By Cameron T. Brett & Pankaj Kalra In the fast-paced world of data centers, innovation is key to staying ahead of the curve. The Open Compute Project (OCP) has been at the forefront of driving innovation in data center hardware, and its latest embrace of 24G SAS technology is a testament to this commitment. Join us as we delve into the exciting world of 24G SAS and its transformative impact on OCP data centers. 

OCP's Embrace of 24G SAS The OCP datacenter SAS-SATA device specification, a collaborative effort involving industry giants like Meta, HPE, and Microsoft, was first published in 2023. This specification laid the groundwork for the integration of 24G SAS technology into OCP data centers, marking a significant milestone in storage innovation. 

The Rise of SAS in Hyperscale Environments While SAS has long been associated with traditional enterprise storage, its adoption in hyperscale environments is less widely known. However, SAS's scalability, reliability, and manageability have made it the storage interface of choice for hyperscale and enterprise data centers, powering some of the largest and most dynamic infrastructures in the world. 

The Grand Canyon Storage Platform At the Open Compute Project Global Summit conference in October 2022, the Grand Canyon storage platform made its debut, showcasing the capabilities of 24G SAS technology. This cutting-edge system, built around a 24G SAS storage architecture, offers high storage capacity, with either SAS or SATA hard disk drives (72 slots), designed to meet the ever-growing demands of modern data centers. 

Exploring the Scalability of SAS One of the key advantages of SAS is its unparalleled scalability, capable of supporting thousands of devices seamlessly. This scalability, combined with SAS's reliability and manageability features, makes it the ideal choice for data centers looking to expand their storage infrastructure while maintaining operational efficiency. 

Delving Deeper into SAS Technology For those eager to learn more about SAS technology, a visit to the SNIA STA Forum provides a wealth of resources and information. Additionally, exploring videos on the SAS Playlist on SNIAVideo YouTube Channel offers insights into the capabilities and applications of this innovative storage interface. 

Conclusion As OCP continues to drive innovation in data center hardware, the embrace of 24G SAS technology represents a significant step forward in meeting the evolving needs of modern data centers. By harnessing the power of SAS, OCP data centers are poised to achieve new levels of scalability, reliability, and performance, ensuring they remain at the forefront of the digital revolution. Follow us on X and LinkedIn to stay updated on the latest developments in 24G SAS technology.

Reviews are in for the 20^th Storage Developer Conference (SDC) and they are thumbs up! The 2017 SDC was the largest ever- expanding to four full days with seven keynotes, five SNIA Tutorials, and 92 sessions.  The SNIA Technical Council, who oversees conference content, compiled a rich agenda of 18 topic categories focused on technology growth markets of physical storage, storage management, data, object storage, and cloud storage.  Storage Architecture led the way with 20 individual sessions, followed by 15 Solid State/Non-Volatile Memory, eight SMB, and six NVMe sessions.  Storage management, including SMI and SNIA Swordfish® presentations, had an entire track with eight sessions on Thursday. Attendees called out a number of sessions as their favorites - and the ratings proved it.  But don’t be alarmed if you missed out – SNIA has recordings and downloads of the presentations at your fingertips.  Check out these top-rated sessions and more:

• Remote Persistent Memory With Nothing But Net by Tom Talpey of Microsoft, discussing RDMA NIC as a Persistent Memory storage adapter and the steps to get there
• Programming the Path by James Cain of Snell Advanced Media, on virtual file systems
• Self-Optimizing Caches by Irfan Ahmad of CachePhysics, on how you can work towards a self-optimizing data path
• SoftFlash by Jae Do of Microsoft Research, on programmable storage in future data centers

Attendees were also treated to NVMe and Persistent Memory demonstrations by SDC sponsors, three Plugfests, and a host of networking conversations happening up and down the hallways.  The “high caliber speakers and presentation content”, learning about "recent developments in the industry", and “connecting directly with other developers who are tackling the same problems” were cited by attendees as some of the most beneficial aspects of the conference. Whether you participated in person or virtually by viewing videos, downloading presentations, or listening to podcasts, let us know what you would like to see for future SDCs.  Is it Modern Storage for Modern Data Centers? NVMe and NVMe-oF? Persistent Memory and PM-oF? Artificial intelligence? New directions?  We want to know!  Watch for our Post Event Survey to be sent out shortly.  And thank you for contributing to a great 2017 SDC!

What are the issues emerging for Hyperscalers and storage? Find out on March 10^th when I’ll be presenting at Storage Field Day. The brainchild of Stephen Foskett, Storage Field Day brings together thought leaders to share information and opinions in a presentation and discussion format with a carefully selected delegate panel of independent bloggers, speakers, freelance writers, and other social media tech influencers. As large enterprise customers take a queue from Hyperscalers like Google and Amazon and build their own storage systems using software defined storage and best-in-class commodity components, assembled in racks, a range of issues around drives, APIs and tail latency are emerging. Join me on March 10^th at 9:00 am PT via live stream to hear:

• Increasing attention to the fast growing Hyperscaler storage market by drive and SDS vendors
• Metrics for disk: IOPS, capacity, lower tail latency, security and lower TCO
• The importance of tail latency and tail latency remediation
• Current fractured approach of new features via RFP procurement does not scale
• The impact on the supply chain
• How the industry can respond to these technical requirements to promote adoption and standards for Hyperscaler storage
• Case study – large global bank goes Hyperscaler

And keep an eye on Twitter during Storage Field Days for what we hope will be a lively debate on the issues raised during this Hyperscaler storage presentation.