Flash memory and storage

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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
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

Guest Post 14 Dec 2020

DNN Accelerator for the High-Performing Space Computing Program

Like most applications, space systems are migrating from centralized to distributed processing for more autonomous decision making, lower latency, less dependence on communications systems and lower power. Here is a look at what NASA is doing. Continue Reading
Guest Post 14 Dec 2020

Storage Processors to Unleash the Full Potential of Flash Storage

It is time to simplify infrastructure, stop the over-investment in storage and scale more efficiently. Here are insights to help you unleash the full potential of your flash storage investment. Continue Reading
Guest Post 14 Dec 2020

What You Need to Know About DNA Data Storage Today

Learn about DNA data storage from a senior principal research manager at Microsoft Research. Continue Reading
Guest Post 14 Dec 2020

GPUs, CPUs and Storage: Bringing AL and ML to Data Centers Everywhere

Leaders from Nvidia discuss capitalizing on GPUs and new parallel programming models to make artificial intelligence and machine learning available everywhere. Continue Reading
Guest Post 14 Dec 2020

The Future Adaptable Data Center

The modern data center must evolve to address the demands of changing workloads. Here, you will gain insights from the VP of Data Center Engineering at Xilinx on the future of the adaptable data center. Continue Reading
Guest Post 14 Dec 2020

Flash Memory Summit 2020

Flash Memory Summit was virtual this year, spanning three days. Here, you have unlimited access to the exclusive Flash Memory Summit keynote presentations and sessions. Continue Reading
Feature 10 Dec 2020

4 sources of storage latency and PMem's emerging role

Controllers, the software stack, and external and internal interconnects have an outsized impact on storage latency. Learn about their affects and how PMem is countering latency. Continue Reading
News 09 Dec 2020

Hitachi takes its NVMe flash storage into midrange

Hitachi storage for E Series adds two midrange block arrays based on NVMe flash technology. E590 and E790 scale to 360 TB and differ in processing performance. Continue Reading
News 04 Dec 2020

Lenovo storage expands NVMe with midrange DM ThinkSystem

Server vendor Lenovo wants to grow its ThinkSystem storage business. The DM5100F NVMe Lenovo storage array integrates S3 protocol for unified data management. Continue Reading
News 02 Dec 2020

All-flash array adoption rises for NetApp, HPE

NetApp credits AFA flash array sales as key to its gaining market share, while HPE reports significant flash increase despite overall decline in storage revenue. Continue Reading
News 01 Dec 2020

Intel's 3D XPoint dominance will face challenge from Micron

Intel's Optane memory and storage products have no competition now, but that will change as Micron and potentially other vendors ramp up production in the future. Continue Reading
News 25 Nov 2020

Dell still waiting for PowerStore to power up

Dell EMC's flashy new PowerStore array has done little to remediate the leading storage vendor's shrinking midrange market share, allowing competitors to gain ground. Continue Reading
News 24 Nov 2020

Dense processing fuels Pavilion Data storage performance

Pavilion Hyperparallel Flash Array clusters multiple controllers in unified namespace that spans racks and chassis. Pavilion storage scales 2.2 PB of raw NVMe flash. Continue Reading
News 19 Nov 2020

Flash storage debate heats up over QLC SSDs vs. HDDs

QLC flash storage is exerting pressure on spinning disk for mass storage and archiving use cases -- but HDDs will stick around for years if not decades, industry experts predict. Continue Reading
News 18 Nov 2020

COVID-19 research generates big data, invaluable info

When supporting COVID-19 research that could uncover treatment for the pandemic, IT and storage pros want to make sure they're 'not the bottleneck' in the process. Continue Reading
News 18 Nov 2020

Kioxia flash storage sews NVMe fabric onto Kubernetes

Kioxia's KumoScale virtualizes NVMe block volumes for consumption by file and object storage. The Kioxia flash invokes native TCP/IP drivers to install an NVMe-oF layer. Continue Reading
News 13 Nov 2020

