What is Flash Storage?

Flash storage places digital information on solid state "flash" memory chips (i.e. What's found in a USB stick) rather than on spinning hard disks.

Flash storage definition

In the enterprise, flash storage refers to the use of solid-stage drives (SSDs) comprised of flash memory (i.e. "An All-Flash Array") for the mass storage of data or files. Flash storage offers an alternative to relying on hard disk drives (HDDs) or other media for storage. Recent advances in manufacturing have made it possible for all-flash storage arrays to hold more data per rack unit than is possible with HDDs – while performing faster input/output (I/O) operations.

Why flash storage?

Flash storage offers several advantages over traditional spinning disk media. Though still slightly more expensive on a dollar-per-gigabyte basis, flash storage enables radically faster data processing operations. An all-flash array can store multi-terabyte databases "in-memory" and deliver a read/write speed that is 4 times greater than HDDs.  Flash storage is more dense than HDDs. It also tends to be less prone to failure, given its lack of moving parts.

HPE flash storage products and services

HPE offers a selection of high-performing flash storage solutions. They offer 99.9999% uptime and built-in protection and affordability for any application. Predictive all-flash storage from HPE is smart enough to eliminate issues before you even know they’re there and operate with industry leading economics, including cloud-like options, for only pennies per usable gigabyte per month.

Featured all-flash arrays and hybrid storage

  • HPE 3PAR StoreServ

    Flash-optimised storage with consistent architecture and interoperability from 2-node affordable midrange to 8-node enterprise scale and everything in between.

  • HPE Nimble Storage

    Flash storage and the predictive analytics that deliver fast and reliable access to data, and predict and prevent issues to help deliver 99.9999% measured availability.

  • HPE XP7

    The hybrid storage system for applications requiring 100% data availability with no downtime.

  • HPE MSA 2040

    Full featured, high performance and scalable HDD/SSD storage with modern features at an entry-level price point.

  • HPE MSA 1040

    Affordable HDD/SSD entry storage that is simple to deploy and manage.

Get started with HPE flash storage

Speak with an HPE flash storage expert about putting all-flash arrays to work supporting your data management workloads.

Resources

Brochure : Data Protection Playbook for All-Flash Storage

Data Protection & Retention For All-flash Storage
Brochure

Learn why data protection and retention solutions integrated with an end-to-end flash storage strategy is critical in migrating to the All-Flash Datacentre.

Analyst White Paper : Gartner Magic Quadrant for Solid-State Arrays

gartner magic quadrant solid state arrays
Analyst White Paper

Get the July 2017 Gartner Magic Quadrant report that discusses the Solid State Array market, future outlook, vendor evaluations, and identifies HPE as a leader in the market.

Buyer's Guide : Invest in the Right Flash Storage Solution

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Buyer's Guide

Must ask vendor questions for buyers purchasing an all flash array. Also includes data protection requirements for getting the most out of flash.