Is Flash Poised To Kill Disk For Primary Storage?

Flash is now the only realistic choice for primary storage with the performance and bottom line benefits it brings. The historic concerns over cost and stability are now a thing of the past, meaning all-flash arrays are well on their way to becoming the dominant force in the primary storage space. However, the myths around flash remain, and these must be addressed if businesses are to fully embrace the technology and the benefits that it brings, says Rudi van Rensburg, senior manager: primary storage all-flash at #DellEMC. According to Van Rensburg it’s a little known fact that 2016 marks the 60th anniversary of the first commercial usage of hard disk storage. Hard disks have been happily spinning in data centers across the world ever since; a fantastic run by any measure, but one which is looking ever more likely to be nearing its conclusion – at least for most primary data storage use cases. “There’s no denying that flash media is on its way to becoming the dominant technology in primary storage. According to one report by research and advisory community Wikibon, the age of the disk-dominated data center could be over in less than a decade. “Wikibon claims that the amount of flash memory shipped as production storage will reach parity with hard-disk storage by 2020 with flash ending over 30 times greater by 2026,” says Van Rensburg. He says there is strong evidence behind Wikibon’s claim. “In November 2013, #EMC ’s #XtremIO entered the #allflash array market, claiming third place after only six weeks. Within six months, XtremIO had catapulted into the lead and is the fastest growing product in EMC’s history with a market share lead nearly three times the nearest competitor. This year, EMC shifted the focus of its entire primary storage portfolio to all-flash, including the well-regarded #VMAX and recently-introduced mid-range Unity product lines. “Flash is now the recommended default for new purchases in the primary storage space and likely for converged infrastructure systems as well. As the pace of change continues to build, it’s time to dispel any residual myths and misunderstandings once and for all,” says Van Rensburg.
http://it-online.co.za/2017/01/19/is-flash-poised-to-kill-disk-for-primary-storage/