Toshiba Memory America Optimizes RocksDB for SSDs

New TRocksDB Solution Improves Storage Endurance and Utilization, Reduces Application Write Amplification by up to 21x

TOKYO--()--Toshiba Memory Corporation, the world leader in memory solutions, today announced that Toshiba Memory America, Inc., the U.S.-based subsidiary, unveiled write amplification1 (WA) and endurance software innovations that significantly improve RocksDB for SSDs.

Highly flexible and designed for use with any off-the-shelf SSD, TRocksDB is an enhancement to the RocksDB database design that uses key values more efficiently with SSDs to enable improvements in storage and DRAM usage. TRocksDB also reduces the repeated data rewriting caused by application-generated WA. The TRocksDB solution will be demonstrated publicly for the first time at Flash Memory Summit, booth #307.

Taking a log-structured merge-tree (LSM tree) approach to storing data, the RocksDB platform rewrites data at least one time for every level of the database, and in many cases, multiple times per level. As a result, the total WA for RocksDB will often be greater than 21x, which leads to application-level performance delays and early SSD wear-out.

TRocksDB addresses this WA challenge with key architectural advancements that enable values and keys to be stored in separately managed files. The ability to separate keys from values produces faster, more efficient database lookups, minimizes WA, and optimizes SSD utilization.

The server software included in the TRocksDB platform will soon be available under the terms of Apache License, Version 2.02 open-sourced licensing. TRocksDB runs on any Linux® hardware supported by RocksDB. Being a member of the OSS community enables TRocksDB to be part of storage innovation and industry participation that can evolve the platform to new frontiers.

Notes:
1 SSD Write Amplification (WA) is a scenario that happens to solid state drives (SSD) where data and metadata are written multiple times that increases the number of program and erase cycles. This effect can reduce the life of the SSD over time.
2 The Apache License is a permissive free software license written by the Apache Software Foundation.
Apache is a registered trademark of the Apache Software Foundation (ASF). Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective companies.

About Toshiba Memory

Toshiba Memory Group, a world leader in memory solutions, is dedicated to the development, production and sale of flash memory and solid state drives (SSDs). In April 2017, Toshiba Memory was spun off from Toshiba Corporation, the company that invented NAND flash memory in 1987. Toshiba Memory pioneers cutting-edge memory solutions and services that enrich people's lives and expand society's horizons. The company's innovative 3D flash memory technology, BiCS FLASH™, is shaping the future of storage in high-density applications, including advanced smartphones, PCs, SSDs, automotive and data centers. Toshiba Memory will officially change its name to Kioxia on October 1, 2019. For more information on Toshiba Memory, please visit https://business.toshiba-memory.com/en-jp/.

Contacts

Toshiba Memory Holding Corporation
Kota Yamaji
Public Relations & Investors Relations
Phone: +81-3-6478-2319
tmchq-tmchd-info@ml.toshiba.co.jp

Contacts

Toshiba Memory Holding Corporation
Kota Yamaji
Public Relations & Investors Relations
Phone: +81-3-6478-2319
tmchq-tmchd-info@ml.toshiba.co.jp