ZMCP is a distinctive feature of Adaptec ASR-81605Z

Up to 4x performance improvement and latency reduction by using DRAM cache to take advantage of RAID cards. Using an onboard cache is essential to get the most out of your storage system. However, with on-board cache, data is stored in memory on the adapter and is lost if system power fails. A common way to do cache protection is to use a BBU (battery backup unit) on the RAID card. The BBU retains the data in the memory cache until power is restored. While BBU is important for cash protection, it is not the best solution in terms of capital and operating costs. For example, old batteries that require constant monitoring, maintenance and replacement should be treated for hazardous waste disposal. We will introduce ZMCP (Zero Maintenance Cache Protection), which is one of the functions attached to Adaptec ASR-81605Z, for those cache protection and BBU issues.

What is ZMCP

ZMCP is a solution that maximizes cache data protection while reducing the management costs required for BBUs and eliminating troublesome maintenance. This solution is provided by the modules below. This module consists of a supercapacitor and a NAND flash that work together for data protection.

How ZMCP works

I will briefly explain how ZMCP works.
[During normal system startup]
The supercapacitor is charged.

[When a power failure occurs]
ZMCP senses power failure and copies onboard cache data to NAND flash.
* Power is supplied by the supercapacitor during copying.

[Power failure occurs for a long time]
Since NAND flash is non-volatile, no power supply is required once the data copy is complete.
* Data in NAND flash is saved for several years, so long-term failures are also supported.

[Restoration of power]
Data in NAND flash is copied back to the onboard cache and operations resume normally with outstanding I/O requests.

Advantages of ZMCP over BBU

BBUs are an acceptable in-cache data protection feature, but there are many hardware and labor costs after the initial purchase, and risk factors associated with managing and replacing BBUs. ZMCP can provide a better solution in many respects compared to BBU.

ZMCP can enjoy many benefits as shown in the table above. Below are three advantages.
[Management]
BBU requires continuous monitoring and battery replacement, and maintenance is troublesome, such as the server must be stopped during replacement, whereas ZMCP does not require maintenance.

[Data protection]
Since BBU does not have non-volatile memory, it continues to supply power to DRAM, and recovery is required within 72 hours at the longest, whereas ZMCP copies data to NAND flash in about 1 minute, and recovery is a problem within a few years. is not.

[Inventory side]
BBU always keeps a few replacements, and disposal requires handling for hazardous materials disposal, but ZMCP does not need those concerns.

As mentioned above, ZMCP provides the most complete and efficient data protection solution by eliminating costly BBUs and their fees. Use ASR-81605Z to improve cache performance and maximize data protection.
　

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