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, as a more cost-effective solution than 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 enterprise storage and cloud computing.
Implementations
Numerous manufacturers offer hardware and software solutions for building hybrid arrays, including:
- Adaptec's High-performance Hybrid Arrays (HPHA) for enterprise storage, e.g. the MaxIQ series[2]
- Apple's Fusion Drive
- bcache, dm-cache, and Flashcache/EnhanceIO on Linux
- Condusive's ExpressCache mostly used on laptops
- EMC VFcache[3]
- Various Fusion-io products, e.g. ioTurbine[4] and the product line it acquired by buying NexGen [5]
- Hitachi Accelerated Flash Storage (HAFS) used together with the Hitachi Dynamic Tiering software[6]
- IBM Flash Cache Storage Accelerator (FCSA) server software[7]
- Intel's Smart Response Technology for desktop
- Intel's Cache Acceleration Software for servers and workstations
- LSI CacheCade software for their controllers[8]
- Marvell's HyperDuo controllers[9]
- Microsoft's Automated Tiering (since Windows 2012 R2)
- NetApp's Flash Cache, Flash Pool, Flash Accel[10]
- Oracle/Exadata Smart Cache Flash
- Oracle FS1 Flash Storage System
- Microsoft' ReadyBoost, useful for low-end personal computers using USB flash drives as cache
- Nvelo DataPlex SSD caching software[11] (acquired by Samsung[12])
- SanDisk FlashSoft for Windows, Linux, and vSphere[4]
- Products of vendors like AMI StorTrends,[13] Tegile, Reduxio, and Tintri[14]
- ZFS using Hybrid Storage Pools, used for example in some Oracle products[15]
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 (2009-09-09). "Adaptec's MaxIQ caches RAIDs with SSDs". SemiAccurate. Retrieved 2013-12-23.
- ↑ Dignan, Larry (2012-02-05). "EMC unveils VFCache, targets Fusion-io". ZDNet. Retrieved 2013-12-23.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Fusion-io spins up ioTurbine, enhances server flash caching". theregister.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-03-26.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "NVELO Dataplex SSD Caching Software Review - Seven mSATA SSDs Prove An Amazing Concept". The SSD Review. 2011-12-04. Retrieved 2013-12-23.
- ↑ "Samsung Acquires SSD Caching Company NVELO". AnandTech. Retrieved 2013-12-23.
- ↑ 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". theregister.co.uk. 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.