ArxCis-NV by Viking Modular Solutions

Viking Modular Solutions, a division of Sanmina-SCI Corporation, and designer and manufacturer of memory and flash modules, announced ArxCis- NV, a non-volatile cache module product family. The ArxCis-NV products have been designed specifically for the RAID, server and storage applications where traditional battery backed DRAM modules offer an inferior performing and substantially less secure method of critical data protection.

"We anticipate a high level of adoption of the ArxCis-NV product family from OEMs and their customers looking for the next generation of high performance non-volatile cache modules," said Adrian Proctor, Vice President of Marketing for Viking Modular Solutions. "Current technology of backing DRAM modules with batteries provides protection for approximately 72 hours and also brings a host of battery related issues to IT managers. ArxCis-NV products help eliminate these issues by transferring data from the DRAM to NAND flash through a high-speed Viking Modular Solutions proprietary logic interface where the data remains secure for up to 10 years. This substantially increased level of security coupled with a significantly lower total cost of ownership will appeal to any IT department."

The ArxCis-NV module is a JEDEC (Joint Electron Device Engineering Council) edge compatible registered DRAM module with ECC and is paired with an embedded solid state drive (SSD) on the module for data backup. The module hold-up power (typically 10 to 15 seconds, depending upon DRAM density) is supplied by Supercapacitors either mounted on the module or remotely, depending on the customer system space constraints.

The ArxCis-NV monitors the voltage level from the host system. If the voltage drops below a defined level, the backup function is activated, at which point the Supercapacitors provide enough power for the DRAM, NAND and logic to transfer the data into non-volatile flash. The enterprise class Serial ATA (SATA) bridge transfers the data at a rate of 80MB/second to the SLC NAND which retains the data dump from the DRAM for up to 10 years. As a result, the system is designed to always provide enough time to transfer the module to another system or for power to be safely restored. Current battery backed module solutions are at high risk to power capacity degradation, plus require annual replacement and multiple service calls over the life of the DIMM, adding significant cost to the end user as well as negatively impacting the environment during the battery disposal phase.

The ArxCis-NV solution requires only 10 seconds to fully charge (in comparison to eight hours with a NiMH battery). In addition, the module requires no regular conditioning cycles in contrast to a battery backed module where system cache would have to be taken off line, in turn, effecting system performance. More impressive, the ArxCis-NV offers a more cost effective and environmentally conscious solution to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and end users.

The ArxCis-NV is ready for sampling to select OEM customers.