Solid State Drives (SSDs) Are One Of The Greatest Leaps Forward In Digital Mass Data Storage
Solutions, And One Of The Key Outcomes From Advances In Semiconductor Flash Memory Technologies.
SSDs offer high-capacity data storage and differ from traditional magnetic storage media, such as hard disk drives (HDDs), because they use flash-based semiconductors to store data and have no moving parts. Recent advances have enabled the development of SSDs that can be used as direct replacements for HDDs.
Compared to HDDs, SSDs offer several distinct advantages due to their "solid-state" design - that is - SSDs have no rotating or moving parts (in contrast to HDDs that use rotating discs to store data and moving heads to read/write the data). Because there are no moving parts, SSDs startup instantly (unlike HDDs that need time to turn on the motor and align the read/write heads) and do not suffer from gradual reliability and performance issues (due to the wear and tear of mechanical parts).
SSDs contain two main components: the data storage device itself (such as NAND flash memory), and a controller for the storage device (such as a USB device controller in a USB flash drive) that acts as an interface for the SSD with the host system. This typical setup is illustrated in the figure below.
As the above figure shows, the SSD controller manages the interfaces from both the host side (which may be PATA, SATA, SAS, PCI Express, USB, or IDE) and the device side (which includes NAND flash memory management tools such as maintaining a map of bad data blocks, caching of read and write data, and error checking and correction, known as ECC).
Being the world leader in semiconductor memory, Samsung maintains a high degree of quality control on the design and production processes involved in creating SSDs for today's competitive markets. The following illustration provides an overview of these processes.
SSD fabrication processes
The illustration shows the entire sequence of steps involved in creating an SSD - right from bringing out the NAND flash memory chips that go into the SSD from the fabrication plant to shipping the drives that have passed Samsung's rigorous testing procedures.
The next illustration shows the components that make up the insides of a typical SSD.
SSD components
The following items briefly describe these components:
-
DRAM
The DRAM chip in an SSD acts as a buffer that speeds up data access and reduces latency. Although DRAM is volatile memory, it is faster than NAND flash memory. SSDs may use DRAM from 32 MB to 1,024 MB, depending upon the required performance. Additionally, the type of DRAM employed (such as Mobile SDRAM, DDR DRAM, or DDR2 DRAM) will also determine the performance of the SSD. -
NAND flash
NAND flash acts as the primary data storage element for the SSD. Based on the target application, the flash type may be either Multi-Level Cell (MLC) or Single-Level Cell (SLC). The interface for the NAND flash (SDR or DDR) also becomes a major contributor to the drive's performance. -
Host interface
The host interface enables the SSD to be connected to the target device. Popular interfaces presently in use for SSDs are SATA (3.0 Gbps and 6.0Gbps), and SAS (3.0 Gbps and 6.0Gbps). -
Controller
The controller (described above as the SSD controller) manages the data transfer between the SSD and the host device. It is usually a highly integrated and specialized SoC (System-On-a-Chip) with a single- or dual core-based ARM processor and advanced features built into the device, such as hardware error correction (ECC) and data buffering. -
Firmware
The controller also contains built-in ROM (either mask-programmed or programmable) that contains the firmware to control the drive. Since an SSD is an example of an embedded system, it needs a Real-Time OS (RTOS) for proper operation. Several options, both open source as well as proprietary, are available as firmware for SSD controllers.
Samsung's leadership in the SSD segment is a direct result of thorough expertise in semiconductor memory, along with proven ability to design and develop memory solutions in-house, as illustrated in the following figure.
