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The SCSI Architecture Model (SAM) is the shared reference model for common behavior among SCSI devices and the abstract structure of SCSI I/O systems. It helps different conforming components interoperate; it is not a particular cable, connector, bus speed, or required hardware design. The current published generation identified by the standards sources cited here is SAM-6, part of the INCITS 546 standard.
What does SAM mean in SCSI?
SAM stands for SCSI Architecture Model. It describes common rules and relationships across the SCSI standards family rather than specifying one physical connection or storage product. ANSI/INCITS describes SAM-6 as defining “a reference model that specifies common behaviors for SCSI devices, and an abstract structure that is generic to all SCSI I/O system implementations.” ANSI/INCITS SAM-6 standard record
In practical terms, SAM provides a functional framework that standards and implementations can share. It does not require every device or system to use the same internal design. Its purpose is to support interoperability among implementations that conform to the relevant SCSI standards.
How does SAM differ from SCSI commands and transports?
The SCSI standards family addresses different layers of behavior. SAM defines shared architectural behavior; command standards describe operations and device behavior; transport and protocol standards define how commands are carried over a particular interface. A useful analogy is that SAM supplies common rules of interaction, commands specify what operations a device understands, and transports specify how those operations travel. This is an explanatory analogy, not terminology defined by the standard.
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| Standards area | What it covers |
|---|---|
| SAM | Common device behavior and the abstract structure of SCSI I/O implementations. |
| SCSI Primary Commands (SPC) | Commands basic to every device model, as well as commands that may apply to any device model. INCITS T10 committee page |
| Device-specific command standards | Commands and behavior appropriate to particular device types. |
| Transport and protocol standards | How commands are conveyed over a particular interface or transport. T10 notes that other standards organizations also handle some interfaces and transports, including Fibre Channel and iSCSI. T10 SCSI Architecture |
These are different scopes within a standards family, not a claim that every SCSI implementation uses one identical stack.
What is SAM-6, and what is its current status?
SAM-6 is the sixth-generation SCSI Architecture Model identified in the reviewed official catalogs. ANSI lists the document as INCITS 546-2021. ANSI/INCITS standard record T10’s project page identifies INCITS 546-2021 as published and records a five-year review action for 2027. T10 SAM-6 project page
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The sources do not use a perfectly consistent year label: T10’s working-draft catalog shows revision 08 dated 2021-05-29, while its text says the approved standard is ANSI INCITS 546-2022. The working-draft page distinguishes committee drafts from the approved standard, which it says may be purchased separately. For clarity, refer to the generation as SAM-6 or the standard as INCITS 546, and attribute a year to the particular catalog or record that displays it. T10 Working Drafts catalog
T10 also lists an overlapped-tag discussion item on its September 2026 working-group agenda. An agenda item shows that a topic was discussed; it does not establish that a change was adopted or that a new SAM edition has been published. T10 September 2026 working-group agenda
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Which concepts does SAM-6 make obsolete?
ANSI’s SAM-6 description identifies the following concepts from previous versions as obsolete under SAM-6:
- Support for the SPI-5 SCSI transport protocol
- Contingent Allegiance
- The TARGET RESET task management function
- The basic task management model
- Untagged tasks
- The linked command function
This is a version-specific statement about SAM-6. It should not be read as evidence that every older SCSI implementation lacks those concepts or that all existing systems have been updated to SAM-6. ANSI/INCITS SAM-6 standard record
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Is SAM a physical SCSI connection?
No. SAM is an abstract architecture model, not a cable, connector, bus speed, or single transport. Physical interfaces and transport protocols are addressed by other standards within or related to the SCSI standards family. T10’s historical notes describe the evolution of the model’s name: the original “SCSI-3 Architecture Model (SAM)” became “SCSI Architecture Model – 2 (SAM-2)” when revised; the current generation identified in the cited catalogs is SAM-6. T10 SCSI Architecture
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Where can you find the standard?
The ANSI Webstore record identifies INCITS 546-2021 as the SAM-6 standard and provides its purchase listing. T10’s online working-draft catalog is useful for draft history, but it labels its material as committee drafts and distinguishes it from the approved standard. ANSI/INCITS standard record T10 Working Drafts catalog
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