It is the re-entry of the SSD price

Back on a point on the price of SSD, upon re-entry. In our new point on the SSD prices, we have changed our panel products. We decided to restrict the products to a single capacity: 120 GB (or 128 GB according to the marks). The reason is simple: it is sufficient capacity for many people and the average price is correct. This type of DSS is perfect for a mid-range machine. 256 GB models and more are still too expensive for the majority of buyers and the 64 GB SSD and less limited the interest of the technology allowing to install the OS and a few programs. In addition, they distort the comparison with a prices go higher because of the incompressible costs (controller, etc.).

Our comparison is therefore restricted to six models: the C400 of Crucial, Vertex 3 ofOCZ Vertex 2 and Intel 320 and 510. These are five models well distributed, representative of their generations. Other manufacturers offer "clones" of these DSS, as Corsair, G.Skill, Kingston (recently), etc. but prices are sufficiently close that it is no problem. Other manufacturers, such as Samsung, offer balanced products that can be interesting if found at a good price. The Korean brand should quickly propose an SSD SATA 6 GB/s, which was announced recently.

Our six SSD offer a capacity of 120 GB about and use either 34 nm - some Vertex 2, Intel 510 - memory or memory in 25 nm - Vertex 3, Intel 320, C400 and some Vertex 2-. Preferred builders interface is obviously SATA 6 GB/s, to exceed the limit of 300 MB / s. Attention, to benefit fully from this interface, a motherboard that handles the standard "natively" - directly in the chipset - is necessary, external controllers often limited by the bus PCI-Express less than 500 MB / s.

If you have a machine in SATA II (3 GB/s), based on SandForce 1 K models are adapted, in other cases we recommend Crucial M4, a very balanced and sold SSD at a correct price. There is also the moment a good case: the Vertex more. This model is a classic (in Indilinx Barefoot) Vertex with a new firmware (a little) more efficient. But it mostly has an advantage: a fairly low price, approximately €120 for the 120 GB version. For a machine in SATA 3 GB/s, it is a good choice, unlike practice having little noticeable between very high and this models Vertex more.

Note, for lovers of ultraportables, mSATA models are beginning to arrive, even if prices remain high a nothing: it exceeds the price of the 3 Vertex closest performance of Vertex 2 of the 3 version.

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Dell: storage arrays EqualLogic faster

It is now several years that Dell has initiated a diversification of its activities, focusing on the enterprise storage market. Giant has thus carried out two strategic buyouts in the middle of 2008 with EqualLogic data storage and Compellent in 2009. More recently, Ocarina Networks and are Exanet which were acquired by Dell.

Consistent with this strategy, the constructor has therefore presented two new SAN, the PS4100 and PS6100bays. These two products after another the previous PS4000 and PS6000 iSCSI SAN. Supporting hard drives and SSDS format 2.5 inch and 3.5-inch (SATA 7200tpm, SAS 10000/15000tpm), these new EqualLogic Arrays double the density of storage over the previous generation.

The PS4100 is thus available in configuration 2U, with storage capacity up to 21.6 To with disks of 2.5 inches and 36 To with 3.5-inch hard drives. The EqualLogic PS6100 Bay can in turn be delivered in configuration 2U or 4U, for a maximum capacity of 72 To. Network access is given to Gigabit Ethernet links. Side tariff, the PS4100 is available from 6895 euros, while the PS6100 is displayed from 22065 euros. Yes, we speak here of professional storage solutions...

These two iSCSI SAN arrays are also supplied with version 5.1 of the Dell EqualLogic firmware. It, according to Travis Vigil (Executive Director of the storage at Dell), significantly improves the performance of the new arrays from the "old". According to an internal test performed by Dell, the IOPS performance would be so improved 60%.

This update is also compatible with VSphere 5, the constructor who particularly cared for the integration of these new products with VMWare virtualization solutions. Several tools (EqualLogic Host Integration Tools for VMware 3.1, Compellent Storage Replication Adapter for vCenter SRM 5.0 or PowerVault Integration with VMware vCenter 5.0) should also see agenda here the end of the year. It must be said that 90% of users of Dell storage solutions use virtualization, and among them 80% chose a solution VMWare… Dell did not forget Microsoft with the arrival of new tools improving the integration of bays EqualLogic with Microsoft Hyper-V (Dell EqualLogic SAN Headquarters 2.2) and Dell EqualLogic Host Integration Tools for Microsoft 4.0.

