We have previously talked about NAND memory in terms of SLC (single level cell) versus MLC (multi level cell).  SLC refers to one bit per cell and MLC refers to 2 bits per cell as of November 2012.  This note introduces a different dimension of NAND and it is Synchronous versus Asynchronous in terms of timing.  Both SLC and MLC can be Synch or Asynchronous.

Similar to the standard main memory of PC called DRAM being Dynamic Random Access Memory, NAND is graded in terms of read and write interface speeds.  There is indeed an open industry workgroup for standardising NAND speeds.  This organisation is ONFI for Open NAND Flash Interface http://www.onfi.org/.  It defines component-level interface specifications as well as connector and module form factor specifications for NAND Flash and has published version 1 and 2 and is working on version 3 as in November 2012.  Interface speeds are as shown below. 

v1 for 50MB/s (we call this asynchronous in this context)
v2 for 133MB/s (we call this synchronous in this context)
v3 for 400 (in progress)

We have looked at a popular brand of SSD and have observed both versions of NAND were used and sold on 2 price levels.  Version 2 model consumed 3W of power and version 1 consumed 0.9W only when active.  The biggest difference is in performance.   Version 1 achieved a lower “read and write” performance benchmark than Version 2 on incompressible data and is close on compressible data.  See slide 1. 

(Hover mouse over to enlarge)

These SSD models employed a drive controller that excels in performance by applying compression to the process of writing data from host to NAND.  However, some data types such as multimedia files are already compressed and they cannot be further compressed by the SSD controller.  These data types are called incompressible data in the context here.

We came across another source of benchmarking information online which talked about the difference between Synchronous and Asynchronous.  We found the results of performance benchmarking with Crystal Write Mark and AS SSD Copy to be eye opening. See slide 2 and 3.   http://www.hardocp.com/article/2011/08/07/nand_flash_faces_off_synchronous_vs_asynchronous/3

Version 2 performed better than Version 1 on both compressible and incompressible data! 

END

Documentation

Models

• Tandberg LTO-6 HH Internal Drive, SAS, Bare
• Tandberg LTO-6 HH Internal Drive, SAS, Kit
• Tandberg LTO-6 HH External Drive, SAS, Kit
• Tandberg LTO-6 HH Internal Drive, FC, Bare

Product Overview

The Tandberg Data's LTO-6 half-height (HH) tape drive brings enterprise-level capacity and performance to small and medium businesses at an affordable price. The Tandberg Data LTO-6 HH drive is able to store up to 6.25TB* of data on a single and performance up to 1.4 TB per hour. The LTO-6 HH tape drive is backward write compatible one generation and read compatible two generations.

• Capacity: 2.5 / 6.25TB (native/compressed)
• Performance up to 1.4 TB/Hr (compressed)
• Low cost of ownership and low media cost
• Enterprise features and performance in a small form factor
• Future proof with 8-generation roadmap
• Data speed matching, reduces mechanical wear and extends tape life
• Proven reliability MTBF of 250,000 hrs at 100% duty cycle
• LTFS, WORM and AES 256-bit encryption
• 30 year archival life
• 3 years Advanced Replacement Service warranty

Singapore (November 21, 2012): - Tandberg Data, the global supplier of data protection and archiving solutions, today announced the availability of its new LTO-6 tape drives, tape automation and media products.  The new Tandberg Data LTO-6 tape solutions provide increased capacity, performance and functionality for small and medium-sized businesses looking to better manage data growth and reduce storage costs.  Offering twice the cartridge capacity as the previous generation, the new Tandberg Data LTO-6 tape drive delivers up to 6.25TB of compressed cartridge capacity and speeds of up to 1.4TB per hour, simplifying data protection and archiving operations (based on a 2.5:1 compression ratio). With LTO-6, the Tandberg Data StorageLoader® is offering up to 50TB, the StorageLibrary™ T24 up to 150TB and the StorageLibrary™ T40+ up to 250TB of compressed storage.

As with previous generations of LTO technology, the new LTO-6 tape products are backwards write/read compatible for one generation and backwards read compatible for two generations. All LTO-6 tape products will support 256-bit AES hardware encryption and WORM for regulatory compliance. LTO-6 tape drives will support LTFS (Linear Tape File System) technology with up to two partitions on a single data cartridge, allowing users to store different file types in different locations on each tape to reduce access times. The Tandberg Data LTO-6 tape drive is available with a SAS or FC interface and is offered in standalone or automation configurations.

LTO-6 Tape Automation Saves Time and Money

The Tandberg Data StorageLoader and StorageLibrary Series with LTO-6 allow customers to shorten backup windows, simplify storage management, advance data protection, improve compliance and significantly reduce storage costs through active archiving.  The Tandberg Data StorageLoader is a compact tape autoloader offering eight slots and up to 50TB of compressed storage. The Tandberg Data StorageLibrary T24 is a compact tape library offering 12 or 24 slots and up to 150TB of compressed storage.

The Tandberg Data StorageLibrary T40+ is a scalable tape library offering 24 or 40 slots and up to 250TB of compressed storage. The StorageLibrary T40+ Pass-Thru feature enables up to five StorageLibrary T40+ units to be stacked together, increasing the number of slots from 40 to 77, 114, 151 or 188 slots, to provide customers with capacity-on-demand and performance-on-demand.  Customers can add additional drives and capacity when required, allowing StorageLibrary T40+ capacity to be increased up to 1.2PB and performance up to 28.8TB per hour.

Tandberg Data LTO-6 tape drives and tape automation products are fully compatible with all major operating systems and backup software.

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