SanDisk introduces ExtremeFFS 13 November, 2008 By Vanessa Ho

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To maximize random write performance, SanDisk developed the ExtremeFFS flash file management system. This operates on a page-based algorithm, which means there is no fixed coupling between physical and logical location. When a sector of data is written, the SSD puts it where it is most convenient and efficient. The result is an improvement in random write performance -- by up to 100 times -- as well as in overall endurance.

"As we understood more and more how operating systems used storage it became clear that random write performance is the important parameter and in order to improve random write performance we had to come up with a fundamentally new way of talking to flash memory, which is what ExtremeFFS is," said Don Barnetson, senior director of marketing for SanDisk's SSD Business.

ExtremeFFS incorporates a fully non-blocking architecture in which all of the NAND channels can behave independently, with some reading. Another key element of ExtremeFFS is usage-based content localization, which allows the advanced flash management system to "learn" user patterns and over time localize data to maximize the product's performance and endurance.

Barnetson said the target audience for ExtremeFFS is those that want to put SSDs in their computer rather than a hard disk drive. Currently, about 1 percent of notebook computers are being shipped with SSDs but by 2009, Barnetson believed that number will increase to 5 percent to 10 percent.

He explained that one of the key barriers to SSD adoption today is that they are more expensive than traditional rotating media. However, Barnetson added the two key values that SSDs provide to an end user are there are no moving parts that don't tend to break when dropped unlike hard disk drives (HDD). Second, SSDs make computers significantly faster.

Along with ExtremeFFS, SanDisk also presented two metrics -- vRPM and LDE -- that can help end-users evaluate SSDs. vRPM enables comparisons in performance between an SSD and a HDD or another SSD.

"Since hard drive performance is measured in RPMs (revolutions per minute), SSDs need a simple performance metric for comparisons," said Rich Heye, senior vice-president and general manager for SanDisks SSD Business Unit, in a statement. "virtual RPM (vRPM) accurately and easily allows consumers to compare SSDs to HDDs and to each other when used in PCs."

He added that vRPM answers the question of how fast would a customer have to spin a virtual HDD to achieve the level of performance seen by an SSD in a client PC. Heye predicted that SSD net performance next year will be four times faster than the current generation of SSDs and nearly six times that of the latest 2.5-inch HDDs.

Barnetson also said that SSDs to date had no way of describing their performance in a way that an end user could understand.

"The techies are into the specific speeds and feeds but there has been no single measure of performance that has been useful where everyone can understand," he noted.

LDE represents the total amount of data writes allowed in the lifespan of an SSD. SanDisk will spec LDE on its future PC SSD products.

Greg Wong of Forward Insights stated that LDE allows OEMs a simple way to compare SSDs and determine (based on the applications usage patterns) which drives are suitable for a particular application. "The beauty of LDE is that it captures endurance in one single, understandable figure. A common metric is necessary to facilitate SSD adoption moving forward."

While the new metrics were developed by SanDisk, Barnetson said that the company is working with standards bodies such as JEDC, competitors and partners so everyone ultimately adopts them.

"[The metrics are] not useful if they are just SanDisk metrics, they need to be broadly adopted," he added.

Barnetson said the channel also plays an important role in increasing the adoption of SSDs. ExtremeFFS and the metrics will allow channel partners to help their customers understand these next generation products and understand how much endurance and how much faster SSDs are as well as show them how they work. "They want to understand some level of detail on what is going on inside that box."

ExtremeFFS will ship in SanDisk products during 2009.