In-Depth Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) Training Class Description

The In-Depth Serial Attached SCSI course provides students with a comprehensive insight into the operation of the Serial Attached SCSI interface. The class examines and explores in detail the operation of Serial SCSI at all architectural levels. This seminar will take you on a journey starting with the basic beginnings of SAS and then dive deep into the technical aspects of the architecture. You will learn how SCSI works in a SAS environment, what SCSI commands changed and what actually changed in those commands. This will allow you the opportunity to know what to change in your current SCSI implementations to deploy SAS. The Management Application (MA) layer is covered to such detail that you will be able to know and design your own MA Client. Every SMP function will be covered as well as all SCSI-3 information units.

Next we will cover each layer of the architecture from the top down. Starting with the Application Layer and then cover how the Transport layer, moves information and the characteristics of all the SAS protocols. As we move down the protocol stack we hit the Port Layer and discuss it’s function and then head to the Link Layer. The Link Layer is the architecture and in all architectures you find a layer that does all the work and this is the one for SAS. We will cover all aspects of the Link layer including primitives, connections, addressing, transmit data paths, and the link layer procedures for all the SSP, SMP, and STP protocols. We will end with the Phy and Physical Layers and learn about OOB sequences, resets, speed negotiation, and how the devices are connected to one another. Electrical design considerations like pre-emphasis and equalization are discussed.

This course is geared for any engineer or person who has to design, develop, architect, program, write software, test, or troubleshoot SAS. This course is also accompanied by eyes-on demonstrations using real SAS test equipment, analyzers, and disk drives. Through demonstrations of the technology you will gain knowledge on how to design and troubleshoot every aspect of a SAS implementation.

Interface Positioning and Applications
Market Positioning
Market Segmentation
SOHO SAN Design
SMB SAN Design
Enterprise SAN Design
Introduction to Technology
Storage Attachment Methodologies
DAS, NAS, & SAN
IP Storage
FCIP, ISCSI, & iFCP
What is the Good News for SAS
SCSI Overview
Introduction to SCSI
SCSI Command Language
Importance of SCSI Language
SCSI Distributed Model
SCSI Structural Model
Initiator Device, Target Device,
Logical Unit, SCSI Tasks
Task Attributes
Ultra-320 and SAS Comparison
Standards and SAS
SCSI Protocol Model
Protocol Stack Comparison
SAS Protocol Stack
SCSI Transport Protocol
Serial ATA Standards
SAS Overview
What is Serial Attached SCSI
SAS Domain
The SAS Architecture
SAS devices
SAS Protocols
Initiator, Target & Expander devices
Topologies
Basic SAS Topology
Edge expander device sets
Fanout expanders
SAS Service Delivery Subsystem
Physical Interface
Ports and Devices
Addressing
Encoding & Primitives
Frame Transmission
Out of Band Signaling
SAS Resets
Device identification
Connections & Closing connections
SAS Protocols (SSP, SMP, & STP)
Pathways
Pathway Characteristics
Application Layer
SCSI Standards
SCSI Objects
SCSI Commands changed for SAS
Device Driver and Firmware Impact
Application Layer for SCSI
SCSI Standards Command Language
SCSI Commands Changed
for SAS
CDB Characteristics, SCSI-3
Primary Commands, & SCSI
Status

