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• Compare Flash and DRAM SSD Storage Technologies

The three members of the K2 family of all solid-state SAN storage solutions are designed to give you the freedom to choose the right fast media (DRAM and/or Flash) for the characteristics of your application. The main difference between DRAM and Flash is that Flash is very good for READ workloads, but has a limited number of WRITES (usually referred to as endurance). DRAM has no WRITE limitation and gives much better performance for random WRITES (which is significant when the WRITES are high). In addition, DRAM delivers much lower and more persistent latency. So, at the end of the day, it all depends on the I/O behavior and needs of the application:

• If the application is WRITE-intensive or has random WRITE behavior OR your application is latency-sensitive – use the DRAM-based K2-D.
• If the application is READ-intensive – go with the Flash-based K2-F.
• BUT in most cases an application has both: a part that is mostly READS and another that is mostly WRITES (e.g., a database’s redo-log). That’s where the hybrid K2-H comes into play – you need both, and you get both! Put the random-WRITE-intensive and latency-sensitive data sets on the DRAM (redo-log and temporary files, for example) and the rest of the data (which is mostly READS) on the Flash part, and the application will enjoy the best of both worlds.

Most applications are a mixture of both READS and WRITES, involving a part that is mostly READS and another that is mostly WRITES (e.g., a database’s redo-log). That’s where the hybrid K2-H comes into play – you need both, and you get both! Put the random-WRITE-intensive and latency-sensitive data sets on the DRAM (redo-log and temporary files, for example) and the rest of the data (which is mostly READS) on the Flash part, and the application will enjoy the best of both worlds.

The cost of the hybrid is almost the same as the Flash product, so why not get the best results for your application with the K2-H.

Flash: The K2-F scales from 3 to 30 TB and delivers 100–600K IOPS.

Hybrid: The K2-H also scales from 3 to 30 TB and delivers 200–800K IOPS.

DRAM: The K2-D scales from 0.5 GB to 12 TB and delivers 300K–1.5M IOPS.

You already have that ability. All possible mixes are there. In addition, you can always add additional media of the same type or a different type to the K2. The K2-F and K2-H can add similar or mixed DataNodes by plugging them directly into available space in the chassis. The K2-D requires a field upgrade to accommodate Flash or hybrid DataNode cards. You even have a choice of media type in the DataNode backup tier. Choose from either HDD or Flash SSD depending on the price/performance you’d like to achieve.

Yes. A K2-F owner can upgrade with K2-H DataNodes at any time. Simply add the appropriate DataNodes. If you would like both DRAM and Flash – add DN-H. If you would like Flash only – add DN-F nodes.

Kaminario offers a complimentary application performance analysis that will evaluate your application before the system arrives and will indicate which files should go on which type of media to optimize your investment.

The K2 family of products are all fast-media, solid-state-based storage. AST is required when the speed of the media differs greatly, such as when you mix HDD with SSD. From our experience, WRITE profiles and latency needs do not change that often, and it is quite simple to do the initial mapping of data to the media type. In addition, AST requires a lot of system resources and has an impact on SSD endurance. It is for this reason that no one in the market today has AST for purely fast media.

Yes – it is the same reliable SPEAR architecture with full n+1 high availability, internal mirroring, and data protection across the entire family.

The K2 family is extremely energy- and space-efficient. They deliver an extremely high number of IOPS for the space and energy they consume. Also, you can consolidate multiple applications which may currently reside on multiple servers, such as databases, on a single Kaminario K2, reducing the application server footprint.

We use MLC Flash. MLC is less expensive than SLC and comes in higher densities, which allows for better scaling. In addition, the SPEAR architecture with its Automated Data Distribution and Parallel IO Processing reduces any endurance issues that MLC might have. This makes it the correct choice for cost-effective enterprise storage.

Contact your Kaminario sales person at info@kaminario.com for detailed information about price and performance.

A complimentary performance analysis is available by contacting Kaminario at info@kaminario.com.

For more information on the K2 all solid-state SAN storage solutions go to the Kaminario Resources page.

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