Delivering a glimpse into the future of data center architectures, KIOXIA America, Inc. (formerly Toshiba Memory America, Inc.), has successfully demonstrated an E3.S full-function development vehicle in conjunction with a leading server original equipment manufacturer (OEM). This breakthrough Enterprise and Datacenter SSD Form Factor (EDSFF), also known as E3, is designed to maximize system density, efficiency and simplicity.
Being developed in the SNIA SFF-TA-1008 technical work group, in which KIOXIA is an active member, EDSFF E3.Short (E3.S) and E3.Long (E3.L) solutions are the future of SSD storage for servers and All Flash Arrays (AFAs) in cloud and enterprise data centers. Featuring one common connector, this innovative form factor standard for PCIe® technology-based devices, such as NVMe SSDs, graphics processing units (GPUs), and network interface cards (NICs), enables a complete array of footprint, power and capacity options, offering unprecedented system flexibility. In addition, EDSFF E3.x drives break free from the design limitations of the 2.5” form factor by supporting higher power budgets (up to 40 watts) and better signal integrity to deliver the performance promised by PCIe Gen 5.0 and beyond, optimizing future generations of server and storage systems. Furthermore, these future-forward SSD designs feature improved thermal characteristics that address the cooling challenges that come with game-changing speeds.
KIOXIA’s EDSFF full-function development vehicle is based on the E3.S thin (7.5mm) form factor, which offers increased flash storage density per drive for optimized power efficiency and rack consolidation. The drive features the same core components as the recently announced CM6 Series PCIe 4.0 NVMe 1.4 SSD and is configured with x8 lanes and up to 28W of power. Additional E3 size and width options will also be supported, including E3.S thick (16.8mm) and E3.L thin.
“We are excited to work with the world's leading server and storage system developers to bring new classes of systems to market that will be able to fully unleash the power of flash memory, NVMe and PCIe,” noted Shigenori Yanagi, Technology Executive, SSD at KIOXIA Corporation. “EDSFF E3.S will power the future generations of servers and storage, making the data center even more efficient.”
Offering one of the broadest SSD product portfolios, KIOXIA is committed to being a leader in data center flash storage solutions through flash memory, SSD and software innovations. For more information, visit www.kioxia.com.