Key Features
Some key features in Samsung flash modules include:
| PM830 | SM825 | |
|---|---|---|
| Fabrication technology |
20-nm class NAND flash memory |
30-nm class NAND flash memory |
| Form factor | 100 x 69.85 x 7 mm (2.5 inches) |
100 x 69.85 x 15 mm (2.5 inches) |
| Available densities |
64GB, 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB | 100GB, 200GB, and 400GB |
| Weight | 58grams max. | 148grams max. |
| Power consumption (Watts) | Active : 4.5W Standby : 0.08W Idle/Sleep : 0.08W |
Active : 4.5W Idle : 1.0 W |
| Performance | Sequential read : up to 520MB/s Sequential write :
|
Sequential read : up to 250MB/s Sequential write :
|
| Interfaces |
|
|
| Operating temperature(Tc) |
0~70°C | 0~55°C |
| Operating voltage | 5V | 5V, 12V |
| Shock tolerance | 1,500G/0.5ms | 1,500G, duration 0.5ms, half sine wave |
| Vibration tolerance | 3.08 Grms peak, 7~800Hz | 20 G peak, 10~2000Hz (15 min/axis) x 3-axis |
| System reliability | 1.5 million hours MTBF | 2.0 million hours MTBF |
Benefits
Benefits of using Samsung SSDs include:
- Greater reliability due to no moving parts from the "solid-state" nature of the drives
- Equal (and gradually increasing) storage capacities offered (as compared to conventional HDDs) due to advancing semiconductor technologies
- Less power consumption, both in active and idle modes, making SSDs ideal for portable, battery-powered devices
- Reduced costs for cooling due to use of controllers with built-in power management capabilities
- Small sizes and lighter weights
- Increasingly faster read and write operations compared to HDDs, ideal for devices running multi-tasking applications.
- Variety of available interfaces for connecting to various types of host devices
- Available in both standard and extended temperature variants
- Greater durability due to very high shock and vibration tolerances
- Greater system reliability due to very high MTBFs
Applications
The increasing densities of flash memory along with advancements in other key areas of semiconductor technology have made the use of SSDs not only economically feasible, but also mandatory to increase productivity and reduce delays and downtimes. Some of the prime applications and application areas for Samsung SSDs include:
-
Software development :
Due to lower data access times, SSDs offer the benefit of compiling the same code at much lower times, as compared to conventional HDDs for software programmers. For large, complex, and mission-critical development projects, this can be a tremendous advantage. -
High-definition (HD) video editing :
Because of their quality, HD video files are extremely large. Editing large video files stored on HDDs is much slower when compared to SSDs that have lower access times. -
Designing network appliances :
An SSD can be used to create a bootable network HDD, replacing a conventional HDD or a CD/DVD ROM drive. This configuration not only allows faster data access, but also lets the administrator implement security features using the SSD's "write-protect" feature. -
Designing a hybrid drive :
A hybrid drive integrates some amount of flash memory onboard a conventional HDD, with the flash memory acting as a "buffer" to reduce data access times. Such drives are usually referred to as "hybrid SSDs" and offer better performance than conventional HDDs.
Flash memory based SSDs are increasingly being adopted by almost all the critical segments of the industry that need to maintain 24 x 7 uptime, such as rack-mounted servers, RAID systems, and NAS servers. Advancing technologies in the design, development, and fabrication process are resulting in reduced costs and leading to increases in the adoption of SSDs.
Samsung's expertise in NAND flash memory and global leadership in the semiconductor space will ensure that Samsung continues to take the first step every time in this exciting journey.
In Recent Years, There has Been an Enormous Increase in Mobile Data Traffic Globally,
Largely Due to Consumers Interacting with Social Networking Sites Like Facebook and Twitter While Using Smartphones and Tablet Computers.
Moreover, it appears that this growth is set to continue, as it is predicted that by 2015, global mobile data traffic will surpass 6.3 million terabytes per month. That is 11 times more traffic than today.
The problem for data centers is twofold: they must reduce the amount of power they consume, while increasing their storage capacity. This sounds almost impossible using conventional hard disk drive (HDD) technology.
Consequently, data centers are increasingly looking to high-performance solid state drives (SSDs) as the storage medium of choice for their servers. By leveraging the full potential of Samsung Enterprise SSDs, data centers can increase server throughput and performance, while reducing overall power requirements. Samsung Green SSDs, in particular the SM825, are clearly the smartest enterprise solution available to handle this rapidly increasing flow of data traffic.