In summary, Dell appears particularly confident for the future of the enterprise storage market. The constructor has also just strengthen the workforce of its stockage… division

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Thunderbolt to PCI-Express: it happens

The Thunderbolt was launched by Apple early year and apart from a few disks hard external to the professional world, the most interesting announcement is that of... Sony offers external graphics in Thunderbolt, but without using the connector proposed by Apple.

Fortunately, finally, move with two interesting solutions. The first is quite specific, it is a 1U rack to integrate a Mac mini in a Bay to the servers. With the Mac mini 2011 "Server" and its processor with four cores, is the (power) level of a 2006 Xserve... But the interesting point is that Sonnet has integrated Thunderbolt in his device: PCI-Express x 4 connector has been integrated into the chassis and it uses the Thunderbolt connector to connect to the computer.

The alternative, more general public, is that of Magma: ExpressBox 3 T is an external enclosure that offers three slots PCI-Express 2.0 internally (without indicating the number of rows for each port) and power 220 W, which is enough for three expansion cards. In view of the food and the lack of information on the subject, only the graphics Basic, requiring no connector (s) power PCI-Express, will be part.

In both cases, the price is unknown and a second port allows chaining devices, one of the advantages of the Thunderbolt.

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7 K 1000.D: Hitachi 1 TB per platter passes

Hitachi is still evolving its hard drives of 1 TB. In 2007, the 7 K 1000 was the first hard disk of 1 TB, with a design to five trays (200 GB each, therefore). Then, the 7 K 1000 has evolved to version.(B) and its three 333 GB platters then towards a model.C with only two 500 GB platters. And the company, recently acquired by Western Digital, now offers a version.(D) the disk hard in question, with a single shelf of 1 TB.

Should gain in throughput (227 announced MB/s), consumer (announced 15% gain) and noise are expected to decrease. With such trays, Hitachi GST could even offer hard drives of 4 or 5 To quite easily. For capacity, if 1 TB is the maximum, 250 versions, 320, 500 and 750 GB are planned, with a portion of the plateau which will not be used and a necessarily mean flow a little more high, even if the maximum flow does not move.

The company offers also 5 K 1000.(B), a hard disk with the same 1 To plateau, the successor to the 5 K 1000 classic and two trays of 500 GB. He uses for his 23% energy in less than the 7 K 1000.(D) through its rotational speed of 5400 RPM instead of 7 200 rpm. Flows vary too much, with maximum of 180 MB/s on the 5 K 1000.(B), which is very correct.

The 7 K 1000.D and the 5 K 1000.(B) will be proposed in interface SATA 6 GB/s (maximum 600 MB/S), will offer 32 MB cache and will work with sectors of 4 KB instead of the traditional sectors of 512 bytes, even if an internal emulation is provided.

Finally, note that these disks Cinemastar variants are expected at the same time as versions Desktar, in the fall.

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IBM Racetrack memory could be a reality by 2020

IBM gave a Conference of press last Wednesday on his memories of the future and for the first time, Big Blue States that its Racetack could be a reality by the end of the Decade. In addition, by three years of capacity of 1 Po can be stored in a surface equal to a 1U rack, always according to the firm.

We presented you the progress of the IBM's Racetrack last December. A reminder, this memory is based on a mechanism different from the current submissions. Instead of fetching the data bit in the cell, as is the case today, it moves on a track of a few tens of nanometers in thickness. Researchers still need many challenges and better understand its functioning, but published last December results allow to consider marketing in five to seven years, according to Big Blue. We are nevertheless talking about a project that could be abandoned or used for other purposes.

This is not the first time that IBM would work on a memory that would not see the day. Is remembered for his research on the Millepede, a chip where the information is stored in holes etched in a fine polymer. The memory cells are written and read by one of the multiple branches of a MEMS walks on the surface. The Millipede was scheduled for 2007, but too high production costs were ultimately correct its existence. The technology is not dead. Gerd Bining, head of the project at IBM, said during the Conference IEEE last May that the firm was still working on it, but no more account do the memory of tomorrow. Big Blue recycle technologies developed in other products, such as probes used in lithographic processes.

