Storage is the foundation on which database performance is built. Latency, throughput, and consistency at this layer directly shape how systems behave under load.
While often abstracted away in modern architectures, storage characteristics continue to define the limits of what databases can achieve – especially as workloads become more demanding and less predictable.
Filling a legacy disk array with SSDs doesn't make it a true all flash array. This article builds a disk array from first principles to show why every architectural decision made for disk turns out to be the wrong one for flash.
A full re-test of Oracle's ASM Filter Driver a year on – correcting earlier mistakes and giving a definitive verdict on AFD behaviour with 4k Advanced Format devices.
All flash arrays come in three distinct categories: hybrid, SSD-based and ground-up designs. This article explains the differences, cuts through competing industry definitions from IDC and Gartner, and sets out a clear definition for what actually qualifies as an AFA.
In a proud moment for me, it appears that Mark Hurd, CEO of Oracle, has mentioned my flashdba blog during the Oracle Q4 2015 results call. At least, that's what I'm reading into this section from the transcript published by Seeking Alpha: We grew in storage in the quarter and this is -- really we are … Continue reading Was I Mentioned During Oracle’s Q4 2015 Results Call?
NAND flash is a genuinely difficult storage medium – it wears out, has slow erases, and requires complex management. This article summarises the Understanding Flash series and explains why architecture is what separates great all-flash arrays from merely fast ones.
SLOB benchmark results measuring the I/O overhead of virtualisation on Violin flash – comparing VMware ESX against Oracle VM to see which hypervisor costs less in raw database performance.
Slow ASM rebalance operations usually come down to a handful of overlooked settings. Here are three practical fixes that have dramatically cut rebalance times in real customer environments.
Running Linux DM-MPIO alongside EMC PowerPath requires careful configuration to avoid conflicts. Here's a precise walkthrough of how to make them coexist correctly.
A few weeks ago, in what seems to be a truly modern phenomenon, I became aware that it was my third anniversary of joining Violin after I noticed a number of people congratulating me on LinkedIn. In many ways it feels like I've already been here for a lifetime, but it was only twelve months ago … Continue reading Postcards from Storageland: Three Years At Violin
NAND flash manufacturers have been shrinking transistors for decades, but 2D planar NAND is hitting its physical limits. This article explains process geometries, 3D NAND as the answer, and why new memory technologies face a billion-dollar barrier to market.
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