Irreverence

posted on 04 June 2008 12:53

Sun hasn't said which supplier's SSD it is going to use in its flash--equipped servers. I am moderately convinced it is an Intel one. The reasoning starts from a joint Sun/Intel pitch at the April Intel Developers' Forum. (Please see the presentation here)

If we believe Sun will be using an Intel SSD then that leaves unexplained why Sun isn't saying which SSD it is intent on using. It could be using a 3rd party one and waiting until the Intel one is ready and saving Intel's embarrassment by not saying that it is a non-Intel SSD.

But the servers haven't been announced yet so an alternate reading is that Sun is simply waiting for Intel to have product available and not wanting to pre-announce and risk embarrassment later.

Intel has just introduced a 1.8-inch format SSD with a limited capacity: 8GB now and 16GB coming later this year. That is way behind other 1.8-inch SSD formats. In recent days Intel, SanDisk and TDK have all introduced 1.8-inch form factor SSDs. However Super Talent with 120GB has a capacity edge as maximum capacities from the other suppliers are limited: Intel - to 8GB; TDK - to 64GB; SanDisk - to 16GB.

At the end of May the Intel-Micron flash JV introduced a benchmark 34nm flash memory process. Based on the 34nm architecture, Intel and Micron plan to introduce lower density multi-level cell products including single-level cell products, by the end of this year.

In late May we learnt that Montevina, Intel's forthcoming Centrino notebook architecture spec, will incorporate Intel's High Performance SSD line using Client X25-M (2.5-inch format) and Client X18-M (1.8-inch format) NAND flash chips with 80GB capacity and a SATA 3Gbit/s interface. Capacities will reach 160GB by the end of 2008, and pass through the 256GB level in 2009.

The 80GB capacity level is identical to what Sun mentioned as a ZIL cache in its presentation at IDF. Coincidence?

My reading of this is that Intel doesn't have the 32GB and 80GB SSDs, mentioned by Sun yet, and that Sun is waiting for Intel to make its 32 and 80GB SSDs available before announcing servers using them.

Until then my information is that it is using using another supplier's chips and will probably continue multi-sourcing after Intel's SSDs become available.

^{[Chris Mellor.]}