IBM and LSI last week introduced new storage arrays that use Serial Attached SCSI (SAS).
IBM last Wednesday rolled out the DS3500 Express, a SAS storage array with Fibre Channel and iSCSI connectivity. The array, which IBM OEMs from LSI, has dual-active hot-swappable controllers, four 6Gbps SAS ports and four 8Gbps Fibre Channel and eight 1Gbps iSCSI ports. It supports as many as 96 SAS drives. Prices start at $5,499 for single controller and $8,799 for dual controller. A 300GB 15K RPM 3.5-inch HDD is priced at $799 and a 300GB 10K RPM 2.5-inch HDD is priced at $579. A 2TB 7.2K RPM Near Line SAS drive is priced at $989.
LSI original version of the DS3500 Express is the Engenio 2600, a 6Gbit Serial Attached SCSI external array. The Engenio 2600 is an entry-level system designed for small-to-midsize businesses and remote offices that when configured at both the drive and host side can outperform 4Gbps Fibre Channel at less cost and with less power-consumption. It is the first LSI system to use 6Gbps SAS technology. The system delivers a bandwidth of as much as 4,000MBps on sustained reads and 40,000 IOPs on random disk reads. It has a maximum capacity of 96 2.5-inch form factor drives and features DAS and SAN connectivity.
These two arrays are representative of the 6Gbit SAS drives hitting the market. Earlier this year, Dell introduced the MD1200 and MD1220 drive enclosures and HP rolled out the StorageWorks D2000 Disk Enclosure.
IDC estimates that by 2012, SAS will hold 74% share of the HDD interface market, compared with 25% for Serial ATA.
