Nand flash SSD NVM SCM server storage I/O memory conversations

Updated 8/31/19

The SSD Place NVM, SCM, PMEM, Flash, Optane, 3D XPoint, MRAM, NVMe Server, Storage, I/O Topics

Now and then somebody asks me if I’m familiar with flash or nand flash Solid State Devices (SSD) along with other non-volatile memory (NVM) technologies and trends including NVM Express (NVMe).

Having been involved with various types of SSD technology, products and solutions since the late 80s initially as a customer in IT (including as a lunch customer for DEC’s ESE20 SSD’s), then later as a vendor selling SSD solutions, as well as an analyst and advisory consultant cover the technologies, I tell the person asking, well, yes, of course.

That gave me the idea as well as to help me keep track of some of the content and make it easy to find by putting it here in this post (which will be updated now and then).

Thus this is a collection of articles, tips, posts, presentations, blog posts and other content on SSD including nand flash drives, PCIe cards, DIMMs, NVM Express (NVMe), hybrid and other storage solutions along with related themes.

Also if you can’t find it here, you can always do a Google search like this or this to find some more material (some of which is on this page).

Flash SSD Articles, posts and presentations

The following are some of my tips, articles, blog posts, presentations and other content on SSD. Keep in mind that the question should not be if SSD are in your future, rather when, where, with what, from whom and how much. Also keep in mind that a bit of SSD as storage or cache in the right place can go a long way, while a lot of SSD will give you a benefit however also cost a lot of cash.

PCIe Server I/O Fundamentals
If NVMe is the answer, what are the questions?
NVMe Wont Replace Flash By Itself
Via Computerweekly – NVMe discussion: PCIe card vs U.2 and M.2
Server storage I/O benchmark tools, workload scripts and examples (Part I) and (Part II)

Via GizModo: Comments on Intel Optane 800P NVMe M.2 SSD
Via InfoStor: 8 Big Enterprise SSD Trends to Expect in 2017
Why NVMe Should Be in Your Data Center – Preparing for Tomorrow’s Data Center Today (StorageIO Guest Post Via Micron.com)
Via SearchStoragae: Comments on Top 10 Tips on Solid State Storage Adoption Strategy
Via J Metz’s Blog – Vendor neutral bibliography of material by subject matter for NVMe

Via InfoStor – SSD Trends, Tips and Topics
StorageIOblog: Get in the NVMe SSD game (if you are not already)
Via J Metz’s Blog – Vendor neutral learning NVMe A Program of Study
Via StorageIOblog: VMware vSAN v6.6
Via StorageIOblog: Cisco announces 32Gb FC and NVMe fabrics

Via Pure Storage: Announces new NVMe storage
Via Micron Blog (Guest Post by Greg Schulz): What’s next for NVMe and your Data Center – Preparing for Tomorrow Today
Via ChannelProSMB: Comments on NVMe (and SSD) and server storage I/O
EnterpriseStorageForum: Comments Top 10 Enterprise SSD Market Trends
SearchSolidStateStorage: Comments on How to add solid-state storage to your enterprise data storage systems

Microsoft TechNet: Understand the cache in Storage Spaces Direct
Microsoft Technet: Don’t do it: consumer-grade solid-state drives (SSD) in Storage Spaces Direct
Why Micron NVMe SSDs (Via Micron.com)
New Path to Storage I/O Performance and Resiliency With NVMe (Via Micron.com)
How NVMe Will Revolutionize Server and Storage I/O(Via Micron.com)

How to Prepare for the NVMe Server Storage I/O Wave (Via Micron.com)
Why NVMe Should Be in Your Data Center (Via Micron.com)
NVMe U2 (8639) vs. M2 interfaces (Via Gamersnexus)
Enmotus FuzeDrive MicroTiering (StorageIO Lab Report)
EMC DSSD D5 Rack Scale Direct Attached Shared SSD All Flash Array Part I (Via StorageIOBlog)

