器。
SATA 设备可提供哪些连接器选项？
《SATA Revision 2.6 规范》中界定了以下连接器：可令 SATA 光盘驱动器实现更小封装的内置超轻薄电缆和连接器；面向 1.8 英寸硬盘的内置 Micro-SATA 连接器，可令基于 SATA 的高容量存储得以在超便携 PC 设备中应用；以及可为内置背板设计提供高带宽连接并为外部存储设备提供基于 eSATA 或 xSATA 的外部协议的内置/外置式 mini-SATA 多路连接线和连接器。
除上述所列连接器之外，SATA-IO 还在《SATA Revision 3.0 规范》中提供了两种新的连接器：面向嵌入式存储应用的低插拔力 (LIF) 连接器，以及面向光盘驱动器并使笔记本电脑更加轻薄的 7mm 连接器。
什么是 eSATA？
外置式 SATA (eSATA) 是 SATA 的外置版本，其所使用的连接器在抗磨损、拉扯和静电性能方面稍有不同。与现有的 USB 2.0 和火线 (IEEE 1394) 外置存储协议相比，eSATA 可提供更优越的传输速率和性能。
eSATA 有哪些优势？
- 速率高过现有外置存储解决方案多达 6 倍
- 功能强劲、用户友好的外部连接
- 性能优越、经济高效的存储扩容
- 长达 2 米的屏蔽电缆和连接器
- 可通过端口复用利用单根 eSATA 电缆连接多个磁盘驱动器
- 面向笔记本电脑、台式机、消费电子产品和入门级服务器的外部直连存储应用，并支持内容的多流（例如对数字视频录像机 (DVR) 进行并行读写）
服务器及网络存储
SATA 为何能应用于服务器和 NAS 网络存储领域？
可扩展性——SATA 是一种可在单个控制器（通常位于主板或附加的 RAID 卡上）上汇集多个端口的点对点连接技术。而且，SATA 还可通过背板和外部存储设备在高容量服务器和网络存储环境中进行部署。
成本——作为并行 ATA 的替代技术，SATA 在设计之初即十分注重台式机的成本，并希望其最初的硬盘驱动器 (HDD) 能在台式机市场领域具备一定的价格竞争力。 与传统服务器和网络存储相比，SATA 的可扩展性以及台式机的价格优势使得以更低成本的解决方案实现更高存储容量的目标成为可能。
连线——SATA 所使用的点对点瘦连接可令系统内的电缆路由更加简单，还可有效避免主/从、“菊花链”和终结问题。此外，与使用扁平宽电缆的系统相比，SATA 还可实现更通畅的空气流动。
性能——SATA 技术可令磁盘阵列中的每个磁盘驱动器实现高达 6Gb/秒的卓越性能。
SATA 基础架构的状态如何？
自 2001 年问世以来，SATA 技术已赢得行业内的广泛支持。根据分析机构 IDC 的报告，2001 至 2008 年间共有 11 亿件 SATA 硬盘驱动器包装出货。去年，SATA 占内置硬盘驱动器总出货量的 98%，这表明 SATA 技术已应用于绝大多数的台式机和笔记本电脑中。（来源：IDC 文档 #215614，《经济危机响应： 2008-2012 全球预测更新》，2008 年 12 月。）
此外，这项技术在其它类型设备中应用也日益广泛，其中包括光盘驱动器、固态驱动器、服务器和外部存储系统。同时，SATA 实施还在不断进军企业市场。
“SATA 接口已发展成为计算机行业硬盘驱动器接口的实用标准。”IDC 硬盘驱动器研究总监 John Ryding 说道，“全新的《SATA Revision 3.0 规范》以 SATA 当前的市场成功为基础，并将在不久的将来成为巩固 SATA 在存储设备接口领域统治地位的极大助力。”