Flash Performance and Reliability

Explore the fundamental performance characteristics and reliability concerns of flash-based SSDs. Learn about read, program, and erase latencies across SLC, MLC, and TLC flash, wear out effects, disturbance errors, and why managing these factors is vital for efficient and durable flash storage design.

We'll cover the following...

- Performance
- Reliability

Performance

Because we’re interested in building a storage device out of raw flash chips, it is worthwhile to understand their basic performance characteristics. The figure below presents a rough summary of some numbers found in the popular press“Understanding TLC Flash” by Kristian Vatto. AnandTech, September, 2012. Available: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5067/understanding-tlc-nand. A short description about TLC flash and its characteristics.. Therein, the author presents the basic operation latency of reads, programs, and erases across SLC, MLC, and TLC flash, which store 1, 2, and 3 bits of information per cell, respectively.