Part II – EMC DSSD D5 Direct Attached Shared AFA (Via StorageIOBlog)
NAND, DRAM, SAS/SCSI & SATA/AHCI: Not Dead, Yet! (Via EnterpriseStorageForum)
Non Volatile Memory (NVM), NVMe, Flash Memory Summit and SSD updates (Via StorageIOblog)
Microsoft and Intel showcase Storage Spaces Direct with NVM Express at IDF ’15 (Via TechNet)
MNVM Express solutions (Via SuperMicro)

Gaining Server Storage I/O Insight into Microsoft Windows Server 2016 (Via StorageIOblog)
PMC-Sierra Scales Storage with PCIe, NVMe (Via EEtimes)
RoCE updates among other items (Via InfiniBand Trade Association (IBTA) December Newsletter)
NVMe: The Golden Ticket for Faster Flash Storage? (Via EnterpriseStorageForum)
What should I consider when using SSD cloud? (Via SearchCloudStorage)

MSP CMG, Sept. 2014 Presentation (Flash back to reality – Myths and Realities – Flash and SSD Industry trends perspectives plus benchmarking tips)– PDF
Selecting Storage: Start With Requirements (Via NetworkComputing)
PMC Announces Flashtec NVMe SSD NVMe2106, NVMe2032 Controllers With LDPC (Via TomsITpro)
Exclusive: If Intel and Micron’s “Xpoint” is 3D Phase Change Memory, Boy Did They Patent It (Via Dailytech)
Intel & Micron 3D XPoint memory — is it just CBRAM hyped up? Curation of various posts (Via Computerworld)

How many IOPS can a HDD, HHDD or SSD do (Part I)?
How many IOPS can a HDD, HHDD or SSD do with VMware? (Part II)
I/O Performance Issues and Impacts on Time-Sensitive Applications (Via CMG)
Via EnterpriseStorageForum: 5 Hot Storage Technologies to Watch
Via EnterpriseStorageForum: 10-Year Review of Data Storage

Via EnterpriseStorageForum: Where All-Flash Storage Makes No Sense
Via EnterpriseStorageForum: Top Tips for Enterprise SSD Form Factor Selection and Deployment
Who Will Be Top Of Storage World?
Intel announces new processors
Server Storage I/O CI, HCI overview

Data Infrastructure Tradecraft Overview
SSD, flash and NVM Trends
Top Tips for Enterprise SSD Form Factor Selection and Deployment
StorageIO Industry Trends Perspective White Paper: Solid State Hybrid Drives (SSHD) aka Turbo Drives
Via EnterpriseStorageForum: Software-Defined Storage Tips
Via EnterpriseStorageForum: What SSD form factor is best

Via InfoStor: SSD Trends, Tips and Topics
Via StorageIOlab (ITCentralStation): Intel NVMe 750 SSD review
Via Microsoft Technet: Don’t do it: consumer-grade solid-state drives (SSD) in Storage Spaces Direct
EnterpriseStorageForum: Comments Top 10 Enterprise SSD Market Trends
SearchSolidStateStorage: Comments on How to add solid-state storage to your enterprise data storage systems
StorageIOblog: Some server storage I/O benchmark tools, workload scripts and examples (Part I) and (Part II)

StorageIOblog: Get in the NVMe SSD game (if you are not already)
Doridmen.com: Transcend SSD360S Review with tips on using ATTO and Crystal benchmark tools
Webinar and Blog: 12Gb SAS SSD Enabling Server Storage I/O Performance and Effectiveness Webinar
Enmotus FuzeDrive MicroTiering (StorageIO Lab Report
Microsoft TechNet: Understand the cache in Storage Spaces Direct

