IBM has been developing FlashCore modules for quite some time, which are at the heart of the IBM FlashSystem portfolio. The new third-generation FlashCore is used in the FlashSystem 5200, FlashSystem 7300, and FlashSystem 9500 arrays.

The FlashSystem 9500 is the essential platform refresh of the IBM FlashSystem 9200, doubling performance, capacity and connectivity. With four 24-core Intel Ice Lake processors and up to 3TB of DRAM cache, the system can deliver 2.4M IOPs across up to 48 Fiber Channel or RoCE ethernet ports.

Part of the 9500 series performance comes from the latest generation of Intel Ice Lake processors that bring PCIe 4 to the product line. However, the rest of the performance boost and all of the capacity gains come from the new IBM FlashCore v3 module. With it, the FlashSystem 9500 can deliver an effective 4.6 PB of data in a 4U package while guaranteeing 3:1 compression.

The IBM FlashSystem 7300 also uses the new FlashCore v3 modules. This system provides a 25% performance boost over the previous generation FlashSystem 7200. FlashSystem 7300 serves up to 2.2 PB. FlashCore v3 modules provide the same 3:1 compression to the array as the 9500 series models.

IBM FlashCore is not an ordinary SSD. It doesn't just serve data through the NVMe interface. The IBM FlashCore is a complex computational storage device. The logic inside the module allows QLC flash to perform better and more reliably, at a higher density than most TLC-based solutions.

FlashCore allows you to create a device that lasts twice as long as a standard NVMe flash drive. The latest generation IBM FlashCore is available in effective capacities ranging from 22TB to 116TB. All this in a 2.5-inch dual-ported U.2 NVMe form factor.

What is inside the module? FlashCore is a computational storage device that combines NAND flash, DRAM, and MRAM for caching, as well as a large amount of computing resources to provide more functionality than a traditional SSD. It also takes some of the computational work, such as compression, from the storage array and performs that work on the drive itself. The result is a very efficient and flexible architecture.

The computational part of the storage are ARM processor cores built into flexible and reprogrammable logic arrays. The primary purpose of this logic is to manage the flash memory of the QLC module. On the one hand, QLC media is slightly slower and less durable than TLC flash commonly used in storage systems. However, it also has advantages - such memory is cheaper and has a higher density. Therefore, having overcome the shortcomings of this type of drives, it is possible to create high-density energy-efficient arrays based on them.

IBM has managed to deliver a QLC-based flash drive that is as reliable and often more performant than any TLC-based solution on the market. There's a lot of low-level technology involved in this, but the essence of the work is to manage the health of the NAND at the block level. All of this is programmed into each FlashCore module in a way that enhances reliability.

It's also worth noting that FlashCore focuses on compression as one of the most important attributes of any enterprise storage array. This has a positive effect on the efficiency and cost of the storage system. The purpose of compression is to offload and speed up storage applications where it makes sense.

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