Solid State Drives use flash memory for storage. Today we have two options, single-level cell (SLC) and multi-level cell (MLC) circuits. MLC circuits offer more storage on the same surface with its multiple layers, which makes the technology cheaper for high density drives. The SLC technology on the other hand offers better performance and longer lifespan. Alas the business market is heavily affected by performance and cost, which is why it’s been hard to choose between the two. Fusion-IO has designed a technology to remedy this, single mode level cell (SMLC).
Exactly how it works is uncertain, but in short it comes down to using MLC memory technology for high capacity at lower prices, while the SLC technology is added to the equation for the same reliability and performance as regular SLC devices.
“A viable MLC solution for enterprise organizations has up-to-now been limited by technical barriers associated with the medium’s write performance, endurance and reliability,” said David Flynn, CTO of Fusion-io. “Our SMLC solution overcomes these roadblocks and provides organizations with another avenue for migrating to solid state performance and reliability, while helping mitigate concerns over cost to deploy.”
Fusion-IO’s ioDrive and ioDrive Duo will both launch using SMLC technology, with 160GB and 320GB storage capacity. More SMLC products will come later on.
Fusion-IO ioDrive Duo
