64 TB-Class Knowledge Middle SSD Units NVMe Capability Data

Developments in flash expertise have come as a boon to information facilities. Growing layer counts coupled with higher vendor confidence in triple-level (TLC) and quad-level cells (QLC) have contributed to top-line SSD capacities basically doubling each few years. Knowledge facilities trying to optimize storage capability on a per-rack foundation are discovering these top-tier SSDs to be an economically prudent funding from a TCO perspective.

Solidigm was one of many first distributors to introduce a 32 TB-class enterprise SSD a number of years again. The D5-P5316 utilized Solidigm’s 144L 3D QLC NAND. The corporate has been extraordinarily bullish on QLC SSDs within the information heart. In comparison with different flash distributors, the corporate has continued to make use of a floating gate cell structure whereas others moved on to cost lure configurations. Floating gates retain programmed voltage ranges for an extended length in comparison with cost lure (guaranteeing that the learn window is for much longer with out having to ‘refresh’ the cell). The tighter voltage stage retaining functionality of the NAND structure has served Solidigm nicely in bringing QLC SSDs to the enterprise market.

Supply: The Benefits of Floating Gate Know-how (YouTube)

Solidigm is claiming that their 192L 3D QLC is extraordinarily aggressive in opposition to TLC NAND from its rivals which can be at the moment available in the market (learn, Samsung’s 136L 6^th Gen. V-NAND and Micron’s 176L 3D TLC).

Solidigm segments their QLC information heart SSDs into the ‘Important Endurance’ and ‘Worth Endurance’ strains. Again in Could, the corporate introduced the D5-P5430 as a drop-in alternative for TLC workloads. At the moment, the corporate had hinted at a brand new ‘Worth Endurance’ SSD primarily based on their fourth era QLC flash within the second half of the 12 months. The D5-P5336 introduced not too long ago is the corporate’s newest and biggest within the ‘Worth Endurance’ line.

Solidigm’s 2023 Knowledge Middle SSD Flagships by Market Phase

The D5-P5316 used a 64KB indirection unit (IU) (in comparison with the 4KB utilized in regular TLC information heart SSDs). Whereas endurance and speeds have been acceptable for particular sorts of workloads that might keep away from sub-64KB writes, Solidigm has determined to enhance issues by choosing a 16KB IU within the D5-P5336.

Because of the elevated layer rely, Solidigm is ready to provide the D5-P5336 in capacities as much as 61.44 TB. This takes the crown for the very best capability in a single NVMe drive, permitting a single 1U server with 32 E1.L variations to hit 2 PB. For a 100 PB answer, Solidigm claims as much as 17% decrease TCO in opposition to one of the best capability play from its competitors (after contemplating drive and server rely in addition to complete energy consumption).

Notice that Solidigm is stressing endurance and efficiency numbers for IU-aligned workloads. Lots of the fascinating features aren’t but referred to as the product temporary continues to be in progress.

Finally, the race for the capability crown comes with tradeoffs. Much like onerous drives adopting shingled-magnetic recording (SMR) to eke out further capability at the price of efficiency for a lot of totally different workload sorts, Solidigm is adopting a 16KB IU with QLC NAND optimized for read-intensive purposes. Given the huge capability per SSD, we suspect many information facilities  might discover it completely acceptable (at the least, endurance-wise) to make use of it in different workloads the place storage density necessities matter greater than write efficiency.