The rise of AI applications has led to an increase in the demand for server computing and storage performance. Emergent applications in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) have created an unprecedented surge in demand for AI server storage capacity and performance.
About Enterprise-grade SSD
To manage the vast business opportunities presented by data computation and the internet, data centers and enterprise server clusters must continuously pursue higher computational performance and lower-latency high-speed transmission.
Both data centers and enterprise server clusters are composed of individual servers and may be broadly categorized into three main parts: computing, storage, and networking. The computing speed (CPU, RAM) is generally faster than the storage speed, due to the current technical architecture limitations of the servers, leading to continuous investment in storage devices that enhance the overall performance of enterprise servers.
Solid State Drives (SSD’s) have inherent characteristics that include electronic signal reading and writing, multi-channel access, and the absence of mechanical reading limitations. They not only have faster reading and writing speeds than traditional Hard Disk Drives (HDD’s), but also have a greater performance in terms of power consumption. Furthermore, thanks to the continuous improvements in NAND Flash fabrication technology in addition to enhancements in controller and firmware technologies that improve reliability and lifespan, the usage of SSDs in data centers has grown steadily.
Benefits of entrusting your SSD performance validation to a professional consulting team
It is essential to consider the data throughput in addition to the read and write performance (IOPS, I/O Per Second) as key factors when validating SSD performance. There are many benchmarking tools available that measure the read and write performance of SSD products. Although, each tool has its own area of expertise. To use benchmarking tools effectively to assess SSD performance and address any problems, it is necessary to rely on a consulting team with extensive validation experience capable of providing professional and technical support.
Allion Labs has deeply cultivated the field of SSD product testing and research for years, accumulating a wealth of achievements in various product characteristics and test development projects. To evaluate the performance of enterprise-grade SSDs on server platforms, it simulates the various storage workloads that servers may encounter by integrating real server platforms and various performance benchmarking tools.
Read More：SSD Compatibility Might Just Be the Key to Low Storage Server Performance
Server SSD storage workload
The various SSD workloads on server platforms are capable of being classified into three categories:
SQL Database Storage
SQL is used globally by enterprises as a database system. The advantages of SQL are high efficiency, high reliability, and low cost. Mainstream SQL database products on the market include, MySQL and Microsoft SQL. SSD’s performance within the database environment directly affects the response speed of SQL databases and the data throughput that is capable of being handled at the same time.
In enterprise-grade SQL databases, the processing performance of online transaction processing (OLTP) is particularly valued. Allion Labs applies OLTP workloads to evaluate the performance of SSD storage areas by using multi-threaded benchmark SQL database testing tools, assisting customers in understanding the performance of their enterprise-grade SSD products in SQL databases.
File Server Storage
File servers are nearly a necessity for enterprises to establish. Employees within an organization rely on file servers for: storing, sharing, and editing files. Hence, their performance directly impacts the efficiency of their work.
Enterprise SSD’s serve as storage components within file servers, providing special attention to their file server storage workloads so as to provide sufficient throughput in addition to shorter response times.
To simulate different file server storage workloads, Allion Labs uses the SPEC Storage suite to construct an enterprise file server application environment.
This provides a performance benchmark for enterprise SSDs under various workloads, serving as a robust standard for SSD manufacturers when developing enterprise-grade SSDs.
Virtualization Server Storage
Traditional server architecture limits servers by allowing only one operating system at a time, resulting in most servers operating at less than 20% efficiency. Alternatively, virtualization systems detach the operating system and applications from the physical hardware, making the server environment flexible and simplified. This solves the one-to-one architecture problem, allowing for the most effective use of server resources.
Within the virtualized server’s application environment, Enterprise SSDs are primarily responsible for the deployment, replication, and migration of virtual machines. Allion Labs utilizes VMWAR and SPEC’s virtualization benchmark suites to simulate a virtualized environment, assessing the performance of the storage pool within the virtualized infrastructure by simulating the workloads of actual applications.
Why choose Allion as your Storage device consulting service!
Allion Labs has accumulated over 30 years of testing and validation experience. Allion Labs is capable of catering to your customized needs based on differing product characteristics, providing faster, efficient, and comprehensive storage device consulting services in addition to the aforementioned solutions. Hence, assisting clients in eliminating a large variety of potential problems and reducing the risks associated with the practical applications.
Faster
Allion Labs has introduced high-frequency, high-speed equipment that is capable of quickly assisting customers in facing various SSD validation issues in addition to solving complex problems. If customers have customized validation needs, Allion Labs is capable of proposing solutions to assist customers in resolving them promptly.
Easier
With Allion Labs, customers are capable of experiencing one-stop service that covers everything from early product signal issues to post-market quality inspections. They provide corresponding services; significantly alleviates frustrations customers may have in finding the right contact for validation testing.
Better
Through the use of a professional technical team equipped with a complete testing environment and equipment, Allion Labs assists customers in clarifying the possible causes of their product’s issues once potential risks are identified in a product, providing customized validation and recommended solutions. A comprehensive analysis of the pros and cons is conducted to facilitate customer decision-making and problem resolution.
For further information regarding SSD performance validation and storage device consulting services, please feel free to browse Allion Lab’s online services or fill out the contact form below to get in touch. Allion Labs’ service team will sincerely serve you!
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