FAQs for NVMe

NVMe is an acronym that stands for nonvolatile memory express, a protocol designed to speed up the transfer of data between enterprise and client systems and flash memory systems, such as solid-state drives (SSDs). In acting as a logical interface with flash media, NVMe capitalizes on the critical performance characteristics of SSDs, including their nonvolatility, high bandwidth, low latency and internal parallelism.

NVMe is poised to replace historic specifications, such as SATA and SAS, which were designed to interface with hard drives, not flash drives. These protocols are limited in both speed and maximum throughput, making them inadequate for the storage and speed demands of the future.

The development of the NVMe specification began in 2007, in response to growing data volumes and market demand for faster data availability and transfer speeds. An industry working group led by Intel started to work on the problem, and the first NVMe protocol appeared on Intel’s website in early 2008. The technical work needed to actually launch this new standard began in 2009 and was conducted by the NVM Express Workgroup, which included more than 90 businesses.

It wasn’t until 2012 that NVMe chipsets were commercially available, marketed by Integrated Device Technology. In 2013, Samsung launched a new enterprise drive supporting the NVMe standard. Samsung promoted the acceleration benefits of this drive, including a 3GB/s read rate: six times faster than previous offerings. By 2014, NVMe drives were widely available.

Today, the initial working group has evolved to become NVM Express, Inc. More than 65 companies belong to this group, which owns the NVMe standard and promotes its use. Its board of directors includes representatives from Cisco, Dell, EMC, HGST, Intel, Micron, Microsoft, NetApp, Oracle, PMC, Samsung, SanDisk and Seagate.

Companies are overwhelmed with data today, but also data-starved: Their aging technology investments struggle to provide immediate information accessibility, quicker transfer rates and faster read/write speeds.

By using the NVMe protocol to make greater use of flash capabilities, companies can enjoy significantly lower latency. With response times as low as 70 microseconds, NVMe-enabled systems make an enormous difference in how quickly an organization can access data and use it to make fact-based decisions in critical areas of the business.

Because a complete installation of NVMe means “ripping and replacing” existing technology systems, a time-consuming and expensive proposition, today’s companies are primarily implementing NVMe as a point solution. For example, they may invest in a limited application of NVMe, which enables a single, strategically important query to be made 10 times faster via the new protocol. Or, they may implement a hybrid technology platform that supports both NVMe and SAS specifications for flash interfaces.

While eventually NVMe will replace older specifications, and companies will have to invest in new technology assets, current usage is based on strategic investment, targeted implementation and hybrid solutions that combine NVMe and SAS.

Companies can determine the best uses of NVMe, with the highest returns on investment, by consulting with an experienced technology provider like Hitachi Vantara. With deep customer experience and industry-leading NVMe solutions, Hitachi is uniquely qualified to help you not only make smart choices about NVMe today, but also prepare for a future where NVMe will play a much more significant role in your business.

The single greatest challenge to fully leveraging the NVMe protocol is the financial investment required to replace older technology with NVMe-compatible systems.

A leader in NVMe and compatible technologies, Hitachi Vantara has introduced a hybrid solution, the Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform 5000 series. Because it supports both NVMe and your company's existing SAS-supported assets, this storage platform represents the most time- and cost-effective way to leverage the speed and accessibility benefits of NVMe today. It also future-proofs your business as you prepare for a full adoption of NVMe down the road.

The Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform 5000 series delivers response times that are 10 times faster than SAS-only protocols. It is the world's fastest NVMe flash array.

Hitachi Vantara also offers deep consulting expertise that can help you strategically match NVMe capabilities with your company's most urgent data-related challenges.

With the introduction of its Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform 5000 series, Hitachi Vantara has established itself as an industry leader in helping organizations capitalize on the benefits of NVMe today. At the same time, we prepare them for a future in which NVMe is certain to assume a much larger role.

Not only does the Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform 5000 series provide your organization with a new level of speed and responsiveness, but it also offers unparalleled data security, task automation and scalability. And the platform is backed by Hitachi's 100% data-availability guarantee.

As more companies embrace the speed and power of NVMe, Hitachi Vantara is dedicated to introducing continuing innovations that help them adopt this specification in a manner that makes the best strategic and financial sense.

The growing adoption of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence in companies' daily operations means that the strategic role of data is increasing exponentially. More than ever, organizations need to ensure that their data is accessible immediately, to support real-time responsiveness. This trend will only continue.

Developed in 2009, NVMe is still only being applied in a limited manner, due to the cost involved in “ripping and replacing” older technology assets. However, as the strategic importance of data increases — and innovators like Hitachi Vantara introduce more accessible, affordable NVMe solutions, such as the Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform 5000 series — adoption of NVMe will grow.

Eventually, every company will be required to implement the NVMe specification broadly, to support the rapid data access required for a competitive edge.

An emerging concept, DataOps — or data operations — is enterprise-level data management for the artificial intelligence era. By implementing an overarching DataOps strategy, you can seamlessly connect your data consumers and creators, to rapidly find and use all the value in your data.

Data operations is not a product, service or solution. It's a methodology, a technological and cultural change aimed at improving your organization's use of data through better data quality, shorter cycle time and superior data management.

Since DataOps spans the entire cycle of gathering and applying information, adding the speed and responsiveness of the NVMe specification is certain to increase your company's return on its DataOps investment. As your use of artificial intelligence and other advanced technology grows, you will need the speed and responsiveness of NVMe technology to fully capitalize on these capabilities and establish a meaningful competitive advantage.