Samsung Sets Higher Storage Performance Threshold with 1st ZNS SSD

Samsung Electronics Co., one of the world’s leading advanced memory technology developers, introduced a brand new solid-state drive (SSD). The tech giant equipped the new SSD with the PM1731a, a Zoned Namespace (ZNS) technology.

Furthermore, Samsung would maximize the SSD’s available user capacity by applying ZNS. In addition to improving the capacity performance, ZNS could lengthen the cloud environments, data centers, and storage servers’ lifespan.

ZNS solutions enable users to classify data accordingly based on their access and usage frequency. The technology also stores data subsequently in an SSD’s independent zone. Since ZNS SSDs require no data reorganizing and transferring, they could extensively lessen the number of write operations.

Achieving High Capacity Through ZNS

As a result, ZNS SSDs could reduce the device’s write amplification factor (WAF). WAF refers to the number of actual writes an SSD performs in proportion to the writes a host’s flash controller initially instructs. If an SSD’s WAF is nearer to one, the more efficient it is and the better it could perform.

Thanks to the ZNS technology, the latest Samsung SSD could reach a write amplification value close to one. According to Samsung, its new ZNS SSD marks a crucial growth over the average drive WAFs at three or four. The development also enables the SSD’s life duration to last longer by up to four times than typical NVMe drives.

Furthermore, Samsung’s ZNS-equipped SSD solution promotes more environmental-friendly and sustainable server infrastructures. ZNS technologies also remove the need for SSD overprovisioning, enabling users to access their drives’ total capacity. Overprovisioning requires users to allocate storage space for background tasks.

Besides providing high-capacity SSDs, Samsung’s new development could allow customers to operate AI applications and big data more efficiently. The company also furnished the new SSD with dual ports, allowing users to work nonstop and lessen downtime. Separately, Samsung recently launched the industry’s highest-performing 24G SAS SSD, offering cutting-edge speed and capacity.

Expanding the ZNS Ecosystem

“Samsung’s ZNS SSD reflects our commitment to introducing differentiated storage solutions that can substantially enhance the reliability and lifetime of server SSDs,” said Cho Sang-Yeun, Senior VP of Samsung Electronics’ Memory Software Development Team.

Cho also shared Samsung’s plan to supply quad-level cell (QLC) NAND solutions to its next-generation ZNS products. Moreover, QLC technology could optimize NAND memory capacity better than HDDs, offering better storage performance and capacity.

According to Samsung, applying QLC NAND technology to ZNS drives could set new enterprise storage and capacity performance thresholds in the future. To this end, the company would introduce its ZNS technology to more partners and collaborate with storage developers steadily. Samsung also aims to begin the ZNS SSD’s mass-production during this year’s second half.