Western Digital has upgraded its OpenFlex storage solution, integrating faster dual-port SSDs and the new RapidFlex fabric bridge for improved performance.
OpenFlex is a 2RU x 24-bay disaggregated chassis designed with NVMe SSDs, offering Ethernet NVMe-oF access. It supports both RoCE and NVMe/TCP. The Data24 3200 enclosure is equipped with the Ultrastar DC SN655 drive, an enhancement from last year’s SN650 model. Both drives incorporate the WD/Kioxia BiCS5 flash with 112 layers in TLC (3bits/cell) configuration, reaching a peak capacity of 15.4TB. These drives are also compatible with PCIe gen 4.
Kurt Chan, VP and GM of Western Digital’s Digital Platforms division, said: “When combining RapidFlex and Ultrastar into the Data24, Western Digital gives organizations a transformative, next-generation way to share flash and bring greater value to their business.”
The SN655 provides up to 1,100,000/125,000 random read/write IOPS and sequential read/write speeds of up to 6.8/3.7GBps. In comparison, the older SN650 model achieved up to 970,000/109,000 random read/write IOPS and a sequential speed of 6.6/2.8GBps.
Both the SN650 and SN655 feature a U.3 format, come with a five-year warranty, and support 1 drive write per day. The SN655 is available in three capacities: 3.48, 7.68, and 15.36TB, whereas the SN650 was available in 7.68 and 15.56TB options.
The RapidFlex C2000 Fabric Bridge, powered by the A2000 ASIC, serves as a PCIe adapter. This device can export the PCIe bus over Ethernet and boasts two 100GbitE ports linked to 16 PCIe gen 4 lanes. An additional advantage of the C2000 is its ability to function in initiator mode, adding to its existing target mode. This feature enables clients to deploy more cost-efficient and energy-saving initiator cards in their servers, negating the need for a traditional Ethernet NIC for NVMe-oF connectivity.
With the C2000’s capabilities, the Data24 3200 can connect to up to six server hosts directly, eliminating the necessity for a switch device.
The OpenFlex Data24 3200 NVMe-oF Storage Platform, along with the RapidFlex A2000, C2000 FBDs, and the Ultrastar SN655 dual-port NVMe SSD are currently available for sampling.
