Hard disk drive makers are adding flash storage to their conventional spinning-platter drives to improve performance and are targeting the performance PC market. Wait a second, haven't we seen this before? As Rocky eventually said to Bullwinkle, "but that trick never works!" Flash as a Cache Using flash memory as a disk cache is a pretty good idea. Flash has awesome random … [Read more...] about Hybrid SSD/Hard Disk Drives: This Time For Sure!
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SSD: So Close and Yet So Far
Solid state (NAND flash) storage is all the rage right now, but there are many lingering questions regarding its true performance, reliability, and cost. But no question is more important in determining its ultimate usefulness than that of location: Where should flash storage be placed to maximize return on investment? Storage companies have argued that flash disks can be … [Read more...] about SSD: So Close and Yet So Far
Wherefore Art Thou, Solid State Disks?
Sure, hybrid drives are going nowhere fast in enterprise storage. But what about solid state disk technology? It's been "almost there" for decades - anyone remember EMC's solid-state Orion Atom (or was it Adam) array? Now a handful of storage players are talking about SSD's again, including some respectable names like LSI and Xiotech and some lesser-known outfits like Solid … [Read more...] about Wherefore Art Thou, Solid State Disks?