This KB defines SAS drives, its features, and step-by-step instructions to completely wipe data stored on these drives using BitRaser Drive Eraser. You can securely wipe SAS drives on your premise with or without the internet using this DIY tool.
SAS or Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) is a point-to-point serial protocol that can move data to and fro from computer storage devices such as hard drives and SSDs. SAS just like SATA is an interface or connector that is used to transfer information from the motherboard to a storage drive. SAS-based drives are faster and more reliable than SATA-based drives. These SAS drives are typically preferred to be used in servers or heavy computing workstations that process huge workloads. SAS drives unlike SATA-based drives use a higher signal voltage to reliably transmit data and ensure data integrity end-to-end at a much faster speed.
SAS Drives Usage
Enterprise and largescale data centers have been historically using SAS devices for meeting their storage requirements. Commercial-grade servers utilize the dual-port SAS drives and benefit greatly from their improved performance, although the cost of SAS drives is generally 10% more than their SATA equivalents. For today’s 24/7 enterprise infrastructure, these SAS-based drives offer performance and fault tolerance. When data centers get decommissioned or the IT assets reach their end-of-life these drives need to be sanitized before they are disposed of. We explain below the necessary steps required to permanently wipe clean SAS drives using BitRaser Drive Eraser.
How to securely erase SAS drives with BitRaser Drive Eraser
- For Internet Enabled Facility:
Key Requirements:
- USB flash drive: 2 GB or more to create a bootable media
- Internet: WiFi or Ethernet
Follow the steps below to start wiping SAS drives with the internet.
Step 1: Log in to your BitRaser cloud account and download BitRaser ISO.
Step 2: Create a Bootable USB using Rufus (For Windows) or Balena Etcher (For Mac).
Step 3: Connect the bootable USB to the host server machine and power on the system. Select the USB media from the boot menu.
Step 4: BitRaser software home screen will display a list of SAS drives. Select all the drives you wish to erase and choose the wiping algorithm from the dropdown menu.
Step 5: Click ‘Erase’ to begin the wiping procedure.
After the successful erasure of the hard disks, the software will generate digitally signed reports & certificates of erasure and save them automatically to your BitRaser Cloud account.
You may refer to the BitRaser Deployment Guide for detailed instructions on wiping SAS drives with the internet.
For Facilities without Internet:
Key Requirements:
- Software & License USB Drive
(BitRaser Drive Eraser is physically shipped in a set of two USB sticks, preloaded with bootable software and licenses.)
Follow the steps below to start wiping SAS drives without the internet.
Step 1: Connect both the BitRaser USBs with the host server machine and power on the system. Select the USB media from the boot menu
Step 2: BitRaser software home screen will display a list of SAS drives. Select all the drives and choose the algorithm from the dropdown menu.
Step 3: Click ‘Erase’ to begin the wiping process.
Erasure reports & certificates will be saved in the BitRaser bootable USB. You can export the reports & certificates to your BitRaser Cloud Account for maintaining a centralized repository.
You may refer to the BitRaser Deployment Guide for detailed instructions on wiping SAS drives on facilities without the internet. Alternatively, you may also like to read, How To Wipe SATA Drives.
