Viking Technology Moves Write Cache To Non-Volatile DIMMs To Improve SSD Endurance

Viking Technology has developed non-volatile DIMMs, employing their ArxCis-NV technology to provide data retention in the event of a power failure or system crash.  When these NV-DIMMs are utilized in conjunction with SSDs, the ArxCis-NV creates dramatic improvements in application performance and SSD endurance by being used as the write cache.

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Instead of relying on customized firmware or software, the NV-DIMMs reduce the number of write cycles for any given period.  This removes the need to write to the SSD.  No longer needing to “over-provision” makes more storage capacity available for each drive.  No operational cycles need to be “wasted” on wear-leveling.  There is no longer a “write cliff”, nor a need to closely monitor drive usage.  This equates to extending the service life of the SSDs by many more years.  The return on investment (ROI) for deploying SSDs in an enterprise or data center application just went up dramatically.

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The ArxCis-NV module, utilizing supercapacitors, replaces both battery backed up (BBU) DIMMs and RAID cards.  This enables the host system to recover from a failure event with ease and simplicity.  ArxCis-NV continuously monitors voltage levels from the host system.  If a voltage drop is detected, the SAVE function is activated automatically.  The ArxCis-NV can also perform SAVE & Restore via either hardware or software requests initiated by the host system.  The backup power for the NV-DIMM is provided by supercapacitors, allowing data to transfer into non-volatile flash.

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A complete overview and specifications for Viking’s ArxCis-NV non-volatile memory technology can be viewed here.  This technology has the potential to create a significant increase in demand for SSDs to be used in data center and enterprise applications.

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