Enterprise Computing
Applications
Charlie Staley
January 2007
Electronics
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Defining the Market
Enterprise Computing
- In an enterprise computing environment, multiple servers and
multiple networks can be linked together. Computers, servers and
storage are connected together, so that everyone in the
organization can share computing resources.
- Networking devices can sometimes be considered part of this
market space, as they assist with spanning long distances – but
they will not be discussed in this presentation.
For Today we will cover
 HBA Cards/ RAID Control Cards
 Blade Servers
 External Storage Products (RAID Storage System, JBOD, NAS,
SAN)
 But not Networking equipment, Mainframes or Supercomputers
 3M Products
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3M Products for Enterprise
 Main Products
 Storage Attach connectors
•
•
•
•
SATA
SAS
miniSAS
Associated cable assemblies
 High Speed Cable Assemblies
• Not frequent, but opportunities tend to be very large and custom
 Backplane
• 3M offering not strongly suited to this market
 Pull products
 Core copper
• Headers, sockets, miscellaneous
 Other I/O
• Dsub
 Other D2B
• IC Sockets, CFII
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SAS and SATA
 The benefits of SATA and
SAS will extend from
desktop products in the
data center (including
investment protection in
SCSI software), to higher
HDD performance, smaller
form factors, and greater
device addressability.
Because SATA and SAS
architectures use the same
physical device connector,
customers have the
flexibility to design
solutions that use both
SAS and SATA devices.
This flexibility is crucial for
the adaptive enterprise.
Tonya Comer, HP
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mini SAS
 Cable solution
 Improved density over SAS 4
lane
 Stays in native format versus
Infiniband (SAS / SATA)
 Simplifies backplane /
system architecture (vs
Infiniband or SAS 4 lane)
 Reduces cost (versus
Infiniband)
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Host Bus Adaptor (HBA)
 In computer hardware, a host
adapter or host bus adapter
(HBA) connects a host system
(the computer) to other
network and storage devices.
SAS 4 lane
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RAID Controllers
A RAID controller is a device
SAS 4i connectors
(4 lane internal)
which manages the physical
storage units in a RAID system
and presents them to the
computer as logical units. The
term is sometimes used to refer
to a host bus adapter (HBA), but
it properly refers to the hardware
which implements the RAID
logic. This controller may be
integrated with an HBA, or it may
be part of an independent
enclosure, such as a disk array
or network-attached storage
Infiniband or
miniSAS external
(NAS) server.
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RAID
 In computing, the acronym
RAID (originally redundant
array of inexpensive disks,
also known as redundant
array of independent disks)
refers to a data storage
scheme using multiple hard
drives to share or replicate
data among the drives. The
benefit of RAID is to increase
data integrity, fault-tolerance,
throughput or capacity,
compared to single drives.
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JBOD
 JBOD, or "Just a Bunch Of
Disks" is not one of the
numbered RAID levels, it is a
popular method for combining
multiple physical disk drives
into a single virtual one. As
the name implies, disks are
merely concatenated together,
end to beginning, so they
appear to be a single large
disk.
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Network Attached Storage (NAS)




This is often a finished product
Network-attached storage (NAS) is the
name given to dedicated data storage
technology that can be connected directly
to a computer network to provide
centralized data access and storage.
NAS differs from the traditional file serving
and Direct Attached Storage in that the NAS
unit provides only the functionality of data
storage, data access and the management
of these functionalities. NAS systems
usually contain one or more hard disks,
often arranged into logical, redundant
storage containers or Redundant array of
independent disks RAID arrays, as do
traditional file servers. NAS removes the
responsibility of file serving from other
servers on the network and can be
deployed via commercial embedded units
or via standard computers running NAS
software.
NAS can range from small single disk
systems to large cabinets with dozens of
drives.
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Direct Attached Storage (DAS)
 This is also typically a finished
product
 Direct Attached Storage (DAS)
refers to a digital storage
system directly attached to a
server or workstation, without
a storage network in between.
The term is mainly used to
differentiate non-networked
storage from SAN and NAS.
 DAS can be RAID, JBOD or
individual drives
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Storage Area Network (SAN)
 This is part of the enterprise
architecture and not a typically a
finished product. It is comprised of
RAIDs, JBODs, storage servers, etc..
 Sharing storage usually simplifies
storage administration and adds
flexibility since cables and storage
devices do not have to be physically
moved to move storage from one
server to another. Note, though, that
with the exception of SAN file
systems and clustered computing,
SAN storage is still a one-to-one
relationship. That is, each device (or
Logical Unit Number (LUN)) on the
SAN is "owned" by a single computer
(or initiator). In contrast, Network
Attached Storage (NAS) allows many
computers to access the same set of
files over a network.
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Blade Servers




Blade servers are self-contained computer
servers, designed for high density.
Blade servers are ideal for specific
purposes such as web hosting and cluster
computing. Individual blades are typically
hot-swappable.
Blades providing switching, routing,
storage, SAN and fibre-channel access can
be inserted into the enclosure to provide
these services to all members of the
enclosure.
The enclosure (or chassis) performs many
of the non-core computing services found
in most computers. Non-blade computers
require components that are bulky, hot and
space-inefficient, and duplicated across
many computers that may or may not be
performing at capacity. By locating these
services in one place and sharing them
between the blade computers, the overall
utilisation is more efficient. The specifics of
which services are provided and how vary
by vendor.
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mini SAS
 Cable to connector only
 Improved density over SAS 4
lane
 Data stays in native format
versus Infiniband (SAS /
SATA)
 Simplifies backplane / system
architecture (vs Infiniband or
SAS 4 lane)
 Reduces cost (versus
Infiniband)
 26 position external
 36 position internal
 Release – February 2006
 Internal, External, cables
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SFF 8086/8087/8088 mini SAS Series
External Cable Assembly
SFF 8088
Vertical B/M with shell
/ Internal 36P SFF 8086
Internal Cable Assembly
SFF 8087
EMI Guide Frame/ External
SFF 8088
Right Angel B/M with Shell
/ Internal 36P SFF 8086
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Right Angel B/M Connector
/ External 26P SFF8086
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Market size: Backplane and HS cable
assembly, including SAS, miniSAS
($ million)
Source: Bishop 2006
Applications: Networking, storage, telecom, hubs, routers, servers,
switches. The enterprise segment is a driving force for cable assemblies.
Look for cable applications, especially in larger server / blade server OEM/
ODM’s. Often custom, always expensive, big sales opportunity when used.
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Market size: SATA/SAS connectors
($ million)
SAS Connectors
5
10
15
18
22
25
Source: Bishop 2006 for SATA, SAS
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Development Road Map SAS/ mini SAS Series
Internal & External I/O for Storage & Server
SAS Backplane
(SFF 8482)
SAS 29P Plug – SMT
& Straddle mount
Type
SAS 29P Socket – Press-fit &
through hole type
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Mini SAS
B/M Connector (SFF 8086)
EMI Guide Frame (SFF8088)
Vertical & Right Angel
with shell connector
/ 36P Internal
Right Angel Connector and EMI
Guide Frame/ 26P External
Mini SAS
Internal Cable Ass’y
(SFF 8087)
Mini SAS
External Cable Ass’y
(SFF 8088)
SAS 4i
Internal Boardmount Receptacle
SAS 4i
Internal Cable
Assembly
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