Short for Small Computer System Interface, SCSI (pronounced as “Scuzzy”) was first completed in 1982, and is one of the most commonly used interfaces for disk drives. SCSI is unique because it is capable of supporting eight devices, or sixteen devices with wide SCSI. The SCSI standards define commands, protocols and electrical and optical interfaces. While SCSI is most commonly used for hard disks and tape drives, it can connect a wide range of other devices, including scanners and CD drives, although not all controllers can handle all devices.

‘Divide and conquer’ is a strategy that military planners have employed since the beginning of history. It is also the name of an algorithmic technique that conquers a problem by dividing it into two or more smaller problems. When setting up a computer network, small computer system interface (SCSI) standards architecture also divides and conquers. The first two SCSI standards (SCSI and SCSI-2) were all-in-one standards. They included everything from cables and connectors to protocols to command sets in one standard. SCSI took three years to develop and is about 200 pages. SCSI-2 took nearly eight years to develop and is over 600 pages.

When the InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards (INCITS) T10 Technical Committee was contemplating writing a SCSI-3standard, it was apparent that another all-in-one standard was disadvantageous. As the size of the standard grew, it took longer to develop and approve. The entire standard would be delayed it did not make sense to include several physical interfaces in one standard. So, T10 adopted a layered standards approach much like the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Reference Model for networking standards. This approach divides SCSI into multiple layers of standards. It also separates the pieces so they can proceed at their own pace. The lowest layer deals with physical interfaces (also called transports). The next layer up deals with transport protocols usually directly associated with one physical transport standard. The top layer consists of command sets associated with specific devices such as disk drives or tape drives. Instead of one big standard, there are many smaller standards.

A San Diego IT support team from Syndeo Communications can help you choose what SCSI is best suited for your needs, and how much mass storage you will need for each computer. We can also help you implement a hardware plan that helps meet your needs. Prepare your company for future growth and set up reliable redundancy to protect your information to secure your company’s information and future with help from our IT experts.

For more information about computer support in San Diego, call us today at 760-650-3300. We’re available to answer any of your questions and can help you create a unique technology plan catered to your individual needs, budget and future goals.