Enhancing energy efficiency of database applications using SSDs

Presently, solid state disks (SSDs) are emerging as a disruptive storage technology and promise breakthroughs for important application properties. They quickly enter the enterprise domain and (partially) replace magnetic disks (HDDs) for database servers. To identify performance and energy use of both types of storage devices, we have built an analysis tool and measured access times and energy needed for them. Associating these measurements to physical IO patterns, we checked and verified the performance claims given by the device manufacturers. Using typical read/write access patterns frequently observed in IO-intensive database applications, we fathomed the performance and energy efficiency potential of a spectrum of differing storage devices (low-end, medium, and high-end SSDs and HDDs). Cross-comparing measurements of identical experiments, we present indicative parameters concerning IO performance and energy consumption. Furthermore, we reexamine an IO rule of thumb guiding their energy-efficient use in database servers. These findings suggest some database-related optimization areas where they can improve performance while energy is saved at the same time.