Forget ATA, "SATA" (Serial ATA) is the technology du jour in the storage world, it seems.

IBM has its TotalStorage FAStT100 Storage Server, an entry-level array based on SATA drives; Sun has the StorEdge 3511, a modular storage array that allows the use of either Fibre Channel or SATA arrays; HP has its MSA1500 array, which can use either SCSI or SATA drives; and EMC has the Clariion AX100, with up to 12 SATA hard drives and a capacity of up to 12 Tbytes.

SATA storage systems are ideal for environments that need an economical storage alternative, without giving up the availability, manageability, data integrity, and functionality achieved with Fibre Channel (FC) based storage systems.

Serial ATA is the latest evolutionary step forward from the current ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment)/IDE standard found in every desktop as well as many low-end servers. The new interface has several advantages over current parallel ATA, using a flexible, round 7 conductor cable with a small 4mm-by-8mm connector. SATA storage may be used with database clusters and other applications