Is SCSI Technology the Best Option for Business?

Many companies are faced with a challenge when choosing the right kind of technological options to serve their businesses. Particular concerns are acquiring efficient data storage options and interfaces for connecting peripheral devices and computers.

A choice made in this area can have a considerable effect on the company’s budget, as well as the efficiency of their operations. This is why many businesses call on IT specialists to help them make the right decisions.

When it comes to electronic interfaces that allow PCs to communicate with peripheral hardware such as disk drives, tape drives, printers and scanners, companies often look for efficient and cost effective technologies.

Small System Computer Interface (SCSI) was the first industry standard in this area, and is still relevant and widely used today. However, with new developments in technology it has competition from other interfaces, and companies have more options to choose from to fulfil their requirements.

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Another effective option is Serial Attached SCSI (SAS), which is a method used in accessing computer peripheral devices that uses a serial (one bit at a time) means of digital data transfer via thin cables. Similarly, Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) has also been a very popular interface for hard disk drives and CD drives for many years.

Yet SCSI is often still recommended as an interface solution for companies, and there are several good reasons why. Before looking at these reasons, it is useful to look at the history of this technology.

SCSI technology saw the earliest part of its development all the way back in 1979, when its predecessor, SASI, was created. This initial technology was developed by Shugart Associates and led by pioneers in the storage industry.

This initial interface system was advanced for its time, and was the first real attempt at defining an intelligent storage interface for small computers. However, much progress has been made since its humble beginnings. Many revisions of the standard have been made that have increased the number of possible connections to devices, improved data transfer rates and cable lengths.

SCSI was first developed for hard-disks, and the majority of users still use it for this purpose. It has been replace in large part by USB in the world of personal computing, but in the world of large enterprise, it is still known for having a wide range of benefits.

One key advantage of SCSI is the fact that it is very fast compared to competing technologies. It is reported that this interface has speeds of 10 megabytes per second on 8 bit bus, and 20 megabytes per second on 16 bit bus.

It also has another major benefit compared with other interfaces. When interfacing with different types of devices using the SCSI technology, all operations are done through a single cable. This differs dramatically from other interfaces, which often require that a multitude of connections are made, using several cables.

It is argued that a company’s hardware investment can be preserved by using the SCSI interface. This is because the system allows peripheral devices to work with a number of different computer types. This means that companies can avoid spending money to obtain specific devices to correspond to specific hardware, and thus make the most of their budgets.

By using the interface, computers are freed up to do other work. This is because the interface works independently, with a controller being built onto each individual SCSI device. This independence is seen as a great virtue of the technology, and can be used to optimise the use of company hardware.

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As a final point, old devices can easily be replaced with new ones. This is because SCSI peripheral devices have very similar characteristics, making extraneous purchases unnecessary as a company upgrades to new equipment.

Despite its age, SCSI technology can still bring a lot of benefits to companies who have certain specific requirements to meet. However, hiring an expert in the area can ensure that accurate advice is obtained and decisions are made that cater to the business’s exact needs.