Slipped in to the briefings for Intel’s mountain of bulletins right this moment are two new enterprise SSDs at reverse ends of the product line: a brand new Optane SSD and a brand new QLC NAND SSD.
Intel Optane SSD DC D4800X
The new Optane SSD DC D4800X differs from the present P4800X by including assist for dual-port PCIe operation (for top availability) when connected by means of a PCIe cloth that gives redundant knowledge paths. Most of Intel’s NAND-based enterprise NVMe SSDs have dual-port counterparts, however that is the primary time this function has proven up within the Optane product household.
Dual-port assist is a comparatively area of interest function, to the purpose that lots of the current-generation dual-port drives aren’t listed on ark.intel.com, and we do not have detailed specs. Performance can be a bit constrained when utilizing simply one of many PCIe 3.Zero x2 hyperlinks, however most of Optane’s benefits in latency and random IO throughput can be retained. While the performance-oriented P4800X is offered in each U.2 and add-in card type components, the dual-port functionality solely is sensible for the hot-swappable U.2 type issue (and doubtlessly EDSFF sooner or later).
The addition of the dual-port Optane drive signifies that Optane SSDs are reaching a broader viewers that now consists of mission-critical techniques that want excessive efficiency however aren’t searching for most efficiency to the exclusion of all different components.
Intel SSD DC D5-P4326
Intel’s lineup of enterprise/datacenter SSDs that use 4 bit per cell QLC NAND flash reminiscence can be increasing. Joining the 7.68TB SSD D5-P4320 introduced final fall is the brand new SSD D5-P4326 with 15.36TB and 30.72TB usable capacities. Intel claims these are the primary drives in manufacturing that adjust to the EDSFF E1.L type issue customary, derived from Intel’s earlier “Ruler” idea. The smaller 15.36TB capability can be out there in 2.5″ 15mm U.2 form factor. That 15.36TB model was mentioned earlier this year as available for “restricted deployments”, however Intel is now able to scale up their efforts.
Compared to Intel’s 7.68TB P4320, the bigger P4326 drives have improved random learn and sequential write efficiency, whereas sequential learn efficiency is unchanged and steady-state random write speeds fall considerably to only 11okay IOPS. These drives supply the bottom efficiency and endurance however highest density in Intel’s SSD product line: the 30.72TB mannequin permits Intel to succeed in the purpose of 1PB (uncooked capability) of flash storage in a 1U server, due to the slim EDSFF type issue. Performance per TB is down relative to the smaller P4320, so the P4326 is even much less suited to storing sizzling knowledge, but it surely nonetheless presents a compelling efficiency benefit over mechanical onerous drives, and the write endurance does scale in proportion to capability: 0.18 drive writes per day for random I/O, and 0.9 DWPD for sequential I/O.