Key Features
The key features of Samsung's SSD solutions are summarized in the table below:
| SM825 Super down - all data is restored even if the power is down.) |
||
|---|---|---|
| NAND | 30-nm class NAND | |
| Type | 2.5-inch | |
| Form Factor | (100 x 69.85 x 15 mm) | |
| Density | 100GB, 200GB, and 400GB | |
| Weight | Max. 148g | |
| Power Consumption | Active | 2.04W |
| Standby | 4.56W | |
| Idle/Sleep | 1.09W | |
| Performance | Sequential Read (Up to) | 250MB/s |
| Sequential Write (Up to) | 220MB/s | |
| Interface |
Fully compliant with ATA/ATAPI-7/Serial ATA 3.0 Gbps Asynchronous signal recovery (Hot-pluggable) Active LED indication (Pin11) Native Command Queuing (NCQ, 32 depth) |
|
| Operating Temperature | 0C~55°C | |
| Operating Voltage | 5V, 12V | |
| Shock | 1,500G, duration 0.5ms, half sine wave | |
| Vibration | 20Grms peak, 10~2,000Hz (15min/axis) x 3axis | |
| System Reliability | Min. 2 million hours MTBF | |
| Mechanism | Flash based Multi-Level-Cell NAND memory chips | |
Benefits
The benefits for enterprises using the SM825 over conventional HDDs include increased performance, reduced power consumption, increased reliability, virtually no noise, decreased thermal output, and reduced size and weight. The design of the SM825 alone accounts for much of its added power efficiency. With no moving parts and extremely low voltage requirement, it consumes substantially less power when compared to conventional HDDs and is 1.5 times more efficient than second generation SSDs.
-
Environmental Benefits
In addition, the power savings from Samsung SM825 have the potential for huge environmental benefits. To put this in perspective, if the entire installed server base worldwide were to replace conventional HDDs with Samsung SM825s, the cumulative amount of power conserved would be 49 Terawatt hours per year. This is equivalent to eliminating the emissions of 6.6 million cars or saving 863 million trees, while preventing about 34 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions from being pumped into the atmosphere.
-
Benefits Summary
The following table summarizes the benefits of the SM825 over a conventional 15K RPM SAS HDD.
| Factor | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Inputs and Outputs Per Second (IOPS) |
60 times greater |
| Performance |
100 times faster in read mode 60 times faster in 70:30 mode 30 times faster in write mode |
| Power Consumption | 75% drop - 3.2W in active mode 87% more efficient - 1.1 W idle mode |
| IOPS/Watt | 220 times greater |
| System Level | 37% less power using 4 SM825s, rather than 12 HDDs |
The following diagrams illustrate the benefits of the SM825 Green SSD solution. In all cases, the SM825 is compared against one or more conventional 15K RPM SAS HDDs.
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IOPS Comparison: 60 times greater
A greater number of IOPS executed by the disk equates to better overall system performance. The SM825 has 60 times greater IOPS than that of a conventional HDD.
-
Power Consumption : 75% drop
The figure was obtained using 3.2W in active mode and 1.1W in idle mode.
-
Performance : 100 times faster in read mode
Performance of SM825 is 100 times faster in read mode, 60 times faster in 70:30 mode, and 30 times faster in write mode.
Figures were obtained from testing random read/write performance.
-
IOPS/Watt: Up to 220 times greater
Considering the critical requirement to reduce power consumption, the IOPS per watt of the Samsung SM825 is up to 220 times greater than a conventional HDD.
-
System Level Benefits : 37% less power with 275% performance increase
The above figures were obtained using 4 SM825s configured to replace 12 HDDs for web server applications.
Applications
The SM825 SSD is ideal replacement for HDDs, especially in data center servers running web server applications that require increased capacity with low power requirements.
Over the Last Decade, CPU Speed has Increased by Over 30 Times, While the Performance of Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) has Increased by Just 1.3 Times.
This huge gap in performance is challenging the industry to introduce alternative, more powerful storage devices that consume less power.
Samsung's Solid State Drive (SSD) technology is an advanced NAND flash (semiconductor based) replacement for traditional HDDs, leveraging the company's longtime leadership in memory technology. This next-generation solution offers several key advantages over rotating magnetic media, such as significantly lower power consumption, remarkable ruggedness, high reliability, less weight, and outstanding performance.
Samsung's state-of-the-art SSD devices include the Client PC SSDs (PM830) and the Enterprise SSDs (SM825).
