Flash memory and storage
Top Stories
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News
17 Nov 2023
Nashville Electric selects Pure Storage to provide power
A Nashville-based power company decided to migrate off an outdated, ill-fitting Dell storage system to something more modern and more reasonable. Continue Reading
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News
30 Oct 2023
Western Digital to split flash, HDD business units in two
Western Digital will spin off its flash storage business into a separate company by the second half of 2024, leaving hard drives under the WD banner. Continue Reading
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Opinion
26 Oct 2023
NetApp aims to boost all-flash consolidation with ASA C-Series
NetApp's ability to deliver multi-cloud capabilities with Google and other cloud providers rather than as a storage-as-software deployment might accelerate multi-cloud operations. Continue Reading
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News
24 Oct 2023
NetApp adds new flash hardware, debuts VMware DR service
The enterprise storage vendor continues its hybrid cloud portfolio push with capacity flash for the ASA hardware family and bolts a VMware DR service to its BlueXP console. Continue Reading
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News
17 Oct 2023
Micron first to bring 232 layers to mainstream SSDs
The 7500, Micron's latest SSD, uses the company's 232-layer NAND technology to support a broad set of use cases at a lower price point than its high-end counterparts. Continue Reading
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News
02 Oct 2023
What a Western Digital-Kioxia merger might mean for NAND
Speculation that Kioxia and Western Digital could combine their NAND businesses is making rounds again. Analysts consider what it may mean for the flash memory market. Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Sep 2023
How SSD encryption can protect enterprise data
It's easy for an SSD to fall into the wrong hands. Encryption, which is common in SSDs, is a powerful tool to protect mission-critical and personal data. Continue Reading
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News
19 Sep 2023
Infinidat offers all-flash within a hybrid array
Infinidat places a virtual all-flash array in its hybrid storage system while doubling the capacity of InfiniBox SSA and carving it up for easier consumption. Continue Reading
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News
22 Aug 2023
SSD, flash memory advances to see slow walk to market
New SSDs and CXL memory modules were on display at the 2023 Flash Memory Summit, but it might take market adjustments, new infrastructure and time to reap the benefits. Continue Reading
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News
11 Aug 2023
MemVerge, XConn, Samsung, H3 unite to show benefits of CXL
Four vendors combine technologies to demonstrate CXL memory pooling at the Flash Memory Summit and tout its benefits to use cases like generative AI. Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Aug 2023
Computational storage SSD options vary in benefit level
Computational storage SSDs come in two major formats: programmable and fixed-function. They have stark differences in feature set and market acceptance. Continue Reading
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Opinion
24 Jul 2023
IBM FlashSystem 5045 aids access to storage cyber resilience
As ransomware and other cyber attacks persist, enterprises should prioritize cyber resilience. IBM's FlashSystem 5045 improves accessibility for that protection. Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Jul 2023
DreamWorks Animation taps NetApp in transition to cloud
DreamWorks Animation built a microservices-focused hybrid storage architecture by combining NetApp flash storage and software with Microsoft Azure cloud services. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Jul 2023
SmartNICs and the need for evolving network infrastructure
SmartNICs can meet the increasing demand for high performance, low latency and secure data transfer. But the implementation of smartNICs requires reliable network infrastructure. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Jul 2023
SAS vs. NVMe: The future of 2 key storage interfaces
In SAS vs. NVMe, both interfaces play significant roles in enterprise storage. See how they stack up in terms of performance, scalability, flexibility and manageability. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Jul 2023
Explore benefits, tradeoffs with SLC vs. MLC vs. TLC and more
Learn the important capacity, performance and reliability differences among multilayer flash types, including SLC vs. MLC vs. TLC, and typical uses for each. Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Jul 2023
Flash memory guide to architecture, types and products
Flash memory, a staple of consumer electronics, is playing a wider role in enterprise storage. This guide offers an overview of flash, from current use cases to future directions. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Jun 2023
EEPROM vs. flash memory: What's the difference?
Even though there might be a 10 million-to-one price-per-gigabyte difference between EEPROM and NAND flash, each memory type makes sense in its own role. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Jun 2023
QLC vs. TLC SSDs: Which is best for your storage needs?
QLC flash memory is best for most read-intensive workloads, while TLC is suited to write-dominant workloads. Discover how QLC vs. TLC NAND are coexisting in the data center. Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Jun 2023
A primer on SSD response time, other performance benchmarks
Consider several SSD performance benchmarks, including SSD response time, as key units of measurement. Also, note the difference between benchmarks and load generators. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Jun 2023
Flash memory vs. RAM: What's the difference?
