Indeed, if Vitesse delivers its new chips on time, it could wind up being first out of the gate to have a so-called expander chip, which acts as a fan-out, creating multiple links from one port -- so that OEMs can link multiple disk drives to a single port on a host adapter, for instance.
Expanders are vital to the emerging SAS market, because some vendors view SAS as a potential aggregator for disk-drive ports. Because the SAS interface can carry tunneled SATA signals, even though SATA can't support tunneled SAS, a SAS expander, on a server, for instance, can be linked to multiple serial ATA (SATA) interfaces on servers, workstations, and direct- or network-attached storage devices.
The availability of a SAS expander could spur more market activity. Adaptec, for instance, says it's gearing up for its own expander announcement in the fourth quarter. And LSI Logic has said it's interested in releasing expanders as well.
Up to now, suppliers haven't been rushing out SAS chips, despite the modest flurry of announcements in recent months. Instead, it seems they've focused more on SATA and its near-term potential as a cost-effective replacement for SCSI.
But arguments abound over whether SATA is tough enough to withstand the kind of ongoing, transactional storage required for applications like financial services. In the view of some, SAS, with its ability to support both SATA and SAS drives interchangeably, is a clear candidate to not only replace SCSI in these kinds of apps but challenge Fibre Channel as well.
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