SAS, SATA and SSD are often compared as though they are three equivalent technologies. They are not. SAS and SATA refer primarily to interfaces and protocols, while SSD describes solid-state storage media.
SAS
SAS, or Serial Attached SCSI, is widely used in enterprise storage systems. SAS drives are designed for server and storage environments and can be used with compatible SAS controllers and backplanes.
SATA
SATA, or Serial ATA, is a common storage interface. SATA drives are widely used for capacity-focused storage and compatible server applications.
SSD
SSD describes a drive that uses solid-state flash storage. An SSD can use different interfaces and protocols, so the server compatibility requirements still need to be checked.
Compatibility first
The server backplane, storage controller, drive interface and drive form factor all need to be compatible. A drive should not be selected from the interface name alone.
Before ordering a drive, verify the supported interface, form factor, controller and drive type for the specific server platform.