To Next Page

To Previous Page

Appendix H. Flash Express

This appendix covers the IBM Flash Express feature introduced on the zEC12 server.

Flash memory is a non-volatile computer storage technology. It was introduced on the market

decades ago. Flash memory is commonly used today in memory cards, USB flash drives,

solid-state drives (SSDs), and similar products for general storage and data transfer. Until

recently, the high cost per gigabyte and limited capacity of SSDs restricted deployment of

these drives to specific applications. Recent advances in SSD technology and economies of

scale have driven down the cost of SSDs, making them a viable storage option for

I/O-intensive enterprise applications.

An SSD, sometimes called a

solid-state disk or electronic disk, is a data storage device that

uses integrated circuit assemblies as memory to store data persistently. SSD technology

uses electronic interfaces compatible with traditional block I/O hard disk drives. SSDs do not

employ any moving mechanical components. This characteristic distinguishes them from

traditional magnetic disks, such as hard disk drives (HDDs), which are electromechanical

devices that contain spinning disks and movable read/write heads. With no seek time or

rotational delays, SSDs can deliver substantially better I/O performance than HDDs. Flash

SSDs demonstrate latencies that are 10 - 50 times lower than the fastest HDDs, often

enabling dramatically improved I/O response times.

This appendix includes the following sections:

򐂰 Flash Express overview

򐂰 Using Flash Express

򐂰 Security on Flash Express

IBM z13s User Manual

Questions and Answers: