SATASASkontroller

SATASASkontroller is a class of storage controller hardware that provides an interface between a host system and storage devices that use the SATA or SAS standards. They can operate as host bus adapters that expose direct access to drives, or as hardware RAID controllers that manage data across multiple disks. In many servers and high‑density storage systems, a SATASASkontroller is installed in a PCIe slot and presents one or more SAS or SATA ports to the backplane or to drives. Many models support SAS expanders, enabling connection to large numbers of disks through a single controller.

Core functions include data path processing, optional caching, and error handling. In RAID configurations, the controller implements redundancy and parity across drives and may offer levels such as 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, or higher. Features commonly available are write-back or write-through caching, battery-backed cache or flash caching, hot‑swappable drive support, drive health monitoring, and integration with management software for provisioning and firmware updates. Some SATASAS controllers support multiple host interfaces and multi‑initiator access for shared storage environments.

Standards and performance depend on the model but generally include SATA III support (up to 6 Gbit/s per link) and SAS support (commonly 6 Gbit/s per link, with newer revisions reaching 12 Gbit/s per link in SAS 3.0). They vary in port count, number of supported drives, cache size, and form factor. In deployment, SATASASkontroller devices can operate in JBOD mode, presenting disks to the operating system as individual drives, or in hardware RAID mode to present virtual drives to applications and OSes. See also SATA controller, SAS controller.