PMC With PCIe Storage Switches and Fast SSD Controllers

PMC-Sierra,Inc. announced PCIe storage switches and fastest SSD controllers.

SSDs designed with PMC’s second-generation Flashtec NVMe Controllers can deliver up to 950,000 IO/s and 20TB of flash capacity. Systems connecting a pool of these high- performance, low-latency drives require a new class of PCIe switching solutions with robust storage features. Company’s Switchtec PSX PCIe Storage Switches enable PCIe SSD-based systems to scale, with the resiliency, programmability and advanced diagnostics needed for mass deployment. Together, Switchtec PCIe storage switches and Flashtec PCIe controllers provide an end-to-end solution to reliably scale the next- generation performance tier of storage.

Hyperscale and enterprise data centers are adopting PCIe because it provides high speed and low latency connection between SSDs and host processors, giving it a performance advantage over SAS and SATA. SSDs based on company’s Flashtec controllers have 10 times higher performance and capacity than SATA SSDs and nearly double the IO/s of other PCIe SSDs. However, despite the performance advantages, PCIe SSDs have not been widely deployed in high-density storage environments due to the lack of a storage-grade PCIe switch. Existing PCIe switches do not have the HA and storage capabilities to attach and scale out SSDs. Company’s Switchtec PSX devices solve the scale-out storage challenge, enabling wide-spread PCIe SSD deployment, with 60% less power than other switches.

“While working with the industry to enable the first NVMe SSDs, it became clear there was no reliable way to connect and scale many of them in a single enclosure, much like SAS does today,” said Derek Dicker, VP, performance solutions group, PMC. “In partnership with the industry’s most forward-thinking hyperscale and all- flash array customers, PMC created a new PCIe storage switch category with our Switchtec products to deliver the high port count, low power, resilient storage features that the industry needs.“

Enterprise PCIe storage switch
Switchtec PSX storage switches are engineered to scale PCIe flash in high- performance storage systems, with the industry’s lowest power. Systems built with PSX consume up to 60% less power than those using other PCIe switches, enabling a savings of nearly 1,000W per rack. PSX also uses 75% fewer devices than standard switches in a typical flash array, allowing system designers to increase flash density, lower bill of materials costs, and improve the mean time before failure for higher reliability.

PSX provides:

• Flexible port bifurcation, from x2 to x16 lanes per port;

• Port and Non-Transparent Bridge (NTB) density, with up to 48 ports and 48 NTBs;

• Switch partition density, with up to 24 for efficient use of system resources;

• Advanced error containment and surprise-plug and unplug support to prevent system crashes;

• Integrated programmable processor, enabling customers to use the PSX Software Development Kit to enhance PCIe switch functionality and

• Error handling;

• Integrated Enclosure Management solution, simplifying software development and improving time-to-market;

• Advanced diagnostics and debug features to identify, diagnose and fix problems;

• 5th generation SERDES for low-power, best-in-class signal integrity; and

• SRIS for cabled PCIe and lower cost system designs.

Highest capacity, performance and reliability NVMe controller
Company’s second-generation NVMe controllers, NVMe2032 and NVMe2016, provide the highest capacity, performance and reliability to store the critical data. They are SSD controllers to integrate DDR4 DRAM to alleviate bottlenecks and maximize throughput. Flashtec’s flexible and programmable architecture allows customers to customize their SSDs for endurance, performance and capacity to meet total-cost-of- ownership targets and workload requirements. Advanced Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) ECCs enable support for the latest NAND technology nodes and the industry’s widest selection of memory types, including 3-D and TLC NAND.

The controllers are optimized for power efficiency, including automatic idling of processor cores and antonymous power reduction capabilities.

Features include:

• Greater than 20TB flash capacity (16TB flash capacity using 256Gb flash density);

• Supports 3-D, TLC, enterprise MLC, MLC and SLC NAND flash with Toggle or ONFI interfaces;

• PCIe 3.0 x8 or dual independent PCIe 3.0 x4 (active/active and active/standby);

• Up to 32 independent flash channels;

• Standard enterprise NVMe host control interface;

• Can be used as a boot device;

• Encryption (XTS-AES-256);

• Flash channel RAID;

• Power fault and abrupt shutdown without data loss or corruption; and

• Data integrity and reliability.

“The industry continues to look for high performance solutions to drive broader flash deployments across the data center,” said Jeff Janukowicz, research director, IDC. “By enabling the use of lower-cost NAND, along with high capacity and reliability, solutions such as PMC’s Flashtec controllers are key to the continued growth of 33% CAGR from 2013 to 2018 of enterprise solid state drive unit shipments.“

Switchtec PSX PCIe storage switches and second-generation Flashtec NVMe controllers are sampling to lead customers.