Memblaze has introduced the PBlaze7 7A40 Ocean Series, its initial ultra-high-capacity PCIe 5.0 QLC NVMe SSD. This series is specifically designed for large-scale AI and cloud deployments, utilizing QLC technology to combine extreme storage density, high-read throughput, and exceptional energy efficiency. The product is aimed at supporting the increasing demands of AI data pipelines, GPU clusters, and hyperscale data lakes.
The PBlaze 7 Ocean Series, available in the U.2 form factor, offers capacities up to 122.88TB. This high density enables super dense storage arrays that can approach 3 petabytes of storage within a standard 2U server. The text notes that this kind of density upgrade improves efficiency across various aspects, including footprint and power draw per terabyte of storage, which can increase the deployment of compute nodes to accelerate AI workloads.
By leveraging the bandwidth of PCIe 5.0 and advanced firmware, the QLC arrayed PBlaze7 7A40 Ocean Series SSDs deliver read throughput near the upper limit of the PCIe Gen5 interface, supporting both sequential and random data retrieval. This high read performance is stated to minimize storage bottlenecks and help maintain full utilization of GPUs during AI training and inference workloads, noting that write performance is less critical in these specific contexts.
For enterprise reliability, Memblaze states that the PBlaze 7 Ocean Series adheres to world-class enterprise-grade standards. These standards include a 2.5 million hours MTBF and 0.7 DWPD endurance. Meeting these reliability levels optimizes enterprise TCO and ROI, which is noted as a priority for sustainable infrastructure.
Specific testing revealed the performance of a 61.44TB variant utilizing a Xeon-powered enterprise test bench. The tested drive was configured with a 0.7-DWPD design, U.2 form factor, 61.44TB capacity, and eQLC arraying, and it was 16-channel controlled. This configuration is rated for up to 3.35 million IOPS and up to 14.2 GB/s sequential throughput. The Ocean Series SSDs comply with the NVMe 2.1 specification, including Full Data Path Protection, Power Failure Protection, NVMe-MI over SMBus/PCIe VDM, and Firmware Upgrade without Reset.
According to the evaluation, the PBlaze 7 7A40 61.44TB has reportedly raised the performance standard for ultra-high capacity QLC SSDs. The report highlights that it is the first QLC SSD encountered that can match the peak performance of Memblaze’s PBlaze 7 7A40 61.44TB. Furthermore, it is cited as the first QLC SSD capable of maxing out the PCIe Gen5 interface when retrieving data, and also the first to achieve mixed workloads approaching the rates of PCIe Gen4 TLC arrayed SSDs.
Source: TweakTown