Chapter SIX. Server Storage

Chapter Syllabus

6.1 ATA/IDE Hard Drive Technology

6.2 Introduction to SCSI

6.3 SCSI Characteristics

6.4 SCSI Troubleshooting

6.5 SCSI Compared to Parallel ATA/IDE

6.6 Newer SCSI Technologies

After studying this chapter, you will be able to do the following:

• Explain the technical concepts behind ATA/IDE, ATAPI, and emerging ATA-based technologies.

• Explain the three major SCSI standards evolutions (SCSI-1, SCSI-2, and SCSI-3).

• Explain and describe key SCSI characteristics, including SCSI protocol compatibility, SCSI addressing, SCSI communication, and SCSI bus transactions.

• List the steps you would take to troubleshoot common SCSI problems.

• Compare and contrast SCSI with parallel ATA/IDE.

• Describe new and upcoming SCSI technologies, including iSCSI and Serial SCSI.

Two popular types of hard drive technology are currently offered in the server systems industry: ATA/IDE and SCSI.

ATA/IDE is a disk drive configuration that integrates the controller on the hard drive rather than on an expansion card. With this configuration, interface costs are reduced and firmware implementations are simplified.

SCSI is the leading technology to connect various devices to servers.

Both of these storage technologies are explained in this chapter.