Hybrid array
A hybrid array is a form of hierarchical storage management that combines hard disk drives (HDDs) with solid-state drives (SSDs) for I/O speed improvements.
Hybrid storage arrays aim to mitigate the ever increasing price-performance gap between HDDs and DRAM by adding a non-volatile flash level to the memory hierarchy.[1] Hybrid arrays thus aim to lower the cost per I/O, compared to using only SSDs for storage. Hybrid architectures can be as simple as involving a single SSD cache for desktop or laptop computers, or can be more complex as configurations for data centers and cloud computing.
Implementations
Some commercial products for building hybrid arrays include:
- Adaptec demonstrated the MaxIQ series in 2009.[2]
- Apple's Fusion Drive
- Linux software includes bcache, dm-cache, and Flashcache (and its fork EnhanceIO).
- Condusive's ExpressCache is marketed for laptops.
- EMC Corporation VFcache was announced in 2012.[3][4]
- Fusion-io acquired ioTurbine in 2011,[5] and the product line it acquired by buying NexGen in 2013.[6]
- Hitachi Accelerated Flash Storage (HAFS) used together with the Hitachi Dynamic Tiering software[7]
- IBM Flash Cache Storage Accelerator (FCSA) server software[8]
- Intel's Smart Response Technology for desktop
- Intel's Cache Acceleration Software for servers and workstations
- LSI CacheCade software for their controllers[9]
- Marvell's HyperDuo controllers[10]
- Microsoft's Automated Tiering (since Windows 2012 R2)
- NetApp's Flash Cache, Flash Pool, Flash Accel[11]
- Oracle Corporation markets products such as Exadata Smart Cache Flash, and the FS1 flash storage system.[12]
- Microsoft ReadyBoost allows personal computers to USB flash drives as cache.
- Nvelo DataPlex SSD caching software was announced in 2011,[13] and was acquired by Samsung in 2012.[14]
- SanDisk FlashSoft for Windows, Linux, and vSphere[5]
- Products are offered by vendors like AMI StorTrends,[15] Tegile Systems, Reduxio, and Tintri.[16]
- ZFS using hybrid storage pools, are used for example in some Oracle Corporation products.[17]
See also
- Hybrid drive – built-in flash cache, handled by firmware
- Automated tiered storage – another name for hierarchical storage management
- The "five-minute rule" for caching
References
- ^ Rino Micheloni; Alessia Marelli; Kam Eshghi (2012). Inside Solid State Drives (SSDs). Springer. p. 62. ISBN 978-94-007-5145-3.
- ^ Charlie Demerjian (September 9, 2009). "Adaptec's MaxIQ caches RAIDs with SSDs". SemiAccurate. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Larry Dignan (February 5, 2012). "EMC unveils VFCache, targets Fusion-io". Between the Lines. ZDNet. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Chris Mellor (March 5, 2013). "One day later: EMC declares war on all-flash array, server flash card rivals: Rolls out XtremIO array, renamed VFCache". The Register. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ a b "Fusion-io spins up ioTurbine, enhances server flash caching". The Register. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ "Fusion-io buys NexGen". theregister.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-03-26.
- ^ "Big storage turns the tide in the hybrid flash array market", Computer Weekly, September 2013, retrieved 2015-03-26
- ^ The SSD Guy (2013-08-20). "IBM Adds Server-Side Caching". The SSD Guy. Retrieved 2013-12-23.
- ^ "LSI MegaRAID CacheCade Pro 2.0 Review". storagereview.com. Retrieved 2015-03-26.
- ^ "Hands-on with the Marvell HyperDuo hybrid storage controller". CNET. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2015-03-26.
- ^ "NetApp: Flash as a STORAGE tier? You must be joking". theregister.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-03-26.
- ^ Chris Mellor (September 30, 2014). "Oracle crashes all-flash bash: Behold, our hybrid FS1 arrays: Mutant flash/disk box a pillar of storage: It's axiomatic". The Register. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Les Tokar (December 4, 2011). "NVELO Dataplex SSD Caching Software Review - Seven mSATA SSDs Prove An Amazing Concept". The SSD Review. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Kristian Vättö (December 16, 2012). "Samsung Acquires SSD Caching Company NVELO". AnandTech. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Ian Barker (2014-01-27). "AMI StorTrends 3500i offers high performance storage for smaller enterprises". BetaNews. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
- ^ "Mutant array upstarts feast on EMC, NetApp's leavings". The Register. Retrieved 2015-03-26.
- ^ "Oracle's Flash-Friendly Sun ZFS Storage Is Ready for New SPARCs". enterprisestorageforum.com. 3 April 2013. Retrieved 2015-03-26.