Key Features
Features of the Samsung Client PC SSDs (PM830) are summarized below.
| PM830 | PM830 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| NAND | 20-nm class | 20-nm class | |
| Type | 2.5-inch | mSATA | |
| Form Factor | (100 x 69.85 x 7 mm) | Mini PCIe type (29.85 x 50.8 x 3.85 mm) |
|
| Density | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB | 32GB, 64GB, 128, 256GB | |
| Weight | Max. 58g | Max. 10g | |
| Power Consumption | Active | 4.5W | 3W |
| Standby | 0.08W | 0.05W | |
| Idle/Sleep | 0.08W | 0.05W | |
| Performance | Sequential Read (Up to) | 520MB/s | Up to 500MB/s |
| Sequential Write (Up to) | 400MB/s | 250MB/s | |
| Interface |
Serial ATA 6.0Gbps |
Serial ATA 6.0Gbps |
|
| Operating Temperature(Tc) | 0~70°C | 0~70°C | |
| Operating Voltage | 5V | 3.3V | |
| Shock | 1,500G/0.5ms | ||
| Vibration | 3.08Grms peak, 7~800Hz | ||
| System Reliability | 1.5 million hours MTBF | ||
Benefits
Although Samsung Client PC SSDs resemble traditional hard disk drives, the underlying technology is completely different and much more advanced. The reason is NAND flash, which retains memory even without power.
SSDs have no moving parts, such as a platter (disk) or head media. This provides a much better solution for the storage requirements of devices such as laptops and tablets, providing higher performance, reduced latencies, and less power consumption than traditional hard disk drives.
Samsung further continues to focus on improving system reliability for its flagship Client PC SSDs (PM830) by offering mean time between failures (MTBF) of 1.5 million hours. With these new breakthrough capabilities, the new lineup of Samsung Client PC SSDs opens up a new era in digital computing.
The key benefits are summarized below:
Less power consumption
- Test results show a massive 84% reduction in power consumption on identical laptops using SSDs and HDDs, respectively. This is a great benefit for laptop users reliant on battery life. In addition, less power consumption means reduced operating costs and extended system lifetime.
Higher durability and reliability
- No mechanical parts, such as motors, heads, or platters
- Extreme resistance to shock and vibration
- Operates in extreme temperatures
Increased performance
- No spin up, seek time, or rotational latency
- Reduced random access time
- Increased read and write speeds
Improved operation
- Noise free with virtually no heat
More convenient form factor
- Less than half the weight of HDDs
Increased consumer satisfaction
Moreover, SSDs are better suited to laptops than HDDs, which are sensitive to noise, power consumption, heat, and shock resistance because they contain rotating disks.
Low Power Consumption
Figure 1 compares the power consumption of identical laptops using SSD and HDD, respectively, while running MobileMark2007. In the test results, SSD reduced power consumption by a massive 84%. The laptop with HDD consumed 0.75 W (average), while the laptop with SSD consumed only 0.117 W (average).
Table 2 compares the battery lifetime of identical laptops using SSD and HDD, respectively, while running MobileMark2007.
< Table 2. Laptop battery lifetime comparison of SSD versus HDD >
| Test Sample | Average Power (Drive) | Runtime (Minutes) | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samstung 2.5 inch PM830 256GB SSD | 0.117 W | 425 | 0 (Reference) |
| Seagate 2.5 inch 7200 rpm 250GB HDD | 0.750 W | 371 | -13% |
Typically, the HDD uses approximately 2 to 5% of the laptop's overall power. Test shows that the Samsung SSD increases battery life by 54 minutes.
Power Efficiency, MB/s/Watt
Efficiency is the most important consideration for power consumption. SSD devices consume far less energy than HDD devices while doing the same work. Moreover, SSD devices are faster and complete the same tasks in lesser time.
Figure 2 compares the power efficiency between identical laptops using SSD and HDD, respectively, while performing identical tasks. The SSD device is 33 times more efficient, at 520MB/s with 0.117 W, compared to the HDD's lower performance of 100 MB/s with 0.75 W
Applications
Samsung Client PC SSDs have the same host interface and physical dimensions as HDDs, and can be used in desktops, laptops, workstations, and tablet computers. In addition, these SSDs are ideal for industrial computers that operate in extreme environments and require a high MTBF.
Samsung's SSDs are the logical replacement for yesterday's HDDs.
Common applications of Samsung Client PC SSDs are summarized in the table below.
| Device | Applications |
|---|---|
| PM830 | Desktops, laptops, workstations, tablet computers Data centers, system booting (server and storage processing unit) |
