DAS / JBOD Storage

DAS and JBOD: Whats the Difference?

Choose How the Storage Is Managed

DAS / JBOD Architecture Services

Broadberry evaluates your workload, host environment, capacity and resilience requirements before recommending a DAS or JBOD architecture.

Common Questions About DAS / JBOD Storage

What is direct-attached storage?

Direct-attached storage, or DAS, connects storage directly to a server or workstation rather than through a separate storage network. The host accesses the attached disks or logical volumes as local storage resources.

What is the difference between DAS and JBOD?

DAS describes the connection between the storage and host, while JBOD describes the drive enclosure. A JBOD can expose individual drives to the host or operate behind a hardware RAID controller.

When should I use DAS instead of NAS or SAN?

DAS is well suited to workloads that need high-capacity storage attached to a specific server without requiring shared network access. Common examples include backup, media ingest, surveillance, scientific data capture and local analytics.

Should I choose HBA pass-through or hardware RAID?

HBA pass-through is appropriate when the operating system or storage software needs direct control of individual drives. Hardware RAID is better suited to applications that require controller-managed protection, write cache and virtual disks.

What is the difference between single-path and dual-path DAS?

Single-path DAS uses one connection path between the host and enclosure. Dual-path configurations provide alternate enclosure paths for greater resilience, but end-to-end failover also requires compatible host adapters, drives, cabling and multipath-aware software.

How much usable capacity will I have?

Usable capacity depends on the selected drives, RAID or software protection scheme, hot spares, formatting and operational reserve. Broadberry calculates usable rather than raw capacity when sizing a solution.

Can I expand DAS / JBOD storage later?

Yes. Additional shelves can be added in supported configurations, but host connectivity, SAS bandwidth, power, cooling and rack requirements should be considered before expansion.

When should I consider JBOF instead of JBOD?

Choose SAS JBOD when capacity, HDD economics and straightforward external attachment are priorities. For workloads requiring direct access to high-performance NVMe SSDs, a JBOF may be more appropriate.

Design the Right DAS / JBOD Solution

Tell us about your host system, workload, usable capacity, performance and resilience requirements. Broadberry will recommend the right enclosure, drives, controller and connectivity for your environment.

Direct-Attached Storage Servers

Broadberry Direct-Attached Storage appliances, also known as JBOD's (Just A Bunch Of Disks) easily and cost-effectively expand the storage of any server with an external SAS port.

Once connected, Broadberry DAS storage appliances are seen as though the additional storage provided is internal to the server or workstation, this basic, direct connectivity between the server and the DAS unit ensures easy set-up and fantastic performance.

This means Microsoft Windows or any other compatible operating system will see the device as an internal device, which can then be partitioned and formatted just like any other internal hard drive or raid array.

The Broadberry CyberStore DAS is connected directly using the latest SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) technology, so the device is as fast, and in most cases even faster, than the drives that are already inside the Server or workstation.

Broadberry provide a wide range of Direct Attached Storage servers (DAS), scaling from entry level 1U units with 4 hot-swappable hard drives to our 4U appliance with room for 102 drives. Our DAS servers include redundant power supplies and have a choice of hardware RAID levels including RAID level 0, 00, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60 and JBOD.

The CyberStore DAS range is designed to excel in both high I/O transaction and high bandwidth processing allowing steaming video or data backup applications to run faster than ever.

Offering mission critical, fault tolerant designs that include RAID levels 0, 00, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60 and JBOD, hot-swappable drive bays, redundant power supplies & fans. It also features user friendly software for quick set-up and monitoring, maximising data protection to keep your application running 24/7. The CyberStore DAS is an ideal direct attached external disk array subsystem that provides superior performance for any and all applications with the lowest Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) in its class.

Ultra-Fast 12Gb/s SAS Connectivity

Powered by Broadcom MegaRAID 9500 series controller cards, the Broadberry CyberStore DAS range is ideal for Hyperscale, cloud, datacenter, and high-performance computing environments requiring large amounts of storage capacity with ultra-fast performance.

Enhance performance and seamlessly integrate SAS, SATA, and NVMe storage devices into any system using a PCIe 4.0 RAID controller.

The MegaRAID 9500 series of 12Gb/s SAS/SATA/PCIe (NVMe) Gen 4.0 Tri-Mode Storage Adapters deliver more performance and offer RAID data protection for a range of high-end server storage applications. Powered by the Broadcom SAS3916 and SAS3908 eight-lane host PCIe to SAS/SATA/PCIe ROC, the 9500 series MegaRAID adapters are the first RAID adapters to provide dual support for PCIe Gen 4.0 host and PCIe Gen 4.0 storage interfaces. PCIe Gen 4.0 enables these adapters for high bandwidth by delivering double the bandwidth and 75% more IOPs.

Built-In Enterprise Data Protection

A new enterprise feature employed by the Broadberry CyberStore-DAS's 12Gb/ SAS controllers is advanced drive diagnostic technology.

In the event of a physical drive failure, the drive is placed in shield state and the MegaRAID controller starts drive diagnostics to determine if the drive is indeed failed or can be restored. This saves you time, money and lost compute time associated with transient drive failures.

Broadberry CyberStore-DAS Controller Card:

• Provides external JBOD expansion and RAID data protection to address a wide range of storage performance and capacity requirements.
• Support critical, high-bandwidth applications with PCIe 3.0 connectivity
• Balance protection and performance for critical applications with RAID levels 0, 00, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60
• Add more protection and peace of mind with optional CacheVault® flash cache protection.

CyberStore DAS^® Features The Broadberry CyberStore DAS range explained:

3 Years Warranty as Standard

Buy with confidence knowing all Broadberry CyberStore storage appliances are backed up by our 3 year warranty, with further warranty upgrade options available.

Daisy Chain CyberStore Appliances

Increase the storage capacity of your storage pool appliance by daisy-chaining additional CyberStore JBOD units, giving up to Petabytes of storage.

12Gb/s SAS3 Storage

Built from the ground up around 12Gb/s SAS storage technology, the CyberStore Performance range raises performance and lowers TCO.

With IPMI Remote Management

Broadberry DAS appliances have built-in iPMI functionality, enabling complete control and management of your server through IP.

Built with Leading Brand Components

All components in the Broadberry CyberStore DAS range are sourced from leading manufacturers who take reliability as seriously as we do.