High Data Availability Functionality of Serial Attached SCSI Demonstrated With LSI Logic SAS1064 Controller


Dubai, UAE – 15 February 2004
 
Maxtor Corporation (NYSE: MXO) has announced the verification of full-speed, 3Gb/s, operation between an LSI Logic Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) controller and an in-form-factor prototype Maxtor SAS disk drive with dual active ports. Using the LSI Logic SAS1064 controller IC, Maxtor completed simultaneous read and write operations on both ports and verified 3Gb/s SAS I/O transfers in accordance with the SAS protocol and standards. To achieve this significant milestone, Maxtor integrated several key technologies, enabling queued read, write and compare commands across the SAS interface, and reading and writing data to and from the media. 
 
SAS extends the capabilities of today’s parallel SCSI disk drives by adding a second port to the drive.  Dual ports provide two separate data paths down to the drive to allow for higher levels of performance and eliminate any single point of failure, enabling the design of highly-available enterprise storage systems.
 
“Maxtor continues to set a leadership pace in the development of Serial Attached SCSI,” said Kevin Wittmer, director of technical marketing at Maxtor. “This announcement is significant because we have integrated several key new technologies to demonstrate an in-form-factor, dual-port SAS disk drive, interoperating with LSI Logic’s SAS controller. We are pleased to have reached this milestone because it is a proof point of our work toward Maxtor’s ‘Serial Storage in a Box™’ initiative.”
 
Because the SAS physical layer is compatible with SATA, users will have the choice of populating their systems with SAS hard drives, SATA hard drives or a combination of both. IT managers can use SATA drives for applications requiring the maximum capacity at the best cost, and SAS drives for performance-oriented applications that require high transaction rates. This provides high-availability, flexibility and scalability in one enclosure that can serve as a universal building block for constructing a data center’s storage infrastructure. The system, which Maxtor refers to as ‘Serial Storage in a Box,’ maximizes a customer’s investment. 
 
“SAS products are a reality. LSI Logic has delivered the industry’s first single-chip SAS silicon, the LSISAS1064 controller (http://lsilogic.com/sas), and announced plans for a family of controllers, expanders, host bus adapters, and RAID storage adapters,” said David Steele, director of product planning and management for LSI Logic storage standard products division.  “By working closely with disk drive leaders such as Maxtor, we’re confident SAS products can be delivered with outstanding reliability and performance.”
 
-Ends-
 
About Maxtor
Maxtor Corporation (www.maxtor.com) is one of the world’s leading suppliers of hard disk drives for consumer, industrial and entertainment applications. The company has an expansive line of storage products for desktop computers, storage systems, high-performance servers and consumer electronics. Maxtor has a reputation as a proven market leader built by consistently providing high-quality products and service and support for its customers. Maxtor and its products can be found at www.maxstore.com or by calling toll-free (800) 2-MAXTOR. Maxtor is traded on the NYSE under the MXO symbol.
 
Note: Maxtor is a registered trademark, and Serial Storage in a Box is a trademark of Maxtor Corporation.  All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
 
For purposes of measuring data transfer speed, Gb/s refers to one billion bits per second.
 
This announcement relating to Maxtor may contain forward-looking statements concerning future technology, products incorporating that technology, and Maxtor’s execution. These statements are based on current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties which could materially affect the company’s results, including, but not limited to, market demand for hard disk drives, integration of the company’s products with products produced by others, the company’s ability to execute future production ramps and utilize manufacturing assets efficiently, pricing, competition, and the significant uncertainty of market acceptance of new products and technologies.  These and other risk factors are contained in documents that the company files with the SEC, including the Form 10-K for fiscal 2002 and its recent 10-Qs.  Maxtor is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any responsibility to update or alter, its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
 
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© Press Release 2004