BEDFORD, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--FuturePlus Systems today announced the shipping of its latest tool to help Data Centers and Cloud Computing Server validation engineers find elusive and unexplained memory failures. DDR3 memory is pervasive and used in nearly all cloud server systems today. This identified problem occurs when the memory controller under command of the software causes an ACTIVATE command to a single row address repetitively. If the physically adjacent rows have not been ACTIVATED or refreshed recently the charge from the over ACTIVATED row leaks into the dormant adjacent rows and causes corruption. This failure mechanism has been coined ‘Row Hammer’ as a row of memory cells are being ‘hammered’ with ACTIVATE commands. Current understanding is that the charge leakage does not damage the physical memory cell which makes repeated memory tests to try to find the failing device useless.
This problem has been frustrating for Data Center operators and Server manufactures. It can cause system crashes and at worst undetected data corruption. Memory error detection schemes and doubling of the system refresh rate only reduce the statistical probability they do not prevent it.
With the worlds critical reliance on cloud computing this problem is being addressed by FuturePlus Systems with its newest addition to its DDR Detective® line of products. The Row Hammer Detection feature will ship standard with the FS2800 DDR Detective®. Current owners of the FS2800 will receive a free upgrade. “ We believe that this Row Hammer failure mode is a critical issue for the industry and we want to get the tool out to our customers as soon as we can”, stated President Ed Aichinger. FuturePlus Systems has also published a video and a white paper to explain this failure mechanism.
About FuturePlus Systems
FuturePlus Systems Corporation is a privately held manufacturer of bus protocol analysis tools for the computer and embedded electronic industry and has been in business for over 20 years. More information about FuturePlus Systems may be found at www.FuturePlus.com .
NOTE TO EDITORS:
If you choose to review this item, your readers will receive the quickest response to their inquiries by emailing protocol.decode@futureplus.com. A photo of the FS2800 DDR Detective and technical explanation of the DDR3 Row Hammer feature is also available.
