Data storage giant Western Digital doesn’t want to be left behind as demand for comprehensive, fast, and reliable storage capabilities skyrockets due to data-hungry AI workloads. A series of new products from the company should meet exactly that need. The eye-catcher is the RapidFlex interposer, which lets PCIe SSDs talk as easily over Ethernet as over conventional cabling.
This solution ensures connections of enterprise-grade SSDs on PCIe either via PCIe cabling or Ethernet. Because it no longer matters whether the PCIe SSDs sit directly in the server or get their connection via PCIe cabling or Ethernet, admins gain more flexibility in how those storage solutions integrate into different network architectures.
Western Digital (WD) cites its OpenFlex Data24 4200 NVMe-oF storage platform as an example of such an application. It is optimized to work really well with the RapidFlex interposer, allowing users to scale their storage more easily. Since both AI model training and consuming the results require a mountain of storage, that is very welcome. The RapidFlex interposer is now generally available, licensed to network hardware provider Ingrasys. The interposer is designed specifically for use in that company’s chassis.
New SSDs and even a new HDD
Other new WD products include the PCIe Gen5 enterprise-class SSD (eSSD) for compute-intensive applications and a new 64TB eSSD for storage-intensive applications. One is optimized for high-throughput data processing, and the other excels at simply storing big chunks of data. The BiCS8 128TB QLC SSD is also coming, but that concerns a tech demo, not a finished product yet. It promises to be a workhorse for high-speed AI data lakes and other situations where high capacity-high compute are essential.
Among all these SSD fireworks, WD presented an actual new HDD. This one boasts an impressive 32 TB capacity but also uses ePMR, or energy-assisted Perpendicular Magnetic Recording. This mouthful boils down to data being written closer to the magnetic disk, which increases storage capacity without sacrificing reliability or performance. In addition, the HDD features SMR (Shingled Magnetic Recording) that further increases storage capacity.
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These novelties should perhaps also keep the elderly HDD somewhat interesting in a market where flash storage is conquering territory. In this respect, HDD is increasingly becoming an affordable way to store ‘cold data’, although it is getting more competition from tape and ceramics in that corner.
Storage for the automotive industry
Other new solutions involve automotive applications such as the AT EN610 NVMe SSD for HPCC architectures. Regarding applications, think of storing data resulting from telemetry, crash, safety and aerodynamics simulations, diagnostics, (customer) analysis and quality control.
Another automotive application is the iNAND AT EU752, aimed at advanced assisted driving systems, infotainment applications and autonomous driving systems. This type of storage is less about high storage capacity (it ‘only’ goes up to 1TB), but by fast data transfer.
WD has also considered consumers. Under the SanDisk banner, the company is releasing a 4TB and 8TB microSDUC UHS-I card for use in drones, smartphones, gaming peripherals, and cameras. WD concluded its series of announcements with a proof-of-concept portable 16TB SanDisk Desk Drive.
Also read: Western Digital releases new WD Blue NVMe SSD for AI tasks and other demanding workflows