PMC-Sierra NVRAM Drives Deliver 10X Performance of Flash SSDs

PMC-Sierra, Inc. established a new fast storage class memory tier to accelerate critical applications in scale-out storage and all-flash arrays.

The PMC Flashtec NVRAM Drives combine the speed and endurance of DRAM with the persistency of NAND flash to deliver ten times higher performance than the fastest SSDs, at more than 10 million I/Os, with sub-microsecond latency.

Leveraging PCIe 3.0, the drives connect directly to the host to optimize CPU utilization and maximize overall system performance.

The latest member of enterprise Flashtec portfolio of controllers and drives, the solutions are based on the NVMe interface to enable plug-and-play PCIe connectivity, which decreases time to market in data center and enterprise storage deployments.

“Native PCIe-based solutions are a major disruption to the SSD market because they provide a direct link between the CPU and flash, breaking the traditional performance scale,” said Derek Dicker, VP of NVM solutions group, PMC. “The PMC Flashtec family sets a new benchmark for storage performance, and our standards-based architecture allows our customers to get their storage solutions to market much sooner with differentiated features tuned for cost, performance and endurance.“

The drives have DRAM endurance to boost overall performance of mission-critical applications, opening up bottlenecks in the system without compromising reliability or system uptime. They can be used as both a persistent memory extension mapped directly to the host, delivering more than 10 million IO/s for small, random access transactions, and as an NVMe block device for efficient DMA transactions, reaching more than one million random read 4KB IO/s.

The small form factor drives fit into virtually any server, using only one low-profile PCIe socket to enable high-density rack solutions. An in-box NVMe driver eases integration with no need for custom development to proprietary interfaces and applications. Designed with a Super Capacitor Module that operates for five years without maintenance or replacement, the Flashtec NVRAM Drives offer a cost of ownership improvement compared to solutions that require an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). Removing the UPS from the system also frees up valuable rack space.

Standards-based Architecture Accelerates Deployment of PCIe-Attached Storage
The Flashtec NVRAM Drive family is based on PMC’s NVMe controllers, which provide the capacity, performance and reliability to store critical data. Controllers enable SSDs with up to 8TB of storage and performance of up to 875,000 random read 4KB IO/s, two times greater capacity and performance than other controllers. Dual port functionality delivers HA for enterprise application support, redundancy and sustained reliability. Designed to support the NVMe protocol and device drivers, the controller family enables deployment of PCIe-based SSDs in cloud data centers and the enterprise. In addition to supporting the PCIe 3.0 host interface for maximum throughput and multiple NAND vendors, the controllers are programmable, enabling customers to meet TCO targets and differentiate their solutions with custom firmware.

Flashtec NVRAM Drives are available in following models:
Device / Features / Part Number

NV1616 / 16GB NVRAM PCIe drive and SCM / 2286100-R
NV1608 / 8GB NVRAM PCIe drive and SCM / 2285800-R
NV1604 / 4GB NVRAM PCIe drive and SCM / 2285400-R

The drives are available in 4GB, 8GB and 16GB capacities in production quantities in Q4 2014. The controllers are available in 16- and 32-channel options and are in high-volume production.

PMC was exhibiting in at the Flash Memory Summit in Santa Clara, CA from August 5-7.