Flash has rocketed in popularity for data storage systems in the past two years and is tipped to be an even bigger trend for 2013.

So, what has triggered this meteoric rise? Flash complements customers’ agile storage infrastructure strategies by offering a high-performance extension to traditional disk-based arrays. The All-Flash Array, for example, is a new category of storage system based on flash technology. It features startling performance characteristics that make it faster, smaller and greener:

• Speed: Their performance characteristics significantly reduce the delays inherent in a traditional mechanical hard disk environment.
• Space: They allow organisations to improve storage utilisation and efficiency without compromising performance.
• Green: Their energy consumption is miniscule compared to hard disk equivalents.

Ultimately, this combination, coupled with continuing improvements to reliability, performance and cost mean flash is set to have a profound impact on business.

With many a start-up point solution on offer however, the breadth of choice available undoubtedly brings confusion to customers. Question marks also hang over the credibility of these new vendors. Caveat emptor is the reigning phrase.

Flash isn’t simply the purview of start-ups; tier one vendors already use flash in some capacity and some already offer All-Flash Arrays.

So, what should organisations keep in mind as they’re considering flash?


LOOK OUT FOR FEATURES THAT BALE WEAR AND EXTEND USABILITY

Flash storage wears out as you write to it because the cells collect charge that cannot be discharged. Look out for enterprise flash systems that offer ways to balance wear and extend the life of the media, as well as features that proactively monitor the integrity of data.


FOCUS ON ROI FOR YOUR WORKLOADS RATHER THAN CAPACITY

The Flash pricing drop has been as drastic as its rise in popularity. In 2009, SLC Flash would cost around $65 per GB. Today, the street price of a GB of eMLC Flash is around $8. What’s more, the cost of one GB of enterprise class hard disk space is around 65c. This price difference raises questions about which workloads provide the desired return. Ask yourself, do I really need three times my current capacity? Is fl ash the best answer for all my workloads?


HAVE A CLEAR PICTURE OF HOW FLASH CAN HELP YOUR BUSINESS AND SHOP AROUND

The flash storage market is still young. Take a thorough look at the current and emerging flash technologies and take the time to understand the pros and cons of each. Most importantly, begin planning a clear flash storage strategy for your organisation today. Taking a step back will help you pick the right choice for your business and may well provide an edge over your competitors.

It’s clear that the flash marketplace is a fast-moving and exciting direction for storage. Two years down the line, I would expect flash to have increased in dominance. It will have disrupted the tier one enterprise class disk category and redefined how we use mechanical hard disks; hard disks will become de rigueur for capacity applications and flash will power performance. I think it’s unlikely flash will reach price parity with hard disks anytime soon but in five years, the landscape will be very different. New technologies such as Phase Change, Electron Spin Torque and Memristor are waiting in the wings and are already exhibiting improved characteristics over Flash. One thing’s for certain however: there’ll never be a dull moment in the storage industry!