Cloud Computing

How Intel Products Address The Challenges Cloud Service Providers are Facing…

Part 2 of Intel’s Cloud Service Providers Solutions Series

Author(s): Jacek Wysoczynski, Intel Senior Manager of Product Planning and Andrew Ruffin, Intel Strategy & Business Development Manager

Intel Graphical Representation of Cloud Storage in the Data Center

In part 1 of our “Cloud Service Providers Challenges and Solutions” series we discussed the various challenges Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) and Data Center Operators are faced with day to day from costs to technically demanding applications to repairs and downtime. Now we will see how just a few of Intel’s products can help alleviate some of these issues.

Intel’s® new Optane™ solid state drives (SSDs) allow data center operators to gain the benefits of nonvolatile DIMMs (NVDIMMs) speed with the ease of upgrade and repairs of NAND SSDs, all in one system. And, as network speeds increase, Intel’s® Optane™ SSDs improve the situation further, by reducing overall operating costs and simplifying data center maintenance.

The Intel® Optane™ SSD solution

To overcome the limitations of both NVDIMM and NAND SSDs, Intel® created Optane™ SSDs. With Intel® Optane™ SSDs, data center operators can bypass the capacity limitations of NVDIMM, but at higher speeds than NAND SSDs(1). They will also see their operating costs lowered, and as network speeds increase, these savings will increase.

The Convenience of SSDs at Speeds Closer to RAM

Intel® Optane™ SSDs have faster write speeds and lower latency compared to NAND SSDs. Intel® Optane™ SSDs writes data more similarly to RAM than to NAND SSDs, in that they do not require data to be written to 4K pages. By writing the data directly, instead of having to write changes to buffers, Intel® Optane™ SSDs can write data at speeds closer to those of RAM and NVDIMM compared to NAND SSDs.

Intel® Optane™ SSDs are also non-volatile, like SSDs, and unlike RAM, meaning it can be used as a power loss imminent (PLI) buffer. While NVDIMM can also be used as a PLI buffer, it takes the place of RAM on a server; Intel® Optane™ SSDs replace NAND SSDs instead. This allows servers to continue using RAM for processes running end user applications and move PLI writer buffer functionality to Intel® Optane™ SSDs.

Since Intel® Optane™ SSDs share the same form-factor and interface of NAND SSDs, they are also hot swappable like SSDs. They can be installed while the server is still on and in the rack, making upgrades and repairs much easier to perform than with NVDIMM. By using Intel® Optane™ SSDs instead of NVDIMM for PLI buffers, busy data centers have easier time performing necessary maintenance without causing costly interference to daily operations.

Reduce Devices, Reduce Upkeep, and Reduce Cost

Since Intel® Optane™ SSDs are faster than NAND SSDs, fewer are needed to handle the increasing amount of incoming data on high-speed networks. For example, in order to handle a burst of up to 90% of available bandwidth on a 25 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) network, a data center operator would require four PCIe Gen3 NAND SSDs (such as the 3200GB Intel® DC P4610 SSD) to handle incoming traffic as a PLI buffer. Alternatively, two 375GB Intel® Optane™ P4800X SSDs could handle the same workload.

As network and PCIe speeds increase, the gap in performance between NAND SSDs and Intel® Optane™ SSDs widens. On a 100GbE network, a data center operator would require 13 PCIe Gen3 NAND SSDs (such as the 3200GB Intel® D7-P5600 SSD) as a PLI buffer, or just three 400GB Intel® Optane™ P5800X SSDs.(2)

This reduction in number of devices immediately reduces purchase costs, but also results in cost efficiency in terms of system and resources required. For example, with fewer devices needed to handle incoming write data, more physical server space is available for bulk storage. This space saving could be used to reduce costs by reducing the number of servers needed to compute and store the same amount of information. If the number of servers is reduced, this would also reduce energy costs, as there are both fewer devices to power, and a lower amount of energy needed to cool the remaining servers. With fewer servers needed, data centers can be smaller, or expansions to data center size would not require additional space. Finally, fewer devices reduce workloads on technicians and IT staff, which can help reduce labor costs.

Intel® Optane™ SSDs also have significantly longer lifespans than NAND SSDs. The Drive Writes Per Day (DWPD) of NAND SSDs varies, but a mid-range NAND SSD is rated for three DWPD over five years(3). The Intel® Optane™ SSD DC P5800X Series, however, is rated for up to 100 DWPD over the same five years(4). The higher DWPD of an Intel® Optane™ SSD is a great fit for a PLI buffer, as data center operators can trust that the drive will not wear out during its lifetime. This also means that in servers with lower DWPD than listed, the Intel® Optane™ SSD can last far longer than a similarly sized NAND SSD, reducing operation and upkeep costs.

Intel® Optane™ SSDs Bring Performance and Simplicity to Data Centers

CSPs have to rise to meet the bigger demands being placed on them daily. The need to increase throughput in data centers while reducing costs means that CSPs must take every advantage available to them. With Intel® Optane™ SSDs, the demands of a data center can be met today with ease, and as the system grows, Intel® Optane™ SSDs grow with it.