NVMe, Optane, GPUs exert big impact on enterprise storage

Enterprises in need of high-performance storage for AI, analytics and virtualization may find help in new NVMe, Optane and processor technologies, a Flash Memory Summit panel says. Continue Reading
News 11 Nov 2020

Flash storage grows up with new EDSFF SSDs, denser 3D NAND

Expansive new directions for flash memory technology shine brightly in the launch of 176-layer 3D NAND chips, EDSFF E1.S and Zoned Namespace SSDs, and computational storage drives. Continue Reading
News 11 Nov 2020

Quantum NAS options expand with All-Terrain File System

Quantum adds to its NAS lineup with All-Terrain File System aimed at general-purpose use cases while enhancing its StorNext parallel file system and ActiveScale object storage. Continue Reading
Opinion 09 Nov 2020

With release of vSphere 7, VMware takes NVMe-oF mainstream

VMware's support of NVMe-oF means organizations might be able to significantly improve the performance of their application environments without changing any data center hardware. Continue Reading
09 Nov 2020

With release of vSphere 7, VMware takes NVMe-oF mainstream

Continue Reading
News 30 Oct 2020

Adoption of Intel Optane persistent memory picks up in 2020

Intel provides an update on adoption trends for its Optane persistent memory modules, showing that SAP HANA, virtualization and high-performance computing are top use cases. Continue Reading
News 30 Oct 2020

StorCentric buys flash storage pioneer Violin to fill gap

StorCentric's storage portfolio added an NVMe-based midrange option to its Nexsan and Vexata lines with the acquisition of beleaguered all-flash array pioneer Violin Systems. Continue Reading
News 29 Oct 2020

Video game hosting company uses Optane memory to cut costs

Intel's Optane persistent memory modules enable a global online game hosting provider to expand memory and lower costs over DRAM with negligible performance difference. Continue Reading
News 20 Oct 2020

Intel offloads NAND flash memory to SK Hynix for $9 billion

Intel exits NAND flash business with $9 billion sale to rival SK Hynix to focus on faster Optane SSDs and memory modules, AI, 5G networking and edge computing. Continue Reading
Feature 06 Oct 2020

NVMe and SCM: Implications for the future of storage

Explore the various ways NVMe technology vendors are preparing the way for organizations to transition to storage class memory in their computing environments. Continue Reading
News 06 Oct 2020

StorOne storage system flexes data protection muscles

StorOne enhances its All-Flash Array.next storage system based on Intel Optane and QLC NAND drives with data protection features for disaster recovery. Continue Reading
News 24 Sep 2020

All-flash Vast Data storage trains AI data at LightSpeed

Vast Data LightSpeed combines bulk QLC SSD storage with Intel Optane acceleration. The system supports Nvidia beta technology allowing writes from storage to GPU. Continue Reading
News 17 Sep 2020

Rivals Cloudian, Scality embrace all-flash object storage

Primarily used as a disk repository, object storage use cases are evolving to support workloads that need fast flash. Rivals Cloudian and Scality provide the latest evidence. Continue Reading
News 16 Sep 2020

Pure Storage acquires Portworx for container management

Pure Storage container support includes the Pure Service Orchestrator. Portworx will operate as a new Pure Cloud Native business unit focused on storage for cloud apps. Continue Reading
News 11 Sep 2020

Kaminario storage dons Silk, vows smooth cloud migrations

Here is the story behind why Kaminario changed its name to Silk and launched the Silk Cloud Data Platform that builds on Kaminario storage stack and runs in Google cloud. Continue Reading
Feature 03 Sep 2020

Law firm makes compelling case for Pure Storage all-flash

CSK Legal first used Pure Storage all-flash arrays to move VMs to VMware vSphere. Primary Pure FlashArray replicates VMs to second target used exclusively for backups. Continue Reading
Feature 31 Aug 2020

High-performance interconnects and storage performance

Should you use InfiniBand or RDMA over Converged Ethernet as an interconnect? We discuss each technology's effect on performance features such as latency, IOPS and throughput. Continue Reading
News 27 Aug 2020