Even though vendors refer to flash memory and conventional RAM -- the main memory of a PC or server -- as solid-state memory, these two memory types are significantly different. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Jun 2023
Charge trap technology advantages for 3D NAND flash drives
Flash drive cells based on charge trap technology have several advantages over older floating gate cells. However, take note of potential reliability issues. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Jun 2023
5 NAND flash manufacturers balance performance, reliability
NAND flash manufacturers Kioxia, Micron, Samsung, SK Hynix and Western Digital offer varying levels of capacity. They also provide an assortment of uses. Continue Reading
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Opinion
15 Jun 2023
Pure flash storage evolves, puts HDD investments in question
Innovations in flash storage driving down cost might make it more difficult to justify investments in hard disk drives moving forward, Pure Storage CEO and others claim. Continue Reading
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News
14 Jun 2023
Pure takes aim at HDDs with FlashArray for colder storage
Pure Storage added a new, cost-efficient model to its FlashArray line expanding potential uses cases. It's also rolling out new controller upgrades and data protection SLAs. Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Jun 2023
How to purchase SSDs during a NAND flash price drop
Although NAND prices are collapsing, that doesn't mean they will pop back up at some future date. It's rarely a good idea to purchase SSDs well before they are needed. Continue Reading
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Tip
07 Jun 2023
Evaluate flash memory advantages and disadvantages
Flash memory and solid-state devices have revolutionized storage, but to deploy them effectively, you must understand their advantages and disadvantages. Continue Reading
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News
18 May 2023
DDN launches all-QLC ExaScaler
The all-QLC ExaScaler scale-out parallel file system from DDN slots in between performance and costs. It comes at a time when AI workloads are on the rise. Continue Reading
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News
16 May 2023
Micron 6500 Ion increases layers over 200, lowers price
Micron expanded its enterprise SSD portfolio with the 232-layer Micron 6500 Ion to lower costs and the Micron XTR, a new SLC, to increase overall performance. Continue Reading
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News
09 May 2023
Storage's role in generative AI
Generative AI continues to create industry buzz. Experts say storage plays a critical role in making the technology run. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Apr 2023
Choose between NAND vs. NOR flash memory
When comparing NAND flash memory to NOR, it's important to examine the structural differences to understand which type of non-volatile memory is best suited for some applications. Continue Reading
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News
07 Apr 2023
The potential effects of Pure Storage's 300 TB SSDs
Pure Storage plans to have 300 TB SSD modules by 2026, potentially putting other HDD- and SSD-based systems at a scalability disadvantage. But with two-plus years to go, that advantage could change. Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Mar 2023
Compare DRAM vs. DRAM-less SSDs for cost, performance
Are DRAM-less SSDs the way of the future? While they're a great fit for hyperscale data centers, other organizations may also find benefits, such as cost. Continue Reading
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Feature
22 Mar 2023
Understand how the CXL SSD can aid performance
Although CXL SSDs are only in the research phase, their performance shows promise. When used as simple memory extensions, they should improve programs that manage large data sets. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Mar 2023
How SSD data reduction can help enterprises
Data reduction techniques have been difficult to achieve on SSDs, but vendors appear to be making progress. The more effective the data reduction, the more affordable SSDs become. Continue Reading
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News
01 Mar 2023
Pure aims new FlashBlade//E at unstructured data market
Pure Storage expanded its storage offerings with FlashBlade//E designed for the unstructured data market with an acquisition cost on par with hybrid storage. Continue Reading
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News
27 Feb 2023
Vast Data expands data services for file and object
Vast Data Universal Storage brought out data services, including set performance, metadata cataloging, better security, container integration and snapshots. Continue Reading
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Opinion
10 Feb 2023
Why QLC flash changes the hybrid cloud equation
In the debates of hard drives vs. flash and on vs. off premises, the answer is often not just one over the other. However, surging QLC flash technology offers many benefits. Continue Reading
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News
07 Feb 2023
NetApp adds storage buying options, arrays
NetApp introduces a myriad of buying options and hybrid cloud capabilities for VMware workloads on Google Cloud. Soon-to-come: new QLC all-flash arrays. Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Feb 2023
Volatile times for non-volatile memory as NAND sales decline
All the major NAND vendors are seeing poor earnings as the demand for flash storage has dried up over the last two quarters. Continue Reading
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Guest Post
26 Jan 2023
Understand SSD overheating and what to do about it
It's easy for an SSD to overheat, but there are several methods to cool it down. Keep cool, and avoid damage to the SSD's data retention and integrity. Continue Reading
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News
12 Jan 2023
Micron's 9400 U.3 SSD aimed at AI, ML workloads
Micron has expanded its NVMe SSD portfolio with the 9400 U.3, a TLC drive designed to provide high-performance storage for high-performance use cases. Continue Reading
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News
09 Nov 2022
Samsung begins producing 1 terabit TLC NAND
Samsung has begun mass production on its latest generation of V-NAND, bringing 1 terabit per chip to raise density and increase speed. Continue Reading
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News
01 Nov 2022
Promises, potential pitfalls of software-enabled flash
An open source project is aiming to upend how storage architecture runs, but for developers to see potential gains, they'll have to invest in both hardware and software. Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Oct 2022
