SCIENCE

SMART Modular Technologies (WWH) announced the availability of its innovative Guardian technology, a portfolio of unique intellectual property (IP) for enterprise-class solid-state drives (SSDs).

In order to meet the radically expanding needs of the datacenter, enterprise applications require faster I/O performance and demand high endurance from the storage medium. SMART's innovative Guardian technology enables the use of cost-effective multi-level cell (MLC) flash in SSDs, delivering the performance, endurance, and reliability that enterprise applications demand. SMART's Guardian technology consists of three key elements designed to optimize performance across all functions in the SSD: FlashGuard, EverGuard, and DataGuard technologies.

Leveraging flash to its fullest capability, SMART's FlashGuard technology allows MLC-based SSDs to deliver 10 or more random drive writes/day for five years, exceeding the requirements for typical mainstream enterprise storage applications. FlashGuard technology is comprised of Aggregated Flash Management and Advanced Signal Processing technologies that make it possible to reliably extract significantly more life from commercially available MLC flash. Using these features to dynamically manage the flash at a system level, and in combination with proprietary enhanced error-correction techniques, FlashGuard technology provides endurance enhancements that enable the use of MLC flash technologies for SSD devices in the datacenter.

Enterprise storage applications require data integrity, even in the event of power failure. SMART's EverGuard technology uses a proven, third-generation design incorporating an array of high-reliability discrete capacitors. This design offers long-term reliable performance and helps ensure that all data is safely stored in flash in the event of a power loss.

SMART's DataGuard technology features end-to-end data path protection and data recovery features designed to deliver an unrecoverable bit error rate (UBER) rate of 10(-17), a 100x improvement over the industry's current standards for data integrity, satisfying the JEDEC JESD218 standard for enterprise SSDs.

"SMART's innovative Guardian technology helps make it possible to provide an unsurpassed combination of performance, endurance, and reliability, enabling competitive advantages and a compelling value proposition. With this technology, we are able to develop industry-leading, cost-effective enterprise SSDs using MLC flash, which we expect will dramatically transform storage in the datacenter," said Bernie Rub, SMART's Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Storage Business Unit.

SMART's Guardian technology will be featured at the Flash Memory Summit, August 9 through 11, 2011 in Santa Clara, CA in booth #400.