Layoffs put damper on positive NetApp storage earnings

NetApp storage growth was modest last quarter, despite the pandemic, but not sufficient to forestall layoffs. The cuts include engineers and sales professionals at SolidFire. Continue Reading
Feature 27 Aug 2020

SAS vs. NVMe: The future of the two key storage interfaces

SAS and NVMe both play significant roles in enterprise storage. See how the two interfaces stack up in terms of performance, scalability, flexibility, manageability and the future. Continue Reading
News 26 Aug 2020

Nimbus adds cheaper 64 TB QLC SSDs to complement 100 TB SSD

New 3.5-inch 64 TB SSDs from Nimbus Data with QLC flash offer a higher-performance alternative to HDDs for enterprises trying to reduce power, cooling and rack space costs. Continue Reading
News 26 Aug 2020

Pure Storage FlashArray//C set sights on hybrid flash market

Pure Storage FlashArray//C incorporates QLC NAND-based SSDs in the vendor's DirectFlash modules. The arrays are positioned as an alternative to hybrid flash for backup and DR. Continue Reading
News 20 Aug 2020

SSD and NAND flash prices will decline through start of 2021

NAND flash and enterprise SSD prices that spiked in early 2020 will continue to fall through the end of the year and into 2021 as demand weakens, industry analysts predict. Continue Reading
News 11 Aug 2020

IBM storage GM Walsh leaves Big Blue for startup ChaosSearch

IBM recruited Ed Walsh in 2016 to revive its flagging storage division. Analysts credit Walsh for prioritizing all-flash and cloud data services. Now he’s heading to ChaosSearch. Continue Reading
Tip 27 Jul 2020

NVMe Zoned Namespace lowers costs and improves performance

The new zoned storage interface capitalizes on NAND flash capabilities to let host software communicate with NAND storage to better align workloads with SSD storage. Continue Reading
News 02 Jul 2020

Pure Storage CEO back after COVID-19 battle

Pure Storage CEO Charles Giancarlo said it took him a month to recover from an extended bout with coronavirus. Meanwhile, Pure's revenue grew by 12% last quarter despite the pandemic. Continue Reading
News 30 Jun 2020

New PCIe 4.0 SSDs, 24 Gbps SAS SSDs supply bandwidth boost

A new wave of bandwidth-doubling enterprise SSDs are on the way from major drive manufacturers to support PCIe Gen 4 and 24 Gbps SAS in enterprise storage arrays and servers. Continue Reading
News 29 Jun 2020

Western Digital will package new NVMe SSD into NVMe-oF JBOF

Western Digital is prepping a new NVMe over Fabrics-based JBOF storage device that will bundle its highest-performance Ultrastar SN840 NVMe SSDs and RapidFlex network adapters. Continue Reading
News 24 Jun 2020

Gen 2 Intel Optane memory modules claim bandwidth boost

Designed for use with Intel's new Cooper Lake Xeon Scalable processors, the next version of Optane memory modules is expected to ship in servers in late 2020. Continue Reading
Feature 18 Jun 2020

6 NAND flash memory vendors balance performance, reliability

Learn what types of enterprise- and consumer-grade SSD technology six leading NAND flash storage vendors offer, as well as where these modules are best suited. Continue Reading
News 28 May 2020

Kioxia gives hyperscalers new custom flash drive options

Kioxia's software-enabled flash aims to provide greater host control over storage, data placement and data access to hyperscalers that optimize SSDs for specific workloads. Continue Reading
Feature 28 May 2020

NVMe-oF storage technology and terms explained

Get to know how NVMe-oF optimizes storage network performance and lowers latency with this roundup of terminology associated with the emerging technology. Continue Reading
Feature 26 May 2020

How 6 new midrange storage arrays from top vendors stack up

Leading storage vendors have recently released midrange all-flash arrays that provide the scalability, high performance and high reliability of enterprise-class offerings. Continue Reading
News 18 May 2020

MemVerge pushes big memory computing for every app

MemVerge claims its Memory Machine software layered on Intel Optane DIMMs and DRAM creates petabyte-sized logical pool to power all applications in main memory. Continue Reading
News 13 May 2020

