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 use USB flash drives (or any solid-state media) 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]

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 September 6, 2024.
^ Larry Dignan (February 5, 2012). "EMC unveils VFCache, targets Fusion-io". Between the Lines. ZDNet. Archived from the original on February 6, 2012. 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. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. 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. Archived from the original on December 23, 2013. 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.

[MicheloniMarelli2012-1] Rino Micheloni; Alessia Marelli; Kam Eshghi (2012). Inside Solid State Drives (SSDs). Springer. p. 62. ISBN 978-94-007-5145-3.

[2] Charlie Demerjian (September 9, 2009). "Adaptec's MaxIQ caches RAIDs with SSDs". SemiAccurate. Retrieved September 6, 2024.

[3] Larry Dignan (February 5, 2012). "EMC unveils VFCache, targets Fusion-io". Between the Lines. ZDNet. Archived from the original on February 6, 2012. Retrieved October 10, 2016.

[4] 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.

[io-5] "Fusion-io spins up ioTurbine, enhances server flash caching". The Register. Retrieved October 10, 2016.

[6] "Fusion-io buys NexGen". theregister.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-03-26.

[7] "Big storage turns the tide in the hybrid flash array market", Computer Weekly, September 2013, retrieved 2015-03-26

[8] The SSD Guy (2013-08-20). "IBM Adds Server-Side Caching". The SSD Guy. Retrieved 2013-12-23.

[9] "LSI MegaRAID CacheCade Pro 2.0 Review". storagereview.com. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-26.

[10] "Hands-on with the Marvell HyperDuo hybrid storage controller". CNET. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2015-03-26.

[11] "NetApp: Flash as a STORAGE tier? You must be joking". theregister.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-03-26.

[12] 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.

[13] 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.

[14] Kristian Vättö (December 16, 2012). "Samsung Acquires SSD Caching Company NVELO". AnandTech. Archived from the original on December 23, 2013. Retrieved October 10, 2016.

[15] Ian Barker (2014-01-27). "AMI StorTrends 3500i offers high performance storage for smaller enterprises". BetaNews. Retrieved 2014-10-17.

[16] "Mutant array upstarts feast on EMC, NetApp's leavings". The Register. Retrieved 2015-03-26.

[17] "Oracle's Flash-Friendly Sun ZFS Storage Is Ready for New SPARCs". enterprisestorageforum.com. 3 April 2013. Retrieved 2015-03-26.

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Hybrid array

Hybrid array

Hybrid array

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Hub overview

Root Wikipedia Article

Hybrid array

Implementations

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References