Ask the Experts

Ask the Experts

• Solid-state drive costs: What factors do I need to consider?

  SSD costs are on the downswing, but users need to explore the price per IOPS and price per gigabyte before purchasing. Some workloads aren't a match with the technology.  Continue Reading

• What are the major benefits of containerization?

  The advantages of containerization become very evident in test and development environments. Explore how container technology is being used to verify application performance.  Continue Reading

• How do RDMA storage systems improve latency reduction?

  RDMA technology can help speed up I/O in storage environments by bypassing copy processes in the software stack when data is called up from a system's memory.  Continue Reading

• How can you increase SSD lifespan and keep performance?

  Solid-state drives offer high performance, but their cost remains prohibitive. Here are some ways to prolong your SSD lifecycle while maintaining performance.  Continue Reading

• Can I use Microsoft containers with the Docker platform?

  Docker is a mainstay for containerizing applications, but it has been limited to Linux systems. New support for Microsoft Windows Server containers is switching things up.  Continue Reading

• Are Windows Server containers superior to Hyper-V containers?

  In Windows Server 2016, Microsoft offers two container architectures that perform similar functions. But different use cases apply and performance varies.  Continue Reading

• Do object-based storage systems improve data protection?

  Object storage has unique features, including erasure coding and multi-copy mirroring, which may make it better suited to data protection than more traditional systems.  Continue Reading

• SSD cache performance: What is the state of the market?

  SSD caching is included with a majority of products, so vendors have turned their resources toward maximizing throughput and endurance. Discover the issues behind the innovations.  Continue Reading

• How much will 3D XPoint technology affect flash storage?

  Learn how Intel 3D XPoint fits in a flash storage technology space that has already seen single-level cell, multi-level cell, eMLC, triple-level cell and 3D NAND.  Continue Reading

• Why attach NAND flash storage directly to the memory channel?

  Why would you attach NAND flash storage directly to the memory channel? Isn't RAM much faster than NAND? Marc Staimer discusses this and more in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• How do 3D NAND flash vendors ensure bit rot doesn't occur?

  Marc Staimer takes a closer look in this Expert Answer at how 3D NAND flash vendors keep bit rot from taking place, a vexing challenge given 3D NAND flash technology  Continue Reading

• Does TLC flash offer enough resilience for enterprises?

  The suitability of triple-level cell (TLC) flash storage for enterprise use depends on whether applications are heavily read- or write-optimized. Expert Marc Staimer explains the ramifications.  Continue Reading

• What's the relationship between VM-aware storage and VVOLs?

  When traditional storage hardware can't handle virtualized workloads, VM-aware storage can be used as an alternative. But could VMware VVOLs solve the problem instead?  Continue Reading

• Will most 3D NAND flash products continue to feature TLC?

  Vendors are using TLC flash in their 3D NAND flash products, which allows for greater capacity at a lower cost, according to Brien Posey.  Continue Reading

• Is parallel I/O suitable for mission-critical applications?

  Parallel computing technology has not seen widespread use in the business world, but could that change? Jon Toigo discusses parallel I/O for applications and where it might fit in.  Continue Reading