Dell Servers To Use DAS Cache SSD Caching Software From SanDisk

Tuesday, September 09, 2014:  The next-generation servers from Dell, PowerEdge, are going to use DAS Cache SSD caching software from SanDisk. All these servers, R730, R730XD, R630, T630 and R920, are fitted to direct-attached disk storage and all of them will have the DAS Cache software.


It complements Dell's existing Fluid Cache for SAN, network-attached block storage. With a data warehouse-type app, speed of an R730-XD increased by 37 times. It used 18 x 200GB SATA SSDs to cache 16TB of app disk (8 x 2TB 7.2K SATA disks). SanDisk has flash caching and storage memory software products and its purchase of FlashSoft for PCIe caching software took place in 2012. The software portfolio icludes ExpressCache software, FlashSoft SSD caching software , ioTurbine Direct, ioTurbine Virtual, ioControl hybrid, ioVDI software, Virtual Storage Layer (VSL) software, ioSphere management and ZetaScale Software.

The list hints at lot of flash-related software. Dell came to a decision that it needs to speed up apps which depend on disk IO. This speeding up process could be done by caching hot data in SSDs, any brand SSDs and Dell is OEM'ing SanDisk's DAS Cache software for the same. The software supports both write-through, write-back caching and multiple host operating systems, including Windows ( 2008 R2, 2012, 2012R2) and Linux (RHEL 6.5, 7; SLES 11 SP3; RHEV), and Hyper-V and KVM. The cache can scale up to 16TB with up to four caches per server. Usually Dell sells the software but SanDisk may also come up with the deal.