During the Conference last Wednesday, IBM has also pledged to increase memory density, without giving more details. He spoke only of "magnetic technology", according to IDG that reported the event. The fact that this technology arrives within three years suggests that he is working on his own MRAM, which would be nothing surprising. We know that it has partnered with TDK to his development and he presented a paper at the IEDM (International Electron Device Meeting) in 2010 (see "IBM and Samsung talk TWU RAM").

Things change very quickly and the STT-MRAM could start to compete with Flash memory within three years (cf. "Toshiba would out a STT-MRAM in 3 years"). Research in this area abound (cf. "A new structure of MRAM") and manufacturers show more enthusiasm for this technology, which is always a good sign.

For the record, the STT-MRAM is based on spin transfer torque (Spin-Transfer Torque in English) which is a phenomenon appearing when a spin-polarised current (which contains electrons with the same angular movement, Editor's note) passes through the junction magnetic tunnel, a structure composed of two ferromagnetic elements separated by a thin insulating layer. As shown in the diagram on the left, one of the ferromagnetic layers is said trapped by Antiferromagnetic element. Whatever happens, its polarity will remain unchanged. However, the other layer is free and the polarized current through the junction tunnel effect, it will adopt the spin of electron sent, a phenomenon known as Spin-transfer Switching. We will then measure the magnetic strength of the structure. If it is strong, it means that the two ferromagnetic plates have opposite polarities, which represents a 0. If it is low, the polarities are identical, which is a 1.

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The Strata and Nocti of OCZ mSATA SSD prices

While they have not yet been formalized by OCZ, SSD Strata and Nocti of the Builder are already displayed in preorder among some resellers. It is therefore an opportunity to discover these different mSATA SSD prices.

Based on an Indilinx Barefoot ECO controller, the Strata is available in version (STR-MSATA-30 G) 30 GB and 60 GB (STR-MSATA-60 G). It uses MLC flash memory chips and has an interface SATA 3 Gbps. side performance, the model 30 GB reaches 125 MB/s read and 40 MB/s sequential write, respectively against 130 MB / s and 85 MB / s for the 60 GB version. In 4 K random reads, the Strata 60 GB reached 12,000 IOPS (only 11 000 IOPS for the 30 GB), and 1500 IOPS in 4 K entries (half the 30 GB model). These two SSD are currently displayed at respectively 45,51 euros and 81 euros.

For its part, the Nocti uses MLC flash memory chips and controller SandForce 2141/2181. Available in 30 GB, 60 GB and 120 GB capacities, this SSD is more swift as the Strata since it reached 280 MB/s read and 260 MB/s sequential write (255 MB/s "only" for the Nocti 30 GB). Reading 4 K, we get to 11500 IOPS (6000 IOPS for the 30 GB model) and 12 500 IOPS to 32 000 IOPS in 4 K random writes.

Side tariff, count 59,24 euros for the Nocti 30 GB, 104,35 euros for the 60 GB model and a little more than 190 euros for the 120 GB version.

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Nostalgeek 2001 (50) : dual core, 160 Go

This summer, we will offer you the return of a topic, Nostalgeek. And we decided to dwell on a specific year: 2001. Distant and close both, the year 2001 is interesting to analyze, to show developments in the high-tech in 10 years. Each day, during the holidays, we will offer you a retrospective of a week of 2001, with the news of the day and a small analysis on what there is in 2011.

More than two...

If current solutions offer only a single CPU, the multicore is the future. And Intel should propose models with multiple cores in 2005, at the time by 70 nm, while IBM already has a Power4 of this type in (very) high. While ATi will launch very low power chipset for the Pentium 4, Via launches Eden, a platform which use C3 processors.

In 2011, the multicore is generalized and Intel predictions were correct: the first dual core are a 65 nm Pentium 4. ATi (AMD) is evidently more chipsets for Pentium 4 but versions for K10 processors exist of course.  With respect to Via Eden platform still exists, with (a bit) faster CPU, such as the C7 and the Nano.

First 160 GB hard disk drives arrive, priced at €415 and with incompatibilities: must be a motherboard that supports 48-bit LBA.

In 2011, the storage is (much) less expensive, at least in the hard drives. A 2 TB model is less than €60 but also suffers from incompatibilities with legacy systems. More fun, a 160 GB in 2011, considered as expensive, SSD is less than a 160 GB hard drive in 2001.

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