Mode Page & Log Parameters for SSP
SCSI Power Conditions
SCSI Vital Product DATA (VPD)
SCSI Transport Protocol Services Overview
Application Layer for Management
Management Application Layer
Management Protocol Services
Management Application Client Model
Discovery Process
Expander Route Index Order
Expander Device Routing
Connection Request Routing
SMP Function Request Format
Report General
Report Manufacturer Information
Discover
Report PHY Error Log
Report PHY SATA
Report Route Information
Configure Route Information
PHY Control
Transport Layer
SSP Transport Layer
SSP Frame Format
The SCSI Architectural Model
Frame Types and Information Units
COMMAND, TASK, XFER_RDY, DATA, &
RESPONSE Information Unit
SSP Frame Sequences
Handling of Link Layer Errors
Target Port Handling of Transport Layer Errors
Initiator Port Handling of Transport Layer Errors
SSP Transport Layer State Machines
State Machine Conventions
STP Transport Layer
SMP Transport Layer
SMP Transport Layer Overview
SMP_REQUEST & SMP_RESPONSE Frame
Port Layer
Port Layer Overview
Transmission Status Confirmation
Link Layer
Primitives
AIP, ALIGN, Break & Broadcast, Close,
SOAF & EOAF, Error, Hard-Reset, & Notify
OPEN_ACCEPT & OPEN_REJECT
ACK, CREDIT_BLOCKED & DONE
EOF, SOF, NAK & RRDY
SPT Primitives
Transmit Data Paths
Clock Skew Management
Align or Notify Insertion Requirements
Clock Skew Management Solution
Idle Physical Links & Scrambling
Address Frames
Address Frame Characteristics
Identify & Open Address Frame Formats
Connections
Connection Characteristics
Connection Overview
Connection Request/Response
Arbitration Status
Connection Response-OPEN_ACCEPT
Connection Response- OPEN_REJECT

Arbitration Fairness
Aborting a Connection Request with BREAK
Closing a Connection
Breaking a Connection
SSP Link Layer
SSP Overview
SSP Interlocked & Non-Interlocked Frames
Deadlock Avoidance
Closing and SSP Connection
DONE Primitives
SSP Timers
SMP Link Layer
SMP Overview & Frame Characteristics
STP Link Layer
STP and SATA Overview
SATA Frame Characteristics
SATA Flow Control
SAS STP Flow Control Rules
STP Connection Protocol
Affiliations
SATA Interface Power Management
SAS PHY Layer
Encoding and Primitives
Introduction to Encoding
Dwords Characteristics & Primitives
8B/10B
OOB Signals
COMWAKE Characteristics
OOB Timing Specifications
OOB Signal Detection
PHY Reset Sequences
PHY Reset Sequences Overview
SATA PHY Reset Sequence
SAS to SATA PHY Reset Sequence
SAS to SATA OOB Sequence
SAS to SAS PHY Reset Sequence
SAS Speed Negotiation Sequence
PHY Reset Sequence After Devices are Attached
SAS Physical Layer
SAS & SATA Cabled Environments
SATA Cabled Environment
SAS External Environment
Single Port Internal Cabled Environment
Dual Port Internal Cabled Environment
Internal Backplane Environment
SAS/SATA Cables and Supported Links
Connectors
SAS Plug Connector
SATA Connector & Connector Placement
HotPlug—Cable vs. Backplane Environment
SATA Connectors
SAS External Connector
SATA and SAS Connectors Applications
Cables
SAS Internal Cables
SATA Cables
Transmitter and Receiver Electrical
Characteristics
General Interface Specification
Interconnect Loss Examples
Countering Interconnect Loess
Pre-Emphasis Example
Ready LED Characteristics

Who Should Attend:	This in-depth technical class is targeted towards hardware and software engineers involved in the design, development, integration, deployment, test, and maintenance of Serial Attached SCSI storage devices, storage subsystems and servers that intend to utilize SAS.
Prerequisites:	The attendee should have experience on SCSI architectures and understand the SCSI command language. This means you know what CDB means, you understand parallel SCSI protocol, and how a SCSI system works. While this course has SCSI information within it, understanding SCSI makes the course much easier. If the student has an understanding of the Fibre Channel architecture, then this will also assist you in understanding SAS. While numerous references to both SCSI and Fibre Channel are made, it is not necessary to have an in-depth understanding of these interfaces.
Course Length:	3 days
Also available	Introduction to SATA (1 day) Introduction to SAS (1 day) Understanding SATA (2 days) Understanding SAS (2 days) In-Depth SATA (3 days) In-Depth SAS & SATA (4-5 days) Hands-On SAS Lab (1 day to follow In-Depth SAS) In-Depth SCSI-3 Architecture and Serial Attached SCSI (5 days)