Via StorageIOlab (ITCentralStation): Intel NVMe 750 SSD review
Via Microsoft Technet: Don’t do it: consumer-grade solid-state drives (SSD) in Storage Spaces Direct
EnterpriseStorageForum: Comments Top 10 Enterprise SSD Market Trends
SearchSolidStateStorage: Comments on How to add solid-state storage to your enterprise data storage systems
StorageIOblog: Some server storage I/O benchmark tools, workload scripts and examples (Part I) and (Part II)

StorageIOblog: Get in the NVMe SSD game (if you are not already)
Doridmen.com: Transcend SSD360S Review with tips on using ATTO and Crystal benchmark tools
Webinar and Blog: 12Gb SAS SSD Enabling Server Storage I/O Performance and Effectiveness Webinar
Via Micron Blog (Guest Post by Greg Schulz): What’s next for NVMe and your Data Center – Preparing for Tomorrow Today
AFA over NVMe Fabric (Via Zstor)
Enmotus FuzeDrive MicroTiering (StorageIO Lab Report)

Microsoft TechNet: Understand the cache in Storage Spaces Direct

Via CustomPCreview: Samsung SM961 PCIe NVMe SSD Shows Up for Pre-Order
StorageIO Industry Trends Perspective White Paper: Seagate 1200 Enterprise SSD (12Gbps SAS) with proof points (e.g. Lab test results)
Companion: Seagate 1200 12Gbs Enterprise SAS SSD StorgeIO lab review (blog post part I and Part II)
NewEggBusiness: Seagate 1200 12Gbs Enterprise SAS SSD StorgeIO lab review Are NVMe m.2 drives ready for the limelight?
Google (Research White Paper): Disks for Data Centers (vs. just SSD)
CMU (PDF White Paper): A Large-Scale Study of Flash Memory Failures in the Field
Via ZDnet: Google doubles Cloud Compute local SSD capacity: Now it’s 3TB per VM
EMC DSSD D5 Rack Scale Direct Attached Shared SSD All Flash Array Part I (Via StorageIOBlog)
Part II – EMC DSSD D5 Direct Attached Shared AFA (Via StorageIOBlog)
NAND, DRAM, SAS/SCSI & SATA/AHCI: Not Dead, Yet! (Via EnterpriseStorageForum)
Here’s why Western Digital is buying SanDisk (Via ComputerWorld)
HP, SanDisk partner to bring storage-class memory to market (Via ComputerWorld)
Non Volatile Memory (NVM), NVMe, Flash Memory Summit and SSD updates (Via StorageIOblog)
Microsoft and Intel showcase Storage Spaces Direct with NVM Express at IDF ’15 (Via TechNet)
PMC-Sierra Scales Storage with PCIe, NVMe (Via EEtimes)
Seagate Grows Its Nytro Enterprise Flash Storage Line (Via InfoStor)
New SAS Solid State Drive First Product From Seagate Micron Alliance (Via Seagate)
Wow, Samsung’s New 16 Terabyte SSD Is the World’s Largest Hard Drive (Via Gizmodo)
Samsung ups the SSD ante with faster, higher capacity drives (Via ITworld)
PMC Announces Flashtec NVMe SSD NVMe2106, NVMe2032 Controllers With LDPC (Via TomsITpro)
New SATA SSD powers elastic cloud agility for CSPs (Via Cbronline)
Toshiba Solid-State Drive Family Features PCIe Technology (Via Eweek)
SanDisk aims CloudSpeed Ultra SSD at cloud providers (Via ITwire)
Everspin & Aupera reveal all-MRAM Storage Module in M.2 Form Factor (Via BusinessWire)
Intel, Micron Launch “Bulk-Switching” ReRAM (Via EEtimes)
Exclusive: If Intel and Micron’s “Xpoint” is 3D Phase Change Memory, Boy Did They Patent It (Via Dailytech)
Intel & Micron 3D XPoint memory — is it just CBRAM hyped up? Curation of various posts (Via Computerworld)
NVMe: The Golden Ticket for Faster Flash Storage? (Via EnterpriseStorageForum)

