12:54 PM George Crump George Crump  The Role Of DRAM In Storage
Don't discount DRAM. Thanks to increased server capacities and
sophisticated caching technologies, DRAM can serve as a tier in
the storage infrastructure.  DRAM is faster and more durable
than flash-based storage. But DRAM also has a tendency to lose
data when it loses power, and it is more expensive than flash.
This has made flash the "go-to" high-performance storage option,
with DRAM storage options often shelved in favor of flash. But
does DRAM still have a role in the storage infrastructure?  The
fact is, data center professionals still have a keen interest in
DRAM, and their interest is on the rise. The 2011 Storage
Switzerland article The Advantages of DRAM-Based SSD has more
daily readers now than it did when it first appeared. What's
driving the increased interest in DRAM as a storage solution?
First, an increasing number of servers can support much higher
RAM capacities than they did a few years ago. Even mid-range
server hardware is t