Filmmaker uses NAS storage for better collaboration
With normal workflows out the window, horror filmmaker Damien LeVeck eased the collaborative movie editing process by going all-in with Blackmagic Cloud Store. Continue Reading
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News
07 Oct 2022
Micron investment to spark chip ecosystem in New York
The $100 billion plan aims to bring businesses and thousands of workers to the Syracuse, N.Y., area -- and boost the chip supply for the IT staples and innovations CIOs pursue. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Sep 2022
State tax agency nixes slow HDD backup for speedier flash
The Mississippi Department of Revenue chose an all-flash storage and backup setup to maximize app performance and minimize headaches after a spinning-platter disaster. Continue Reading
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News
21 Sep 2022
IntelliProp CEO describes how CXL will change memory market
In this Q&A, IntelliProp CEO John Spiers talks about his vision for CXL and how it will affect both storage performance and the storage market. Continue Reading
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News
08 Sep 2022
NAND prices drop, but customers won't benefit
Supply chain disruptions, recession fears and war in Ukraine have helped push the price of NAND down sharply, but OEMs may not lower their prices any time soon. Continue Reading
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News
26 Aug 2022
The legacy of Optane goes on
Intel's storage class memory has ceased production, but the technology and the mission for cheaper, more performant storage disrupted an entire market. Continue Reading
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News
25 Aug 2022
Kioxia looks back at 35 years of NAND -- and at what's ahead
Kioxia invented NAND memory 35 years ago. At FMS, the company highlighted the technological achievements of NAND while introducing new SSDs and protocols. Continue Reading
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Opinion
18 Aug 2022
Understand the Intel Optane shutdown
Intel's upcoming shutdown of Optane follows multibillion-dollar losses. However, some technology benefits came out of the IT giant's effort to improve storage performance. Continue Reading
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News
08 Aug 2022
Phison's new X1 controller to power Seagate SSD
Seagate continues its partnership with Phison through the release of the X1, a customizable SSD controller that promises higher performance and lower power use. Continue Reading
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News
29 Jul 2022
Intel pulls the plug on Optane
Intel will wind down its storage class memory business as it plans to shift focus elsewhere, while still supporting current customers using the technology. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Jul 2022
What to know about SMART SSD use
This overview of SMART attributes in SSDs explains how organizations can put them to good use. SMART SSDs provide peace of mind about device life span. Continue Reading
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News
27 Jul 2022
Micron breaks the 200-layer barrier in NAND
Micron is shipping a 232-layer NAND that brings higher density and performance with potentially lower costs, starting on the client side before moving to the data center. Continue Reading
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News
28 Jun 2022
Micron releases first 176-layer NAND SATA SSD
Micron brings high endurance, lower costs and continued support for the SATA interface with the release of its new 5400 SATA SSD for the data center. Continue Reading
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Opinion
14 Jun 2022
Pure Storage's focus shines at Pure Accelerate 2022
At Pure Accelerate 2022, Pure Storage displayed its continued investment in R&D, coupled with new product releases. The vendor should continue to make a splash in flash. Continue Reading
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News
08 Jun 2022
Pure Storage FlashBlade//S increases performance, flexibility
The new Pure Storage FlashBlade//S expands the file and object storage array into a family with more options and more use cases. Continue Reading
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News
25 May 2022
IBM releases compact, ultra-fast storage for AI
IBM released the elastic storage system 3500, a new object storage array that uses Spectrum Scale to provide fast storage for AI modeling and training. Continue Reading
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News
03 May 2022
Dell to ship all-NVMe version of VxRail for Project Monterey
Dell plans to ship an all-NVMe version of VxRail that will be the first hyper-converged system to work with VMware's Project Monterey, scheduled for release this summer. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Apr 2022
How enterprises can ensure NVMe security in 2.0
Today's world demands airtight security more than ever. Key NVMe security features, such as namespaces, the Lockdown command and TLS in NVMe over TCP, keep data safe. Continue Reading
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News
22 Apr 2022
Vast Data, Vertica to deliver data lakehouse and analytics
Vast Data combined its disaggregated 'share everything' storage with Vertica's high-performance analytics to create a data lakehouse that answers queries in near real time. Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Apr 2022
Ways to add enterprise NVMe drives to your infrastructure
Organizations can benefit from faster data transport between applications and storage through NVMe. When looking at enterprise NVMe, remember management and cost considerations. Continue Reading
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News
11 Apr 2022
Nexsan brings NVMe storage to SMBs
Nexsan Unity NV10000 storage array helps NVMe storage become more mainstream by making the interface accessible to smaller companies. Continue Reading
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News
30 Mar 2022
Kioxia releases PCIe Gen 5 SSD for data centers
Kioxia's CD8, its second-generation PCIe Gen 5 SSDs, provides increased performance and a 2.5 inch form factor that make it much more data center-friendly than the CD7. Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Mar 2022
OpenDrives key to remote editing of Dave Grohl documentary
Jim Rota and Dean Gonzalez lacked high-performance storage needed to make and edit their new music documentary, so they turned to a vendor born out of Hollywood movie-making. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Mar 2022
SSD vs. SSHD vs. HDD: Which one is best?
