Endurance claims...
“Increasing the quality and endurance of low cost flash is the only way SSDs will reach the $/GB required for widespread adoption in the enterprise. To achieve this goal, the flash in an SSD must be managed at a system-level, rather than as individual components. As anyone who has worked in the enterprise storage market for some time knows, the major OEMs require proof, not just anecdotal statements. Specific performance, quality, and endurance specs must be demonstrated during the exhaustive qualification process, and you must be prepared to back up all claims with proof. So far, SMART Storage Systems and STEC are the only remaining SSD manufacturers to make specific claims (Anobit previously did) when it comes to MLC endurance enhancement (achieving 14x and 13.3x greater endurance, respectively). As NAND flash geometries continue to trend downwards, the challenge to enhance endurance will become more difficult, especially for manufacturers starting from scratch. Moreover, as all-flash storage systems become pervasive, the need for even greater endurance will increase. This is why SMART Storage Systems has focused on taking endurance to new heights with our Guardian Technology Platform, extending our MLC-based 10 drive writes per day (DWPD) Optimus product all the way up to 25 DWPD with our Optimus Ultra product, still using MLC.” – John Scaramuzzo, President of SMART Storage Systems
Biting the hand that feeds IT
