SATA port: Can you run multiple drives off of one?

SATA port: Can you run multiple drives off of one?

Can you run multiple drives off a SATA port?

    Requires Free Membership to View

    When you register for SearchStorage.com, you’ll also receive targeted emails from my team of award-winning editorial writers. Our goal is to keep you informed on the hottest topics, the latest news and the biggest challenges you face as a storage professional today.

    Rich Castagna, Editorial Director

    By submitting your registration information to SearchStorage.com you agree to receive email communications from TechTarget and TechTarget partners. We encourage you to read our Privacy Policy which contains important disclosures about how we collect and use your registration and other information. If you reside outside of the United States, by submitting this registration information you consent to having your personal data transferred to and processed in the United States. Your use of SearchStorage.com is governed by our Terms of Use. You may contact us at webmaster@TechTarget.com.

By default, basic SATA supports a point-to-point connection, for example between a server and a disk drive. However, you can run multiple SATA disk drives off of a single SATA port if port multipliers are used.

Port multipliers enable a SATA controller port to fan-out to multiple SATA devices. When a port multiplier is used, for example, in a storage enclosure or disk shelves, a single SATA port and cable can access multiple SATA disk drives. With the emergence of SAS and co-existence of SAS and SATA, you will start to hear more about SAS and SATA port multiplexers, multipliers, expanders and switches to facilitate connectivity between servers and storage arrays. These components are also found inside of storage systems between server and the storage controller and between storage controllers and disk drives.

Vendors to watch or learn more about if you are interested in SAS and SATA components include Broadcom, Intel, LSI Logic, PMC-Sierra and SiliconStor.

This was first published in April 2006