Which technology allows for the hot swapping of hard drives?

The technology that enables hot swapping of hard drives is Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA). This feature allows users to connect and disconnect hard drives while the computer is powered on without the need to turn off the system. SATA achieves this by utilizing a design that separates power and data connections, permitting easier management of drives in a running environment.

Hot swapping is particularly beneficial in server environments and situations where uptime is critical, as it minimizes downtime and disruption during hardware maintenance or upgrades. While SCSI also supports hot swapping, SATA has become the more prevalent standard in modern systems due to its widespread adoption and simplicity in design. Other options, such as ATA and USB, do not primarily support this feature in the same robust way as SATA does, particularly when it comes to internal hard drives.