Hybrid drives promise fast, cost-effective performance for primary and secondary storage. Here's what you need to know about the benefits and drawbacks compared to SSDs and HDDs. Continue Reading
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News
15 Mar 2022
Kioxia ups NAND ante with new 24G SAS SSD
Kioxia unveils its second-generation 24G SAS SSDs, the PM7, building off its previous generation to provide added performance and support for the new FIPS standard. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Mar 2022
The role of NVMe network storage for the future
This chapter excerpt from 'Building a Future-Proof Cloud Infrastructure' examines the role networking and storage protocols, like NVMe, could have in the remote storage market. Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2022
Kioxia, WD NAND contamination to affect flash pricing
A contamination last month of WD NAND that also affected Kioxia has been corrected, but the fallout from disrupted flash memory production is not yet known. Continue Reading
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News
09 Mar 2022
Nvidia buys Excelero to speed block storage access in DPUs
Excelero's NVMe storage pooling technology will become integrated with Nvidia's DPU technology stack for faster block storage access in data centers. Continue Reading
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News
01 Mar 2022
Micron releases first 176-layer NAND data center SSD
The Micron 7450 marks the launch of the first 176-layer NAND SSD aimed at the data center, bringing a consistently low-latency, PCIe Gen 4 performance and a spectrum of form factors. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Feb 2022
Vast Data solves high-performance computing challenge
When DUG began to supply high-performance computing as a service, it discovered its storage was not up to the task, sending the company on a years-long journey. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Feb 2022
The top data storage and management tools of 2021
Software focused on large-scale data management and storage in expanding environments won in this year's Products of the Year storage system and application software category. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Feb 2022
The best enterprise storage arrays of 2021
Tintri, Infinidat and Dell EMC enterprise arrays win top honors in the Products of the Year disk and disk subsystems category for their use of flash and automation. Continue Reading
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News
08 Feb 2022
IBM upgrades FlashSystem to tackle ransomware
Addressing the continuing onslaught of cyber attacks, IBM has delivered an offering that combines its FlashSystem and Cyber Vault products for fast recovery. Continue Reading
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News
01 Feb 2022
NVMe-oF storage provider Pavilion Data raises $45 million
NVMe-oF startup Pavilion Data completed a series C1 funding with an additional $45 million, while keeping its focus on helping customers tackle modern workloads. Continue Reading
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Feature
04 Jan 2022
Understand NVMe 2.0 specification and its related features
NVMe 2.0 added several features for storage administrators to consider, including domain support. The specification also made enhancements, such as to Endurance Group Management. Continue Reading
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News
17 Dec 2021
Vast Data: New NVMe enclosures will cause HDD demise
Vast Data is using 30 TB QLC SSDs in its Universal Storage system, putting itself on par with enterprise HDDs in pricing, while bringing more performance to a smaller footprint. Continue Reading
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News
16 Dec 2021
NetApp AFF A900 brings more performance to same chassis
NetApp AFF A900 adds higher efficiency, additional OnTap features and optional anti-ransomware software to the flagship array. There's also an upgrade option for A700 users. Continue Reading
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News
07 Dec 2021
Pure Storage launches highest performing FlashArray//XL
Pure Storage releases FlashArray//XL, its highest performance array that completes the puzzle for on-prem customer storage. Continue Reading
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News
23 Nov 2021
Kioxia releases PCIe 5.0 EDSFF SSDs
Kioxia became the first vendor to release a PCIe Gen 5.0 SSD with its new CD7 series. Still, it highlighted the EDSFF specification over beating the Gen 5 drum. Continue Reading
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News
09 Nov 2021
ScaleFlux debuts SFX 3000 series and SSDs
ScaleFlux showcased its new SFX 3000 computational storage suite, including a custom chip and new SSDs with higher performance along with compression and encryption. Continue Reading
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News
21 Oct 2021
StorOne adds NVMe over Fabrics
