SanDisk Corporation, a global leader in flash memory storage solutions, today announced that SanDisk DAS Cache software will be offered by Dell for use in its next generation Dell PowerEdge servers with direct-attached storage (DAS). This all-software solution will allow customers to benefit from the high performance of solid state drives (SSDs), while maintaining data on direct-attached, disk-based storage. SanDisk DAS Cache software works with SSDs from any manufacturer, empowering customers to select the SSD capacity and performance that is appropriate to their data center needs.

"We have been working very closely with Dell to provide a complete solution for their customers that provides the performance and cost benefits of solid-state storage technology," said John Scaramuzzo, senior vice president and general manager, Enterprise Storage Solutions, SanDisk. "Combining innovations in both hardware and software enables customers to realize the full potential of enterprise storage solutions. We are excited that Dell is able to offer the benefits of our SanDisk DAS Cache software to customers with its new PowerEdge servers."

Reducing I/O Latency with Solid-State Caching
The SanDisk DAS Cache software uses server-attached SSDs as an intermediate cache for an application's most frequently accessed data, or "hot data," which reduces input-output (I/O) latency and enables data to be read and written more efficiently. The software assigns the hot data to the solid-state cache, with minimal overhead on server CPU and memory resources.

The SanDisk DAS Cache software works with the wide range of solid state storage devices attached via SATA, SAS and PCIe interfaces, and is available with next generation Dell PowerEdge servers. Additionally, SanDisk DAS Cache software helps to make the most actively used data accessible in faster responding media for applications, and reduces the total cost of ownership (TCO).

"SanDisk's support for solid state technology in our new PowerEdge servers will further differentiate our offerings in the marketplace, as well as address our customers' needs for high-performing, efficient, low-maintenance storage solutions," said Ravi Pendekanti, vice president of product marketing and management, Dell PowerEdge Servers. "Dell and SanDisk worked closely together to make SanDisk DAS Cache work seamlessly with Dell PowerEdge servers for an incredible combination of price, performance and enterprise features."

The key capabilities and benefits of the SanDisk DAS Cache software include:

• Ensuring data integrity with write-back caching technology, SanDisk DAS Cache accelerates writes as well as reads;
• Allows a choice of either write-back and/or write-through caching modes for optimal performance and flexibility - even within the same server;
• Scalable up to 16TB of cache capacity per server to support large data sets;
• Flexibility allows up to four separate cache "pools" on a single server to enable different levels of quality of service (QoS);
• Data protection through hardware or software RAID for SSDs;
• Cache persistence on server restart for ease of administration;
• Support for a broad range of operating systems and hypervisors including Microsoft Windows Hyper-V and Linux.

"As servers have grown ever more powerful, the difference between compute power and data access performance has become a critical challenge for vendors seeking to improve application performance," said Eric Burgener, Research Director for IDC's Storage practice. "Solid-state caching directly in the server delivers a lower latency option than network-based storage can provide, providing additional options for customers to meet extremely high performance requirements."