SSDs In RAID: A Performance Scaling Analysis

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RAID arrays with dozens of hard drives are not uncommon for reaching certain performance levels. We demonstrate how beautifully SSD RAID arrays can scale. There may come a time when a few flash-based drives will replace entire farms of hard disks.

Test Setup

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System Hardware
HardwareDetails
CPUIntel Core i7-920 (45 nm, 2.66 GHz, 8 MB L3 Cache)
Motherboard (LGA 1366)Supermicro X8SAXRevision: 1.0, Chipset Intel X58 + ICH10R, BIOS: 1.0B
ControllerLSI MegaRAID 9280-24i4e Firmware: v12.11.0-0016, Driver: v4.31.1.64
RAM3 x 1 GB DDR3-1333 Corsair CM3X1024-1333C9DHX
HDDSeagate NL35 400 GB, ST3400832NS, 7200 RPM, SATA 1.5Gb/s, 8 MB Cache
Power SupplyOCZ EliteXstream 800 W, OCZ800EXS-EU
Benchmarks
Performance Measurementsh2benchw 3.13 PCMark Vantage 1.0.2.0
I/O PerformanceIOMeter 2008.08.18 Fileserver-Benchmark Webserver-Benchmark Database-Benchmark Workstation-Benchmark Streaming Reads Streaming Writes 4k Random Reads 4k Random Writes
System Software & Drivers
Operating SystemWindows 7 Ultimate

Although we're using a relatively fast test system, the configuration is not ideal to maximize I/O performance. Multi-socket platforms, faster processors, and one of the latest RAID controllers would help to maximize I/O performance numbers compared with the results we see. We also have to say that enterprise-class SSDs are not necessarily best at delivering maximum performance, but at maintaining performance. In this case, it means that other SSDs, especially consumer products, may appear faster on paper and according to basic benchmarks. However, when hammering them with intensive workloads, enterprise drives are better able to maintain expected performance levels at all times.

Samsung's MZ3S9100 is a 3.5“ model. It is the drive with the large aluminum casing shown in the photo.

LSI 9280-24i4e with 24x SATA and 4x SAS.
Manuel Masiero
45 Comments Comment from the forums
  • campb292
    Ask GR what he thinks.
    Reply
  • mrbongal007
    hi, pls help in understanding how are you getting 1000 MB/s performance on a sata3 port/lane which gives max of 600MB/s. if the answer is raid striping across 5 lanes then potentially we can get this performance on a sata2 port as well since each lane is being taxed to appx 200MB/s. appreciate your help in understanding this. thanks.
    Reply
  • oxxfatelostxxo
    OutPut is through a pci x8 slot. Max transfer of 6gb/s I think. The sata 2 max is per channel for each drive. Not a combined max
    Reply
  • chefboyeb
    I guess i would be better off adding 2 more ocz vertex ssds to my existing 3 ssd raid 0 setup afterall... I was concerned about the limitations of motherboard, but not anymore... Thanks
    Reply
  • oxxfatelostxxo
    ... The motherboard will Max out. You need a raid card to see those speeds
    Reply
  • saymi
    Sasmsung!
    Reply
  • maybe is just me only.
    3 reason hold me back moving HD to SSD.
    1st. money VS pre GB.
    2nd. the technology is mature enough to keep that real speed in stabilize performance.
    3rd. RAID support in SSD still in wonderland.
    conclusion. all the read/write speed in the benchmark is full of BS, but if you can maintain the driver is reading purpose only but never erase and delete any old data and rewrite new files into it. and you are a heavily download user. you will lost the speed advance reading/writing in a SSD over a traditional HD. SSD is pretty fast only in a fresh windows install for the first time. it will lose speed performance in time and you have to do another fresh reinstall again and again.
    Reply
  • 2nd. the technology is not mature enough to keep that real speed in stabilize performance.
    Reply
  • nebun
    oxxfatelostxxo... The motherboard will Max out. You need a raid card to see those speedsor just use an PCIE SSD like the revodrive x2 :) no limit
    Reply
  • parpanghel
    Yeah right, SASMSUNG drives are the best :-} too much souce last night my fren' ?
    Reply