A fast age distribution convergence mechanism in an SSD array for highly reliable flash-based storage systems

SSDs are now popular choice for large data storage compared to HDDs due to their promising features such as no moving parts, shock/temperature resistance and low power etc. On the other hand the fast growth in flash technology brings major data reliability concerns which need to be addressed. In multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flashes the Bit Error Rate (BER) increases exponentially with reduced endurance limit as compare to single-level cell (SLC) NAND flashes. In future this trend can significantly decrease the data reliability of flash-based storage systems. On the basis of new RAID technique, Diff-RAID [1], we present a fast age distribution convergence mechanism in an SSD array which can be instantly boosted the reliability of a flash-based storage system. Our evaluation results suggest that the proposed approach can improve overall reliability up to 5% during initial couple of SSD replacement process compared to original Diff-RAID technique.