Adaptec's caching card uses MS code

Adaptec has announced benchmark results for its MaxIS solid state drive (SSD) caching card and revealed it's based on licensed Microsoft code. The MaxIQ card is equipped with 32GB Intel X25-E SSDs and is an add-on card to Adaptec's RAID controllers such as the 5Z, which link to SATA and/or SAS hard drives. In effect Adaptec …

[Cameron Colley]

But how long will they last?

Given that caching devices must, surely, cache different information at different times won't this mean that the SSDs will wear rather quickly?

[Nexox Enigma]

SLC Flash

Ehh, the X25-E is SLC flash, which is pretty decent about lasting for a while. Add to that the fact that the drive has something like 25% more physical flash onboard than they let you access, you get lots of room to replace failed sectors. I imagine a drive like that would last quite a while.

Really though the benefits from caching come from data that's got a nice high read-write ratio, and since you can read an SSD as many times as you'd like, that translates to a nice slow wear-out.

Though that drive's performance is not even kind of a little bit similar to the Fusion-IO, so I suppose it depends on what you need, speed-wise.

[Ken Hagan]

Re: How long will they last

I thought that modern SSDs had several years of life in them even under fairly intensive usage. Also, this particular mode of failure doesn't exactly creep up behind you. It isn't too hard to actually record the lifetime usage and let the user decide when it is time to replace the device. Said replacement will probably only be a few pounds by then anyway. These are caches, so they might be fairly small in absolute terms.

It may be unusual to have a computer component with a finite lifetime, but it isn't unmanageable.

[TeeCee]

Re: Re: How long will they last

"It may be unusual to have a computer component with a finite lifetime......"

Those MTBF figures quoted on just about abso-bloody-lutely everything. What are those for then?

Everything has a finite life. Some things just have one that's so long that obsolescence tends to preceed failure.

[Anonymous Coward]

"But how long will they last"

Unbeliever!

They'll maybe even last at least as long as a flash card that you used for swap space.

[Mugsy72]

Adaptec buyer will be?

Any thoughts on who would buy Adaptec? I know it was mentioned in an earlier piece that LSI or Broadcom could be interested. Adaptec is not the major player it was back in 2000 but I am sure someone trying to capture a little bit of marketshare could find use for them at a reasonable price.