New Intel Optane SSDs, DIMMs, flash remain on track for 2020

Intel executives said pandemic-related supply chain issues would not affect deliveries of next-generation Optane SSDs and memory modules and 144-layer NAND flash products in 2020. Continue Reading
News 13 May 2020

Nimbus Data shows off flashy OS upgrades with ExaFlash One

Customers can size and order Nimbus Data ExaFlash One arrays online for flat $10,000 one-time cost. Nimbus Tectonic license costs $10,000 annually and includes controller upgrades and all software licenses. Continue Reading
Feature 13 May 2020

How key factors in storage performance and cost spur adoption

It may take years, but a storage product's performance, cost and the problems it solves can converge to make its sales take off. See how a storage technology's tipping point is reached. Continue Reading
News 12 May 2020

Replication highlights Pure Storage FlashBlade OS update

Pure Storage Purity v3 adds snapshots for file and object data between FlashBlade arrays and Amazon S3 buckets. Replication matches functionality in Pure FlashArray block storage. Continue Reading
Feature 11 May 2020

Flash vendors tap admin experience features to stand out

Customers evaluating storage platforms are looking for a little something extra from vendors -- and it isn't necessarily the latest flash development. Continue Reading
News 05 May 2020

Long-delayed Dell EMC PowerStore midrange array makes debut

All-NVMe PowerStore array supports any workloads across any environment. It is the vendor's first jointly engineered product since the Dell and EMC merger. Continue Reading
News 30 Apr 2020

Vast Data flash storage zeroes in on enterprises

Vast Data engineers improve storage services for cloud backup and encryption as the all-flash startup moves to target mainstream Windows and MacOS shops. Continue Reading
News 22 Apr 2020

Hitachi Vantara rekindles romance with enterprise storage

After retreating in recent years, Hitachi Vantara steps back into enterprise data center market NVMe storage aimed at the low range of the high-end systems market. Continue Reading
News 17 Apr 2020

Vast Data wows investors with 'flash everywhere' design

In the throes of economic uncertainty caused by a global pandemic, investors pour $100 million into startup that sells a million-dollar storage system, Vast Data Universal Storage. Continue Reading
Feature 02 Apr 2020

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
Feature 02 Apr 2020

The future of flash memory promises unprecedented speed, capacity

NAND flash's future involves more layers and bits per cell. At the same time, NVMe-oF, storage class memory and other new technologies will fundamentally change memory and storage. Continue Reading
News 31 Mar 2020

Containers, clouds, NVMe drive 2020 data storage innovation

Containers on bare-metal flash and souped-up processing highlight innovations in storage, aiming for seamless data movement between local and cloud arrays. Continue Reading
Feature 31 Mar 2020

Get to know NVMe protocol basics with these related terms

NVMe is a storage protocol that has made a difference in the enterprise. When looking into NVMe and its related technologies, it can help to have these basic terms on hand. Continue Reading
Feature 26 Mar 2020

NOR flash memory proves a good fit for robotics, IoT devices

As mobility and IoT continue to expand, NOR memory provides fast random reads and long-term reliability, making it suitable for automotive, medical and portable consumer devices. Continue Reading
Tip 26 Mar 2020

Flash memory standards and interfaces every IT admin should know

Flash memory standards can be confusing for even seasoned IT pros. TLC, QLC, MLC, SLC flash and so on. SAS vs. NVMe, NVMe-oF among others. Let's make sense of this acronym soup. Continue Reading
Feature 25 Mar 2020

Storage class memory makes its way into the enterprise

The number of SCM products and use cases is growing. Find out which vendors have SSD and memory offerings and how they're being used in various products. Continue Reading
Feature 25 Mar 2020

A history of flash memory and its rise in the enterprise

Flash memory plays a huge role in enterprise storage. However, 16 years ago, SSDs barely existed. Find out the story behind this technology and how it came to dominate storage. Continue Reading
Infographic 23 Mar 2020

How SSD endurance affects flash memory use

SSD durability is a key factor in the lifespan of storage devices. Learn how it's measured, how it's evolving, what the best endurance levels are for different workloads and more. Continue Reading
Tip 19 Mar 2020

