Enterprise SSDs & NAND
Rahul Advani, PhD Director, Product Marketing PMC-Sierra
Flash Memory Summit 2014 Santa Clara, CA 1 Agenda
In the beginning…
How is the landscape changing?
Challenges & Solutions
Summary
Flash Memory Summit 2014 Santa Clara, CA 2 In the Beginning…
PCIe SATA SAS
Write Intensive (20+ RFPD) (Database, HPC, Analytics) SLC
Mixed Workload (5-10 RFPD) (Email, OLTP, Virtual Desktop) eMLC
Read Intensive (1-3 RFPD) cMLC (Web, Streaming, File Servers)
Flash Memory Summit 2014 Santa Clara, CA 3 What Changed?
Flash Memory Summit 2014 Santa Clara, CA 4 1. The Rise of the Cloud
VARIETY . Shorter life cycles . Hybrid Pools Hot, Warm, Cold . Scalability VELOCITY TB PB EB ZB . Technical: Speed/Latency . Business: Qual & Deployment . Business Velocity
VOLUME . 37% of 2016 servers 12% in 2010 (IDC) . WW growth . Evolving business models
Flash Memory Summit 2014 Santa Clara, CA 5 2. The Big Data Revolution “COMPUSTORE”
Application
Server 1 Server 2 Server 3 Server #
Metadata & K/V Pairs
Distributed Storage
“Server Virtualization & IAAS”
App 1 App 2-3 App 3-10 App #
VM 1 VM 2 VM 3 VM 4 “GOS” “MSFT” “LINUX” “GOS”
vNIC’s/vSwitch Hypervisor vHBA’s/vSAN
App 1 App # Flash Memory Summit 2014 Centralized Storage Santa Clara, CA 6 3. The Memory Industry Changed
Memory Industry (Revenue) SLC MLC eMLC Other Nanya Sandisk 3% 2% Samsung 9% 32% eMLC Toshiba TLC 13% SLC MLC mid
MLC High 1X Perf 19% SK Hynix Low 22% 3D Micron Power 1Y Consolidation has changed 1Z Memory Industry dynamics
Flash Memory Summit 2014 Santa Clara, CA 7 Source: PMC marketing, yahoo.com Challenges & Solutions
Flash Memory Summit 2014 Santa Clara, CA 8 The Fundamental Challenge
Expensive Multiple Multiple controller customer relevant developments needs memories
How to satisfy customer needs cost effectively?
Flash Memory Summit 2014 Santa Clara, CA 9 Challenge: NAND & enterprise cycles
Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1
Internal qual Customer qual Production 2-3 quarters ?
Node 1
MLC eMLC ES eMLC MP Sweet spot moves to node 2
Node 2
Long Fast Enterprise Memory Cycles Cycles
10 Challenge: TLC even more difficult…
Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1
Internal qual Customer qual Production 2-3 quarters ?
Node 1
MLC eMLC ES eMLC MP TLC MP Sweet spot (Enterprise) moves to node 2
Node 2
TLC used in enterprise as cost differential declines versus node 2 MLC
Performance Endurance Cost Schedule TLC ~ 50% or lower ~ 25% or lower 0.8 (N1) + 2-3 quarters (vs MLC) ~1 (N2) (BGA, ODP+)
11 Solution: Software Defined Flash
Platform “Knobs” Power DRAM Flash Flash Host Applications Used Density Density Type/Cost I/F BW
Cold Storage
2.5” SSD (SAS/PCIe)
Low/Mid PCIe SSD
Enterprise PCIe SSD
Caching Adapter
Low Medium High
Software Defined Flash Requires a Flexible Architecture
Flash Memory Summit 2014 Santa Clara, CA 12 Solution: Standards-based, Interoperable, Flexible Controllers
Standards-based & Interoperable (RoCs, IoCs, Expanders; RAID, HBA)
Strong Efficient ECC (Supports TLC, MLC, eMLC; Planar, 3D)
Flexible Architecture (Firmware, Channels, Power, Capacity)
Flash Memory Summit 2014 Santa Clara, CA 13 Solution: Memory Alignments & Alliances
• Compatibility modes: consistent interface for controllers • Skip nodes: early and elongated availability of specific NAND Vendors • Architectural: enterprise consistent interface (standards)
Controller • Develop with early NAND & SSD • Drive shorter internal/joint customer quals Vendors • Use of Characterization data
• Memory ‘mini-quals’ Enterprise End Users • Qualify technologies and not just products
Success between the three is intertwined and dependent on working together to define solutions Flash Memory Summit 2014 Santa Clara, CA 14 Solution: Business Velocity & TLC
Status: significant discussion in the industry around TLC in enterprise, but only a few point solutions
One View: • TLC use expected to rise in 3D generation • LDPC use to extend usage • Hyperscale markets will lead timelines & process need to be aligned
Another View:
Controller NAND Business Customer ODM Vendor Vendor Velocity
Flash Memory Summit 2014 Santa Clara, CA 15 Summary
Flash Memory Summit 2014 Santa Clara, CA 16 Summary
. Flexible Si controller architectures Software . Software defined differentiation . Efficiency Defined Flash Standard, custom, semi-custom, enterprise, hyperscale
. NAND vendors ‘compatibility’ modes; skip nodes Memory Alignments . SSD vendors develop with early NAND, memory ‘mini-quals’, use of char data
Alignment & Alliances . End users memory ‘mini-quals’, qualify technologies
. Is the goal low cost or TLC?
Business . Does the product timeline align to TLC? TLC Velocity & TLC . Does the business have the velocity (shorter lifecycles, application specific qual cycles)?
Flash Memory Summit 2014 Santa Clara, CA 17 Thank You!
See us in booth # 416 www.pmcs.com blog.pmcs.com @pmcsierra
Flash Memory Summit 2014 Santa Clara, CA 18