Intel introduced its first SSD designed for data center applications.
The Intel P4510 Series drives uses 64-layer TLC Intel 3D NAND. The density enables up to four times more terabytes per server and delivers up to 10 times better random read latency at 99.99 percent quality of service than previous generations. Intel says its drive can also deliver up to double the input-output operations per second (IOPS) per terabyte.
The 1 and 2TB capacities have been shipping to cloud service providers (CSPs) in high volume since August 2017, and the 4 and 8TB capacities are now available to CSPs and channel customers.
All capacities are in the 2.5-inch 15 mm U.2 form factor and utilize a PCIe* NVMe 3.0 x4 connection.
To help replace legacy storage hardware, Intel is also introducing two new technologies:
- Intel Volume Management Device (VMD), which is included with Intel Xeon Scale processors, enable robust management such as surprise insertion/removal and LED management of PCIe SSDs directly connected to the CPU.
- Intel Virtual RAID on CPU (VROC) uses Intel VMD to provide RAID to PCIe SSDs. Replacing RAID cards with Intel VROC yields up to twice the IOPs performance and up to a 70 percent cost savings with PCIe SSDs directly attached to the CPU.
Intel also noted that the Enterprise and Datacenter SSD Form Factor specification was recently ratified by the EDSFF Working Group, which includes Intel, Samsung, Microsoft, Facebook and others.
Intel has been shipping a pre-spec version of the Intel SSD DC P4500.
- In August 2017, Intel introduced its "ruler" form factor for SSD. Instead of the traditional, 2.5" or 3.5" rectangular box for disk drives, Intel's ruler is a long, thin box designed to slide in to a 1" server chassis, plugging in via a PCIe interface at the end of the ruler. It is a slick design. Apart from looking better, the long, thin shape dissipates heat easier. Intel showed a 1” RU server chassis accommodating 32 of these SSD rulers, creating up to 1 petabyte of storage. Intel could offer Optane SSDs and/or 3D NAND SSDs in this form factor.
