Flash market is continuing to subvert the enterprise storage market. In fact, statistics show that business accounted for half the flash (EMEA) of total sales in Europe, Middle East and Africa region. Flash memory systems to achieve double-digit growth, especially in the whole flash memory array (All-Flash Arrays), user value grew by 113%. Why is changing the flash memory market? And what new technologies might subvert the market in the near future?

Only the beginning of the particular application

When the first new enterprise flash device, originally in order to expand the existing hard disk storage, will flash as the storage layer or cache. The goal of this approach is to enhance performance, while preserving the most commonly used data sets (Data Sets), so that the expensive flash memory capacity is reduced to a minimum as a whole. trg30r120

However, this configuration relies on complex procedures to ensure that appropriate information is located in the cache or storage layer, so that users are looking for smarter and more cost-effective way to combine flash memory devices.

There are more and more companies want to transfer the full data set to the flash memory device, to achieve excellent and consistent application performance. This is also one of the main trends pushing SSD market growth, thereby promoting lower prices, improve product appeal and expand the scope of deployment. Past we hope to achieve high-performance business, you may need to purchase a number of SSD, causing prices to exceed your budget. Today, at a lower purchase price, also have the same performance.

Despite falling prices, but the SSD prices are still relatively expensive. Such solutions are still only using a small number of affordable company, and only used for a specific category of app. However, consider using SSD businesses, although capital spending is still the most important issue, but in lower operating expenses SSD performance is indeed remarkable. adsp-21mod870-000

SSD are coming out of its own way

Initially, it was in accordance with the HDD look and feel to the design and development SSD. SSD uses SAS and SATA interfaces, since the effectiveness of the two interfaces used in HDD well, providing ample bandwidth, the same interface on an existing PC architecture more convenient to use. However, the advantages of SSD technology far beyond that, so the SSD with SAS and SATA, its effectiveness is also limited play.

Recently, we found that a flash solution, as more and more SSD adopts PCIe interface, which is due to the direct connection can bring more excellent than the server type SATA and SAS performance and shorter delay time. SSD are coming out of its own way, using the new interface for higher performance, and give full play to the characteristics of small volume.

Now the most common enterprise software, such as the latest version of Windows and Linux, have been upgraded to support the use of NVMe standard interface PCIe SSD. For the implementation of Windows and Linux server operating system, companies do not have to buy the exclusive driver can directly communicate directly with flash architecture.

Users can now easily import flash memory devices store environment, do not have the same problems as in the past to manual control, Windows system can recognize native storage device is directly operational, providing more powerful Plug converter .

The third platform drive SSD adoption

Center for flash memory devices have been developed for a long time. Statistics show that the whole array of flash memory market continues to lead the expansion of the flash, the value of the user at an annual growth rate of 113 percent to lead the expansion of the flash memory market, and to provide excellent product portfolio. These products are simple, flexible, scalable scale of services and provide consistent high performance, do not cache and stratification, the most important is to have a lower overall total cost of ownership (TCO). As we have seen, they are moving towards reducing the number of components of the overall data center trend.

More specifically, the SSD drive growth in part because by the “third platform” transfer drive; the “third platform” is used to explain a number of trends in the deployment of data center structures. This refers to the use of more standardized commercial blocks, build flexible and scalable infrastructure, more efficient and more cost-effective way of operating data centers.

Kind of like the Facebook platform, the first to use the third large scale company, from the beginning to use SSD as the construction of the block (Building Block). Although HDD technology research institutions that are not designed for use with the case, but the SSD is the “key technology push hands, change the overall storage situation, and to achieve a third platform,” as the third platform concept is widely accepted, but also to the needs of the SSD on the rise.

Looking to the future

Looking to the future, fiber NVMe or “flash on line” (Flash on the wire) will become more common. Such external PCIe fiber-optic network, the Internet could become a full array of flash memory in the future. Flash fiber users do not have to flash memory device into the old server, and flash technology can be integrated into the direct connection of the environment, reduce network latency. NVMe standard also helps device management, so that multiple vendors can operate in the same manner under the centralized command and control.

In addition, the next generation of non-volatile flash memory can also come to the fore. In PCM-based flash fiber optic solutions with forward-looking, and represents the next generation of new memory occurs, performance guarantee beyond previous flash device, and close to the speed DRAM. Expected in the coming years, these devices will work with the new SSD integration, provide better functionality, and implement more sophisticated new analysis in the future.

Flash memory devices are growing at an alarming rate, mainly due to the flash market matured significantly over the past years and find their footing: SSD and HDD has been out of the tangled past, use its speed potential and form factor advantages, to achieve a more easily accessible and more convenient target.

At the same time, the development of infrastructure also represents the flash device is more popular in the workplace is no longer a complex issue plagued IT departments, flash solution can begin functioning immediately installed today. Finally, the trend is to make all kinds of core data center platform toward the third direction, SSD drive further growth in demand. Flash trend will not disappear, and a new wave of flash technology have emerged.