Neil Hutchison | Senior Technologist
SanDisk
Neil Hutchison is a SSD System Architect with deep expertise in performance architecture driving architectural solutions for Sandisk's current and next-generation enterprise SSD product line. Neil is the co-chair for the SNIA Solid State Storage Technical Working Group driving industry standards for performance testing in both Client and Enterprise SSD's.
Appearances:
Future of Memory and Storage - Day 2 @ 16:20
Maintaining Performance Through Device Lifecycle
Enterprise SSDs inevitably undergo performance degradation as they accumulate wear, driven by diminishing available spares, rising write amplification, and block retirement. While modern SSDs expose a variety of health indicators, the industry lacks a predictable, data‑driven approach for identifying when an SSD is about to experience a significant performance drop. Existing telemetry provides raw indicators, but no practical framework connects them to an actionable EOL performance threshold.
By systematically leveraging SMART attributes and OCP‑defined log pages—including available spares, over‑provisioning utilization, and total bytes written (TBW)—operators can establish a reliable model for tracking SSD aging. These parameters enable determining a repurposing point before the device reaches its performance cliff, ensuring that drives transition smoothly to lower‑demand roles rather than causing unexpected service degradation.
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