SanDisk launched flash-based accelerator cards targeted at workstations and servers used in data centers, server farms and cloud computing environments.
The Lightning Solid State Accelerator (SSA) can interface with computer systems via their PCIe 2.0 interface and are available with capacities of 200 GB and 400 GB. The technology supports up to five cards in a single system for a total capacity of 2 TB.
Sandisk has set the MSRP at $1,350 for the 200 GB LP 206M model and at $2,350 for the 400 GB LP406M version. The data caching software FlashSoft is offered at an additional charge.
The manufacturer promises an average data response time of 245 microseconds and sub-30 millisecond maximum response times, as well as 50 microsecond sustained read and write latency. Both devices are rated at a power consumption of 15 watts as well as a mean time between failures (MTBF) of two million hours. SanDisk claims that the cards are fast enough to eliminate the cost for additional and more expensive DRAM accelerators.
