Solid State Drives - the Eventual Solution?

At the moment and I am sure one day that will change, the biggest shortcoming is the cost.

I think that there's a maximum number of data write cycles for these solid state drives.

I don't agree with that quite, sorry. Because generally they use dynamic memory of some sort:-

Basically is it memory that loses its "memory" when the power turns off, they generally last for years and years.

If it retains its memory with no power, then you could be right, many types are limited to just how many read/write cycles can take place.....

Hey Andy- They generally use flash memory which is non-volitile and the erase cycle applies a voltage that stresses the very thin oxide insulation used to isolate the charge that constitutes the data.

Then I believe that they are limited to a certain number of write cycles, but any number of read cycles.....

The trick will be to use them for things that change rarely, like (most of) the OS for example and store all other data somewhere else.....

But how will you get Windows to store the registry somewhere else.......!!! That will be the single killer I imagine.....sadly. Not that I am a Windows expert either you understand, but I worked withh SS Memory in the 70's 80's and 90's....boy was it expensive then!!!

Does anyone know how Linux works in that area????

You are correct that it can be read without fatiguing the cells.

What they do is to put the spreading logic that distributes the erase stress into the integral controller that manages the flash array so that it is part of the flash drive and not dependent on the OS to manage that aspect of its operation.

SSD's impressive array of qualities brings to mind military and critical-systems use.

So, in that regard: does anyone think they can withstand EMP and strong magnetic fields, in regard to their data retention and integrity?

"They are cool, literally emit no heat, and virtually silent."

My hearing is a far cry from what it used to be, but I've never heard the slightest sound from these. I think you have your literally and virtually swapped.

The reduced (but not zero) heat leads to increased battery life.

Can anyone say anything definitive about the long-term (decades or longer) ability of these devices to store data? It would seem that we'll have to wait a couple of decades to know for sure...

As Redfred indicated, they do have limited rewrites, so you wouldn't want to use it to store your real time clock data, but most documents will probably be edited only a few to a few dozen times.

The designers understand the write cycle limits and the device is designed to spread the stress over the entire array over time so you don't wear out one section prematurely. Typical retention time on these types of cells runs 10 to 100 years. I'm not sure about the ones that are in these drives and of course they will be working to improve that parameter but even at 10 years they are on par with specs on magnetic drives though in my own experience I have seen retention on magnetic systems go 20 or 30 years. I imagine the "specs" are for worst case conditions (mostly elevated heat) which do not occur in my unheated basement.

When it comes to computing, priorities are placed on storage and performance. The hard drive is often viewed as a major storage device. However, there is alternative hardware that can do a perfect job. People now use Solid State Drives as the main storage device for a wide range of technological needs.

An SSD is a nonvolatile storage media that stores data on solid-state flash memory. It emulates the hard disk drive by enhancing servers' capabilities and performance, desktop computers, and other devices. Users view them as the best option for responsiveness, increased disk space, and better performance.

TYPES OF SSDS

The types of solid state drives depend on the way they are used. Some of these devices are installed within the system hardware, while others are connected externally through ports. The common interfaces for SSD connection are:

PCIe and NVMe

Users make use of PCI Express (PCIe) to connect graphics cards and related high-performance peripherals. It is an interface with low latency and high bandwidth. Therefore, it is ideal for very fast communication between the SSD and the server.

Nonvolatile Memory Express standard (NVMe) offers higher input output per second. SSDs that use this connection type run at up to 4,000 MB/s.

SATA III and mSATA III

Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) is an older interface than the PCIe. Their signaling technology allows them to transfer data faster than traditional hard disk drive - HDDs. They have speeds of up to 600MB per second. SATA SSDs also offer the best compatibility and value than the HDD variants.

There are SSDs that are designed for business purposes. They can be external or internal, and they are convenient means of boosting PCs, desktop computers, gaming consoles, and servers.

SAS SSD

The Serial-Attached SCSI (SAS) version SSDs provide faster data transfer rates than the SATA SSDs. In general, a SAS SSD provides dual-port connection and builds in features to improve reliability, high error correction, low data latency, end to end data integrity, high signal quality on the cable or backplane which is a NAND flash-based storage and fit in HDDs slot of enclosures. A SAS solid-state drive bandwidth speeds 3Gbps, 6Gbps, and 12Gbps, there are two form factors 2.5 inches and 3.5 inches.

Information Source: Solid State Drives - SSD

Welcome to CR4!

That thread was posted over a decade ago. Clearly a lot of development has occurred during that time. I've been dependent on SSDs for about 7 years, although I still use a magnetic HDD for one of my backups. So far so good...

I do think that any rewritable media will have a limited lifetime. Only time will tell how long that lifetime will be for a given media. I do still have useable 3.5" floppies that were recorded close to 40 years ago...