NVME Storage Explained
We recently adopted NVMe Storage for our Montreal region! In light of this update, we wanted to provide an overview of the storage protocol.
Due to rapid growth in various IT services, there’s a need for faster storage and data processing. For example, technology such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the Internet of Things requires real-time data using higher bandwidths. With the advance of NVMe storage protocol as a much faster and efficient alternative, it has been rising in popularity and accessibility. Let’s examine how this revolution in storage architecture came about.
The Evolution Up to NVMe Storage
To start, it’s important to note that NVMe protocol is relatively new. It came to be after the advancement of access protocols in Hard Disk Drive (HDD) technology.
To reduce changes in HDD based storage systems, the initial flash-based SSDs took advantage of legacy SATA/SAS interfaces, form factors, and protocols. But, these were not designed to handle high-speed storage media such as persistent memory or NAND. As a result, PCIe was chosen later as the ideal storage interface as it came with the advantages of proximity to the CPU, better storage media performance, and interface speed.
PCIe’s direct connection to the CPU makes for running an efficient software stack and provides memory-like access. Yet, PCIe interface SSDs in early versions were not adequate to industry standards. Since such applications leveraged proprietary firmware, system scaling proved challenging. As a result, NVMe protocol emerged.
What is NVMe Storage, and How Does It Work?
NVMe stands for Non-Volatile Memory Express. It is a new transport and storage access protocol that works on flash and next-generation SSDs (Solid State Drives). It is a highly scalable and NUMA (Non Uniform Memory Access) optimized, high-performance storage protocol. It connects the host to a memory subsystem efficiently and is built on high-speed PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) lanes.
The NVMe protocol uses low latency and parallel data paths to access the media, offering higher performance. The operational structure and architecture of it are similar to high-performance processors.
Traditional protocols used many CPU cycles to access data for applications, but this wasn’t very cost-effective for companies. NVMe, on the other hand, is capable of handling rigorous workloads within the same kind of infrastructure.
Benefits of NVMe
NVMe leverages not only SSD storage systems but also the capabilities of advanced multi-core CPUs with extensive memory. It is a scalable alternative working beyond the four lanes that are found in most conventional PCIe SSDs.
NVMe drives can work at speeds upwards of 2,000 MB/s in comparison to the typical SATA III SSD, which runs at 600MB/s. This is possible because the interaction with flash memory is done through a PCIe interface.
NVMe can also take advantage of streamlined command sets that can analyze and process data efficiently. Additionally, NVMe is power-efficient. It helps reduce power usage by significant percentages when the system is in standby mode.
NVMe can handle tougher workloads with greater ease, allowing for much better output and accelerating business growth for enterprises. Enterprises can also preserve their existing IT infrastructure investment after the addition of NVMe technology into operation.
VEXXHOST and NVMe
At VEXXHOST, we are proud to have upgraded from SSD to NVMe for our Montreal region. By facilitating Ceph, we made the switch without any downtime. Both our public cloud and private cloud clients are already feeling the boost.
If you want to learn more about our Public Cloud, visit our website today!
