[Digital Today Reporter Shin-Eum Cho] Samsung Electronics has released a next-generation SSD for enterprise servers to which ZNS (Zoned Namespace) technology is applied.
ZNS is a next-generation technology that divides the entire SSD storage space into small, constant-capacity zones and stores data with the same purpose and use cycle in the same zone to efficiently utilize the SSD.
A typical SSD randomly stores data generated by multiple software without dividing the internal storage space. In addition, due to the characteristics of NAND flash that data writing and erasing units are different and cannot be overwritten, valid data and unnecessary garbage areas are mixed when using an SSD, making it difficult to efficiently use the storage space of the SSD.
Therefore, in order to solve this problem, the existing SSD needs to perform a ‘garbage collection’ operation in which valid data is moved to another space, and the remaining part of the garbage area is erased to secure storage space, and additional reads and writes occur in this process. do.
On the other hand, the ZNS SSD sequentially stores data with the same purpose and use cycle in each designated zone and erases it in zone units, so additional reads/writes due to ‘garbage collection’ do not occur, so the number of writes increases with the number of writes. It can increase the lifespan of the affected existing SSDs by up to three to four times.
In addition, in general SSDs, a certain portion of the total capacity is allocated as an OP (Over-Provisioning) area for performance improvement and efficient management of NAND chips. In ZNS SSDs, there is no need to allocate a separate OP area. capacity can be used.
The ZNS SSD PM1731a, released by Samsung Electronics this time, is a 6th-generation V-NAND-based 4TB, 2TB 2.5-inch product.
In addition to the ZNS function, the ZNS SSD PM1731a supports dual ports, so even if one port fails during use, it is optimized to use the other port to operate the storage server stably.
ZNS SSD is attracting attention as a solution that can more efficiently manage data that is exploding with the spread of artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and the Internet of Things (IoT).
In addition, the SSD replacement cycle can be extended through the extended SSD lifespan, which is expected to have a positive effect in terms of efficient operation of enterprise server systems and ESG, which is a hot topic recently.
Samsung Electronics is contributing to the formation of an ecosystem of ZNS technology through various open source project activities to expand the base of ZNS SSD.
Samsung Electronics is supporting developers to implement SSDs with optimal performance in various usage environments through the open source project ‘xNVMe’, and this time, ZNS technology has been added to make it easier for developers to access ZNS technology.
In addition, Samsung Electronics is supporting customers using Intel’s Storage Performance Development Kit (SPDK) to utilize ZNS.
“Samsung Electronics is contributing to improving the reliability and lifespan of SSDs by actively developing differentiated server SSD technology,” said Sang-yeon Cho, Executive Vice President of Solution Development Department, Memory Business Division, Samsung Electronics. We will continue to provide next-generation memory solutions that satisfy the state-of-the-art technology and capacity required by the system.”
Samsung Electronics plans to mass-produce the ZNS SSD PM1731a from the second half of the year, providing a differentiated storage solution in the continuously growing enterprise server market, and continuing cooperation with customers.
■ Zoned Namespaces (ZNSs)
As a next-generation storage technology hosted by NVM Express®, additional write operations that occur in general SSDs do not occur, improving performance, enabling long-term use of SSDs, and maximizing storage capacity.
■ Quadruple Level Cell (QLC)
NAND flash is classified into SLC, MLC, TLC, and QLC according to the data storage method. QLC NAND flash can store 4 bits of data per cell, so it is suitable for realizing high-capacity storage.
■ Storage Performance Development Kit (SPDK)
Intel’s open source library provides various development tools to improve the performance of storage systems.
Author/ Translator: Jamie Kim
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