What should I consider when using SSD cloud? (Via SearchCloudStorage)
MSP CMG, September 2014 Presentation (Flash back to reality – Myths and Realities Flash and SSD Industry trends perspectives plus benchmarking tips) – PDF
Selecting Storage: Start With Requirements (Via NetworkComputing)
Spot The Newest & Best Server Trends (Via Processor)
Market ripe for embedded flash storage as prices drop (Via Powermore (Dell))
2015 Tech Preview: SSD and SMBs (Via ChannelProNetworks )
How to test your HDD, SSD or all flash array (AFA) storage fundamentals (Via StorageIOBlog)
Processor: Comments on What Abandoned Data Is Costing Your Company
Processor: Comments on Match Application Needs & Infrastructure Capabilities
Processor: Comments on Explore The Argument For Flash-Based Storage
Processor: Comments on Understand The True Cost Of Acquiring More Storage
Processor: Comments on What Resilient & Highly Available Mean
Processor: Explore The Argument For Flash-Based Storage
SearchCloudStorage What should I consider when using SSD cloud?
StorageSearch.com: (not to be confused with TechTarget, good site with lots of SSD related content)
StorageSearch.com: What kind of SSD world… 2015?
StorageSearch.com: Various links about SSD
FlashStorage.com: (Various flash links curated by Tegile and analyst firm Actual Tech Media [Scott D. Lowe])
StorageSearch.com: How fast can your SSD run backwards?
Seagate has shipped over 10 Million storage HHDD’s (SSHDs), is that a lot?
Are large storage arrays dead at the hands of SSD?
Can we get a side of context with them IOPS and other storage metrics?
Cisco buys Whiptail continuing the SSD storage I/O flash cash cache dash
EMC VFCache respinning SSD and intelligent caching (Part I)
Flash Data Storage: Myth vs. Reality (Via InfoStor)
Have SSDs been unsuccessful with storage arrays (with poll)?
How many IOPS can a HDD, HHDD or SSD do (Part I)?
How many IOPS can a HDD, HHDD or SSD do with VMware? (Part II)
I/O Performance Issues and Impacts on Time-Sensitive Applications (Via CMG)

IBM buys flash solid state device (SSD) industry veteran TMS
Is SSD dead? No, however some vendors might be
Is SSD Only for Performance?
NetApp EF540, something familiar, something new
Researchers and marketers don’t agree on future of nand flash SSD
Server and Storage IO Memory: DRAM and nand flash
Some of my experiences with Hybrid Hard Disk Drive (HHDD) series of posts based on what I use in my laptops and others systems including Seagate Momentus XT here, here, here, and here (along with Samsung SSD 512GB 840 that I upgraded from a 256GB 830).
What, When, Why & How to Accelerate Storage (Via Storage Acceleration)
Tips for Measuring Your Storage Acceleration (Via Storage Acceleration)
Speaking of speeding up business with SSD storage
Speaking of SSDs (with poll) With Poll, Cast Your Vote Here

Spiceworks SSD and related conversation here and here, profiling IOPs here, and SSD endurance here.
SSD is in your future, How, when, with what and where you will be using it (PDF Presentation)
SSD for Virtual (and Physical) Environments: Part I Spinning up to speed on SSD (Via TheVirtualizationPractice), Part II, The call to duty, SSD endurance, Part III What SSD is best for you?, and Part IV what’s best for your needs.
IT and storage economics 101, supply and demand
SSD, flash and DRAM, DejaVu or something new?
The Many Faces of Solid State Devices/Disks (SSD)
The Nand Flash Cache SSD Cash Dance (Via InfoStor)
The Right Storage Option Is Important for Big Data Success (Via FedTech)

Viking SATADIMM: Nand flash SATA SSD in DDR3 DIMM slot?
WD buys nand flash SSD storage I/O cache vendor Virident (Via VMware Communities)
What is the best kind of IO? The one you do not have to do
When and Where to Use NAND Flash SSD for Virtual Servers (Via TheVirtualizationPractice)
Why SSD based arrays and storage appliances can be a good idea (Part I)
Why SSD based arrays and storage appliances can be a good idea (Part II)
Q&A on Access data more efficiently with automated storage tiering and flash (Via SearchSolidStateStorage)
InfoStor: Flash Data Storage: Myth vs. Reality (Via InfoStor)
Enterprise Storage Forum: Not Just a Flash in the Pan (Via EnterpriseStorageForum)

SSD Storage I/O and related technologies comments in the news

The following are some of my commentary and industry trend perspectives that appear in various global venues.

Comments on using Flash Drives To Boost Performance (Via Processor)
Comments on selecting the Right Type, Amount & Location of Flash Storage (Via Toms It Pro)
Comments Google vs. AWS SSD: Which is the better deal? (Via SearchAWS)
Tech News World: SANdisk SSD comments and perspectives.
Tech News World: Samsung Jumbo SSD drives perspectives
Comments on Why Degaussing Isn’t Always Effective (Via StateTech Magazine)
Processor: SSD (FLASH and RAM)
SearchStorage: FLASH and SSD Storage
Internet News: Steve Wozniak joining SSD startup
Internet News: SANdisk sale to Toshiba
SearchSMBStorage: Comments on SanDisk and wireless storage product
StorageAcceleration: Comments on When VDI Hits a Storage Roadblock and SSD
Statetechmagazine: Boosting performance with SSD
Edtechmagazine: Driving toward SSDs
SearchStorage: Seagate SLC and MLC flash SSD
SearchWindowServer: Making the move to SSD in a SAN/NAS
SearchSolidStateStorage: Comments SSD marketplace
InfoStor: Comments on SSD approaches and opportunities
SearchSMBStorage: Solid State Devices (SSD) benefits
SearchSolidState: Comments on Fusion-IO flash SSD and API’s
SeaarchSolidStateStorage: Comments on SSD industry activity and OCZ bankruptcy
Processor: Comments on Plan Your Storage Future including SSD
Processor: Comments on Incorporate SSDs Into Your Storage Plan
Digistor: Comments on SSD and flash storage
ITbusinessEdge: Comments on flash SSD and hybrid storage environments
SearchStorage: Perspectives on Cisco buying SSD storage vendor Whiptail
StateTechMagazine: Comments on all flash SSD storage arrays
Processor: Comments on choosing SSDs for your data center needs
Searchsolidstatestorage: Comments on how to add solid state devices (SSD) to your storage system
Networkcomputing: Comments on SSD/Hard Disk Hybrids Bridge Storage Divide
Internet Evolution: Comments on IBM buying flash SSD vendor TMS
ITKE: Comments on IBM buying flash SSD vendor TMS
Searchsolidstatestorage: SSD, Green IT and economic benefits
IT World Canada: Cloud computing, dot be scared, look before you leap
SearchStorage: SSD in storage systems
SearchStorage: SAS SSD
SearchSolidStateStorage: Comments on Access data more efficiently with automated storage tiering and flash
InfoStor: Comments on EMC’s Light to Speed: Flash, VNX, and Software-Defined
EnterpriseStorageForum: Cloud Storage Mergers and Acquisitions: What’s Going On?

Check out the Server StorageIO NVM Express (NVMe) focus page aka www.thenvmeplace.com for additional related content. nterested in data protection, check out the data protection diaries series of posts here, or cloud and object storage here, and server storage I/O performance benchmarking here. Also check out the StorageIO events and activities page here, as well as tips and articles here, news commentary here, along out newsletter here.

Ok, nuff said (for now)

Cheers
Gs

Greg Schulz – Author Cloud and Virtual Data Storage Networking (CRC Press), The Green and Virtual Data Center (CRC Press) and Resilient Storage Networks (Elsevier)
twitter @storageio