4 causes of SSD failure and how to deal with them

Although NVMe SSDs are a highly reliable storage technology, they are still prone to occasional failure. Here are some best practices to keep your SSDs humming along. Continue Reading
Tip 18 Mar 2020

The pros and cons of flash memory revealed

Flash memory and solid-state devices have revolutionized storage, but to deploy them effectively you must understand what they can and can't do. Find out what you need to know. Continue Reading
News 05 Mar 2020

Coronavirus outbreak could impact NAND flash prices

Memory manufacturers report no major impact to NAND flash supply, but weakening demand could exert an impact on prices, according to industry analysts. Continue Reading
News 04 Mar 2020

Pure Storage layoffs signal turbulence in IT market

Layoffs at Pure Storage dampen the flash array vendor's better-than-expected quarterly revenue. Pure is the latest tech vendor to eliminate jobs amid fears of a global slowdown. Continue Reading
News 28 Feb 2020

Pure Storage FlashArray//X goes pure NVMe

The third generation of Pure FlashArray//X includes a new 1 TB capacity DirectFlash module. Pure said the rollout completes its integration of NVMe flash on all arrays. Continue Reading
Feature 27 Feb 2020

What are the NAND flash memory types and where do they work best?

Which type of NAND flash memory is best for your environment? We break down five major NAND flash options, their benefits and where they work best. Continue Reading
News 25 Feb 2020

New enterprise PCIe 4.0 SSDs from Kioxia, Samsung double speed

Kioxia's new performance-boosting PCIe 4.0 enterprise SSDs add support for NVMe 1.4 and U.3 universal backplane specs, join Samsung models offering a maximum capacity of 30.72 TB. Continue Reading
Feature 25 Feb 2020

5 storage class memory queries answered

Find out if emerging SCM technology is right for your organization with this look at the benefits, uses and products, as well as what to assess when considering it. Continue Reading
Quiz 24 Feb 2020

Test your NVMe-oF storage acumen

Do you know the basics about implementing, enhancing and monitoring NVMe-oF? Check out our quiz to see if you're up to speed on this rapidly maturing technology. Continue Reading
News 13 Feb 2020

Flash startup Vast Data strives to make disk storage extinct

VAST Data CEO has immense plans for storing big data on all-flash systems and predicts his startup's combination of storage class memory and consumer-grade QLC drives will make disk go the way of the dodo. Continue Reading
News 10 Feb 2020

Speed is 2020 theme in NVMe flash storage, persistent memory

Top technologists and analysts predict 2020 storage hardware trends will center on NVMe-based flash, Optane persistent memory and MRAM memory. Continue Reading
News 05 Feb 2020

Samsung spins Stellus Technologies for file storage

Samsung created Stellus to develop new-fangled file system built on key-value storage and optimized for NVMe flash drives, scalability and high throughput. Continue Reading
Feature 28 Jan 2020

Products using Intel Optane SSDs and memory debuted in 2019

Is your organization ready for storage class memory? See some of the Optane-based products vendors developed and launched last year that incorporated the technology. Continue Reading
Tip 16 Jan 2020

NVMe-oF performance monitoring best practices that work

Don't let your storage network infrastructure get in the way of delivering NVMe-oF's low-latency benefits. See how these best practices can fix problems before they occur. Continue Reading
News 10 Jan 2020

Kioxia expects fab fire will have no flash production impact

Kioxia's NAND flash production will not be affected by fire this week at its fabrication facility in Yokkaichi, Japan, company says; analysts expect no impact to supply, prices. Continue Reading
News 09 Jan 2020

Major storage vendors map out 2020 plans

Enhanced data management across clouds is a common theme for storage vendors heading into 2020. Vendors also plan to boost AI and predictive analytics to storage hardware. Continue Reading
Opinion 31 Dec 2019

Are PMEM and storage class memory worth the price?