StorOne adds NVMe over Fabrics over TCP and remote direct memory access, with no hardware update needed. Continue Reading
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News
21 Oct 2021
Tintri expands VMstore T7000 line for better configurability
Tintri expanded its all-NVMe VMstore T7000 line with two new appliances, supporting various use cases and configurability. Continue Reading
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News
12 Oct 2021
Hitachi Vantara's new VSP 5600 hits 33 million IOPS
Hitachi Vantara launched new VSP 5000 models and added storage options to its E Series. The products may help enable storage consolidation for customers. Continue Reading
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News
08 Oct 2021
Micron launches 7400 PCIe Gen 4 SSDs for data centers
Micron unveiled NVMe SSDs with seven form factors this week, all with PCIe Gen 4 performance. The new family of SSDs could take Micron deeper into the data center. Continue Reading
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Opinion
04 Oct 2021
Why QLC flash adoption now benefits the enterprise
While enterprises must overcome some obstacles with QLC, there is a solid case for its use. 3D NAND has played a big part in enabling QLC use within the enterprise. Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Sep 2021
Look for PCIe 5.0, NVMe 2.0 to boost storage performance
Enterprises that need high-performance storage for AI and ML workloads can keep an eye out for new products based on the latest PCIe 5.0 and NVMe 2.0 specifications. Continue Reading
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Answer
31 Aug 2021
Cache vs. RAM: Differences between the two memory types
Cache memory and RAM both place data closer to the processor to reduce latency in response times. Learn why one can be faster, along with other key variables in cache vs. RAM. Continue Reading
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News
24 Aug 2021
Infinidat and Virtana bring VirtualWisdom to InfiniBox
Virtana's VirtualWisdom is now available for Infinidat's InfiniBox arrays. The software can expand to handle hybrid cloud workflows. Continue Reading
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News
23 Aug 2021
Rising NAND flash prices should start to fall in 2022
Enterprise customers should see prices for NAND flash and enterprise SSDs start to fall in 2022, as flash and component shortages subside, market analysts predict. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Aug 2021
How the CXL interconnect will affect enterprise storage
The Compute Express Link standard will shake up the enterprise storage market in several significant ways. Here's what admins need to know. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Jul 2021
New HPE Alletra extends cloud console to Primera, Nimble
Hewlett Packard Enterprise's new Alletra storage brand will bear striking similarity to Primera and Nimble arrays on the operating system and management front. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Jul 2021
NVMe speeds vs. SATA and SAS: Which is fastest?
The NVMe protocol is tailor-made to make SSDs fast. Get up to speed on NVMe performance and how it compares to the SATA and SAS interfaces. Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2021
Pure Storage adds service options for FlashStack, Portworx
Pure Storage users can now choose consumption-based pricing for FlashStack converged infrastructure and Portworx storage for containerized workloads. Continue Reading
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News
20 Jul 2021
IBM FlashSystem adds storage as a service, attack protection
IBM introduces new consumption-based Storage as a Service for FlashSystem based on performance, capacity and contract term; and adds Safeguarded Copy to guard against cyberattacks. Continue Reading
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News
01 Jul 2021
Micron 3D XPoint supply will end with $900M fab sale to TI
Micron's $900 million deal to sell its Utah semiconductor factory to Texas Instruments will end the plant's 3D XPoint supplies for Intel Optane memory and storage products. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Jun 2021
Boost array performance with Optane-ready products
Explore a group of Optane-ready products to improve storage performance. In addition, there are other options beyond self-managed hardware for the same purpose. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Jun 2021
Work around NVMe storage controller drive limitations
Innovation in the storage and memory market helps with the challenge of NVMe drive limits. Be sure to make the right comparisons and scale out effectively. Continue Reading
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News
17 Jun 2021
Infinidat expands beyond HDDs with new all-solid-state array
Infinidat's new all-solid-state InfiniBox SSA storage array is built on the same deep-learning software and DRAM cache technology that its flagship disk-based InfiniBox models use. Continue Reading