IBM Enterprise Device Smashes SSD Record

While "IBM" probably isn't the first name that pops to mind when thinking of "SSDs," the company still has a point here: it just set a new performance record in the solid state drive arena. Fame or not, IBM has just made clear that its SSD-equipped System Storage EXP12S device has nailed down a new performance record based on the Storage Performance Council’s new extension to SPC Benchmark 1C (SPC-1C).

As with most other benchmarks, the new SPC benchmark extension provides fresh insight into the performance and energy benefits of storage products such as SSDs. In the SPC-1C/E result released today, IBM's System Storage EXP12S produced a record-setting throughput of 45,000.20 SPC-1C IOPS. The efficiency of the System Storage EXP12S was 121.31 IOPS/watt, for those who care about the "green-ness."



Walter E. Baker, administrator for the Storage Performance Council, seemed pretty proud of IBM's achievement: "IBM has achieved a significant milestone with its solid state drive technology. IBM’s commitment to supporting independent industry benchmarks, including today’s SPC-1C/E, is important to customers and businesses seeking objective and verified benchmark results to help them with their business and datacenter decisions."

The IBM System Storage EXP12S itself was introduced in January, and it's a high-density 2U, 19-inch rack-mountable drive enclosure supporting up to twelve 3.5-inch disk drives, and now alternatively supporting up to eight SSDs. Needless to say, such a device won't likely be put into play by any regular consumers, but with the record-breaking potential, we have to wonder if the head honchos at IBM are thinking about it. It's not like a little more competition could really hurt things, right?