Look beyond price/performance to find out if SCM and persistent memory modules are right for your business. Faster response time and earlier time to market are important, too. Continue Reading
Tip 30 Dec 2019

NVMe/TCP and edge storage benefits and drawbacks

NVMe/TCP is finally entering the storage mainstream and can be particularly useful for data storage at the edge. Find out the pros and cons of this approach. Continue Reading
Feature 30 Dec 2019

The rise of the high-capacity vs. the high-performance SSD

Learn about the latest trends in enterprise drives, how high-performance devices figure in and the effect of advances in the underlying NAND flash technology. Continue Reading
News 26 Dec 2019

Enterprise flash adoption poised for new uses, experts say

Enterprise flash memory technologies are evolving with NVMe fabrics, QLC drives and storage class memory. The new options will enable data centers to expand flash use cases. Continue Reading
Feature 04 Dec 2019

Samsung V-NAND SSDs designed for high capacity, speed, efficiency

Samsung's V-NAND chip breaks through existing 3D NAND cell stacking limits with the industry's first 100+ layers in a move designed to enhance speed, capacity and power efficiency. Continue Reading
News 25 Nov 2019

Pure Storage cloud sales surge, but earnings miss the target

Although its pedigree is all-flash storage hardware, Pure Storage cloud products and services are a strong growth engine. But the vendor said global demand is starting to slacken. Continue Reading
News 22 Nov 2019

DDN storage, Nvidia Magnum IO aim to speed AI deployment

DataDirect adds reference architecture that packages NVMe all-flash storage in Nvidia DGX SuperPod, scalable to 64 GPUs and 10 DDN AI400 arrays with NVMe SSDs. Continue Reading
Tip 20 Nov 2019

Effectively implement Azure Ultra Disk Storage

Ultra Disk Storage delivers consistent performance and low latency for I/O-intensive workloads. Learn why it's solving latency problems and where you can use Azure Ultra Disk. Continue Reading
News 05 Nov 2019

Qumulo storage refresh taps into newest HPE Apollo servers

New Qumulo scale-out file storage software can be consumed locally or run as a hybrid cloud available via a Hewlett Packard Enterprise GreenLake consumption license. Continue Reading
News 30 Oct 2019

Micron 3D XPoint SSD uses new controller to boost speed

Micron Technology's new X100 SSD will become the first competitor for Intel's Optane in the market for 3D XPoint's ultrafast solid-state storage drives. Continue Reading
Feature 25 Oct 2019

An in-depth look at Optane persistent memory and its operating modes

Intel's 3D XPoint technology can be set up in two ways. Find out how the Memory Mode and Application Direct Mode differ in terms of app compatibility, performance and features. Continue Reading
Feature 10 Oct 2019

New Violin Systems CEO talks up ambitious storage roadmap

New Violin CEO talks up plans for newly architected, NVMe-based flash array that will focus on enterprise software capabilities such as low RPO and deduplication. Continue Reading
News 09 Oct 2019

Hitachi storage refocuses on enterprise with new VSP array

Large commercial consumers have been the primary target for Hitachi storage systems of late, but new Hitachi Vantara VSP 5000 targets Dell EMC PowerMax enterprise storage. Continue Reading
News 02 Oct 2019

Pure Storage all-flash customers wade slowly into cloud

Major enterprise customers say Pure Storage all-flash storage arrays have matured to automate cloud-based application development. Other Pure users take a more cautious approach. Continue Reading
News 30 Sep 2019

Intel roadmap includes faster Optane SSDs, 144-layer NAND

Intel Optane's 2020 roadmap features new "Alder Stream" SSDs that can sustain read I/O latency of 10 μs for at least 800,000 IOPS; 3D NAND flash plans include 144-layer SSDs. Continue Reading
News 30 Sep 2019

HPE Primera arrays set sights on Dell EMC PowerMax SANs

The vendor said HPE Primera is being shipped this week to BlueShore Financial. HPE looks to Primera to jolt revenues and take share in high-end storage. Continue Reading
Feature 25 Sep 2019

NVMe-oF products are changing the face of data storage

NVMe-oF products are rapidly maturing, and NVMe-oF devices are now suitable for production workloads. Let's look at the hardware, software and supported systems hitting the market. Continue Reading