NVM Express 1.2 Specs

NVM Express, Inc., the organization that developed the NVMe specification for accessing SSDs on PCIe bus, announced the release of its 1.2 specification.

NVMe 1.2 extends the specification to a new level of enterprise and client functionality. It is the preeminent high-performance standard for enterprise and client non-volatile memory based storage solutions, such as PCIe SSDs.

The NVMe 1.2 specification adds features for both enterprise and client systems.

For client systems, additions include enhanced power management and other mobile oriented capabilities, such as a feature that supports designing high performance SSDs without local DRAM. This reduces SSD costs and enables smaller BGA (Ball Grid Array) based form factors. These features allow the compelling performance of NVMe to be used in solutions like fan-less two-in-one laptops.

For enterprises, there are expanded capabilities including live firmware updates and a feature that provides reduced latency when many NVMe devices are used in an environment with one or more PCIe switches.

“As a world leader in storage, Seagate is intently focused on delivering innovative solutions tailored to address our customers’ workloads and maximize application performance,” said Phil Brace, Seagate Technology plc‘s EVP of electronic solutions. “The new NVMe revision 1.2 specification raises the bar, delivering a high-bandwidth, low-latency storage interface, fueling the growth of standards-based PCIe SSDs in both the client and the data center segments and empowering us to provide our customers with the industry-leading technology they demand.”

The NVMe 1.2 specification (204 pages) is available for download.

NVM Express Management Interface and NVM Express over Fabrics Specs
NVM Express is also developing specifications to provide a management command set for NVMe devices and to bring the benefits of NVM Express to fabrics such as Ethernet, IB and FC. The Management Interface Specification will define a software interface to support IT managers’ ability to manage PCIe SSDs. NVMe over Fabrics will extend the benefits of NVMe to usages with hundreds of SSDs where using a fabric as an attach point is more appropriate than using PCIe.

The Management Interface specification is targeted for publication in the first quarter of 2015, and the NVM Express over Fabrics specification is targeted for availability in the second half of 2015.