FORTASA BLOG

OVERCOMiNG WRITE AMPLIFICATION IN SSDs

Embedded computing systems are designed to be highly efficient and effective, allowing them to perform specific tasks such as rapidly writing data to storage media quickly and accurately. While hard disk drives (HDDs) remain a viable storage option, especially where large amounts of data need to be written, their mechanical components can be vulnerable to damage from environmental influences such as shock and vibration in industrial settings, resulting in higher error rates. Consequently, Solid State Drives (SSDs) are most often preferred in rugged industrial storage settings because they lack moving parts and can withstand environmental impact much better than HDDs.

However, the biggest drawback of using Flash Memory Based Storage Solutions or SSDs is that flash memory storage has a finite lifespan based on the number of program and erase cycles written to the media. And write amplification can significantly shorten this lifespan.

Write amplification is a phenomenon the occurs when flash memory and solid state drives (SSDs) store more data than was originally intended, leading to an more write/erase cycles that compromise the device's lifespan and performance. To measure write amplification, it is necessary to compare the amount of data written to the flash memory with the amount intended to be stored by the application's host system. When compared to HDDs, SSDs are more susceptible to write amplification, as they require data to be erased before new data can be written, whereas HDDs permit new data to be written over old data. To understand why and how write amplification occurs in SSDs, it is essential to understand how they store data.

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OVERCOMiNG WRITE AMPLIFICATION IN SSDs

Embedded computing systems are designed to be highly efficient and effective, allowing them to perform specific tasks such as rapidly writing data to storage media quickly and accurately. While hard disk drives (HDDs) remain a viable storage option, especially where large amounts of data need to be written, their mechanical components can be vulnerable to damage from environmental influences such as shock and vibration in industrial settings, resulting in higher error rates. Consequently, Solid State Drives (SSDs) are most often preferred in rugged industrial storage settings because they lack moving parts and can withstand environmental impact much better than HDDs.

However, the biggest drawback of using Flash Memory Based Storage Solutions or SSDs is that flash memory storage has a finite lifespan based on the number of program and erase cycles written to the media. And write amplification can significantly shorten this lifespan.

Write amplification is a phenomenon the occurs when flash memory and solid state drives (SSDs) store more data than was originally intended, leading to an more write/erase cycles that compromise the device's lifespan and performance. To measure write amplification, it is necessary to compare the amount of data written to the flash memory with the amount intended to be stored by the application's host system. When compared to HDDs, SSDs are more susceptible to write amplification, as they require data to be erased before new data can be written, whereas HDDs permit new data to be written over old data. To understand why and how write amplification occurs in SSDs, it is essential to understand how they store data.

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SSD OVERHEATING ISSUE REQUIRES THERMAL THROTTLING

Solid-state drives (SSDs) are a type of data storage device that use a non-volatile semiconductor-based memory, such as a flash memory, to store data. As market demand for high capacity storage drives higher and higher SSD capacity, performance demands increase respectively. To achieve an increase in SSD performance, multiple storage components need to be addressed simultaneously, increasing the power usage by the SSD. At the same time, the physical size requirements of the SSD generally stay the same or become even smaller.

When SSDs are subjected to sustained workloads from peak performance sequential writes over a long period of time, the drives tend to internally heat up. If and when the SSD temperature exceeds that of the rated operating conditions, the NAND Flash components start to "leak" electrons and data errors are very likely to occur. In addition, to compound the problem, SSDs used in industrial applications must be able to tolerate higher ambient temperatures, which naturally hinders heat dissipation. This temperature increase can potentially put data stored on the SSD at the risk of being corrupted and hardware components in danger of being permanently damaged, both of which, naturally, lead to significant reduction in the life expectancy of the drive.

Here is a chart for SSD continuous operation without any cooling techniques.

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Industrial SSD Bill of Material Locking | Who Can You Trust | Fortasa Memory Systems, Inc.

One of the most memorable phrases that my mother used when I was growing up was - "Don't trust the book by it's cover !". This was meant for me to look beyond the flashy advertisement and glorified promotional specs and really understand the value and the promise the product or relationship had. The same proverb could be well used to warn the prospective customer about the Industrial SSD products.

A customer is typically barraged by multiple factors when evaluating an Industrial Solid State Drive purchase. The price point, cost per gigabyte, data transfer and IOPS speeds and type of NAND flash memory used are all vitally important when assessing the value of an SSD drive. However, there is one item typically business customers frequently take for granted during the evaluation  process: the bill of materials. It's not surprising why this checklist would not get more than a cursory check. After all, it is common sense that manufacturers should be using the best materials and components when producing the end products. In addition, any sale production should put a major focus of product quality and consistency of operation. This, unfortunately, is not always the case.

At the lowest level, the bill of materials is nothing more than a list of the approved subsystems and components that make up a larger product. End users may not feel that this is of importance and should not be concerned with this kind of minor detail, but issues with a product's BoM can directly affect its performance and reliability.

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