Toward Ultra-Low Latency SSDs: Analyzing the Impact on Data-Intensive Workloads

Abstract

The recent trend in hyper-scale computing has shown that applications are getting hungrier for low, consistent latency for predictably fast service. In accordance with this change, storage vendors have innovated their SSDs to keep ultra-low latencies while delivering high IOPS. Even though these SSDs can provide significant value to a wide variety of workloads, their practical impact on performance has not been discussed much. In this context, our study aims to empirically examine the impact of emerging ultra-low latency SSDs on workload performance, particularly in comparison to the latest conventional SSDs. We conduct benchmarking using a diverse set of data-intensive workloads to comprehensively assess the performance of both ultra-low latency SSDs and conventional SSDs. Our research provides an in-depth performance analysis of the examined SSDs, shedding light on their comparative strengths and weaknesses. The results of our study contribute valuable insights into the practical implications of adopting ultra-low latency SSDs across various workloads, guiding future decisions in storage technology.