Enterprise data storage technologies range from low cost and low performance to high cost high performance. Typically, Fiber Channel disk drives occupy the high cost high performance end of this spectrum. However, emerging solid state drives (SSDs) will provide even greater performance for applications that require the fastest I/O.

SSDs Are Fast, Consume Less

An SSD uses flash memory chips instead of spinning drive media to store blocks of data. They can be configured to work like a disk drive. For example a consumer grade flash drive – like the kind used in a digital camera – can be attached to a PC and mounted like just another disk drive.

Unlike a disk drive, however, the SSD has no moving parts. With no moving parts an SSD can store and retrieve data at the speed of electrons. Typically enterprise class SSDs promise a 5 to 10 times I/O performance boost over traditional disk. They also use less electricity because there is no servo that needs powering to spin a disk.