NVMe SSD Classification

NVMe SSD Classification

NVM Express® technology is driving the next generation of SSDs for data centers. NVMe™ SSD are not limited by legacy form factors or protocols, and they can better address the needs of servers and storage in enterprise and hyperscale data centers. Each of these use cases has distinct requirements and application environments, and they are outlined in the table below. There will always be exceptions to these guidelines, but these are generally fit profiles for NVMe SSD classification.

More details on each of the classification use cases are provided in a revised NVMe SSD Classification White Paper which describes how NVMe SSDs are used in enterprise servers, enterprise storage, low latency SSD, data center/hyperscale servers, and data center/hyperscale storage environments. This classification may also apply to SATA and SAS SSDs.

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NVMe SSD 
Classification
Enterprise 
Server
Enterprise 
Storage
Low Latency 
SSD
Data Center / 
Hyperscale Server
Data Center / 
Hyperscale Storage
Applications / Use Cases
  • Traditional DAS/RAID
  • CRM/ERM/collaborative/
  • HCI
  • AFA
  • Primary Array Storage

Read/Write

Cache Tier 0 between DRAM and TLC SSD

Write-intensive workloads

Write logging (metadata)

Low latency SSD plus QLC -lower TCO than TLC

  • Boot
  • Cloud data storage
  • Server data storage

Durable storage

RAID

EC

JBOD/JBOF

Form Factors

(Form Factor details)

M.2->E1.S

2.5-inch (U.2)

E3.S

E3.L

AIC

  • M.2->E1.S
  • 2.5-inch (U.2)
  • E3.S
  • E3.L
  • 2.5-inch (U.2) AIC
  • AIC
  • .2->E1.S
  • 2.5-inch (U.2)
  • (7 &15 mm-Z)
  • 2.5-inch (U.2)
  • E1.L
  • E1.S
Power
  • 8.25-11W (M.2)
  • 12-25W 2.5-inch (U.2)
  • 25-40W (E1.S, E1.L)
  • 8.25-11W (M.2)
  • 12-25W 2.5-inch (U.2)
  • 25-40W (E1.S, E1.L)
  • 20-25W 2.5-inch (U.2)
  • 9W (AIC)
  • 8.25-11W (M.2)
  • 12-25W (E1.S)
  • 12-25W 2.5-inch (U.2)
  • 12-25W (E1.S)
  • 25W (E1.L)
Performance
High performance, read intensive and mixed workload class drives, and best in class performance
High performance, mixed workload, and best in class performance
High performance, write heav workloads, and best in class performance
IOPS/TB scaling, mixed workloads
Read bandwidth, seq write (ZNS)
Latency
  • Care about average latency
  • Better than SAS/SATA
Mixed workload QoS
1/10 to 1/3 the latency of TLC SSDs
Read QoS, tail latencies
Read priority
Endurance- Drive Writes per Day (DWPD)
  • 1 DWPD (Read-Intensive)
  • 3 DWPD (Mixed Use)
  • 5-10 DWPD (Write-Intensive)
  • 1 DWPD (Read-Intensive)
  • 3 DWPD (Mixed Use)
30, 60, 100DWPD
<=1 DWPD
<1 DWPD
Capacity
1-8TB
2-30TB
375GB - 3200GB
1-2TB > 4TB
4-8TB TLC, >8TB QLC
Management
  • NVMe-MI
  • SNIA Swordfish™
  • (NVMe-oF™)
  • NVMe-MI 
  • SNIA Swordfish (NVMe-oF)
  • NVMe-MI 
  • SNIA Swordfish (NVMe-oF)
  • NVMe CLI (IB via SW)
  • NVMe-MI basic for temp only (BMC)
NVMe CLI (IB via SW)
Features
  • Security
  • Manageability
  • Single-port
  • RAI
  • Dual-port (2.5-inch form factor)
  • X8/16 PCIe AIC
  • Higher prices (greater than SANs)
  • Capacities up to 30TB
  • Dual-port (2.5-inch (U.2))
  • Predictable Low Latency
  • Very high endurance
  • Single-port
  • QoS
  • Sets / IODLatency
  • TRIM performance
  • Multi-tenancy
  • ZNS
  • SDS
SSD Vendor Examples
Enterprise Server
Enterprise Storage
Low Latency SSD
Data Center / 
Hyperscale Server
Data Center / 
Hyperscale Storage
KIOXIA
CM7 Series
CM7 Series
FL6 Series
XD7P Series, CD8P Series
XD7P Series, CD8P Series
Intel
P4510 (3.0), P5500 (4.0)
D4510 (3.0)
P5800
P4510 (3.0)
P4326 (QLC, 3.0)
Micron
  • 9550 PRO, MAX
  • 7450/7500 PRO, MAX
  • 9550 MAX
  • 7450/7500 MAX
N/A
  • 7450/7500 PRO
  • 9550 PRO
  • 7450/7500 PRO
  • 6500 ION
Samsung
PM1733/5, SZ1735
PM1733/5, SZ1735 
SZ985
PM9A3
PM9A3

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