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ICT SSDs


SSDs: A sensible yet


Flash-y option


Flash is a hot topic. The technology has been labelled with an almost magical ability to speed up the performance of storage systems and dependant applications. However, flash is not a magic bullet, and to turn an underperforming storage environment into a superstar requires a bit of planning, as well as an understanding of some of the potential challenges. Rebecca Thompson, VP Marketing for Avere Systems, provides an insight into the technology, challenges and implementation considerations.


BEFORE JUMPING INTO FLASH, there are two dimensions to consider when evaluating performance. First, there’s the application workload, which can vary across read, write, and metadata operations. In addition, flash if setup correctly can speed up these operations across the full range of access patterns, including random access to small files, sequential access to large files, and a mix of both. The second area for consideration is the amount of performance (in ops/sec) or throughput (in MB/sec) required for a given workload.


Any upgrade or change to a storage environment needs to meet these two workload and performance criteria. However, it is almost certain these parameters will not stay fixed for long as the environment grows, and it is advisable to be able to grow linearly to scale performance and capacity as and when needed. For an IT manager struggling with


poor storage performance, it may seem logical to believe slow spinning disks are the culprit. However, there are many factors that impact performance, and the first step to a successful storage upgrade is to test and measure the environment as well looking at where an upgrade can be most effective.


Understanding performance issues The biggest drag on performance of NAS systems today is latency, the delay between when an action is initiated and when it’s completed.


Three main kinds of latency exist in a NAS system: hard disk drive (HDD) latency, storage filer CPU latency, and network latency.


Winter 2013 I www.snseurope.info S11


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