345-BLFM Dell 15.36TB SAS-24Gbps Read-Intensive 1DWPD 2.5Inch SSD

High-Capacity Dell 15.36TB SAS Read-Optimized SSD

The Dell 345-BLFM 15.36TB Solid State Drive is engineered for modern data centers that demand exceptional read performance, reliability, and scalability. Designed for Dell PowerEdge servers, this hot-plug SSD delivers enterprise-grade speed using advanced SAS 24Gbps connectivity.

General Product Information

• Brand: Dell Technologies
• Manufacturer Part Number: 345-BLFM
• Drive Type: Hot-swap Solid State Drive

Technical Specifications

Storage and Architecture

• Total Capacity: 15.36TB
• NAND Technology: BiCS Flash™ TLC
• Form Factor: 2.5-inch
• Drive Thickness: 15mm

Interface and Transfer Speeds

• Interface Type: SAS-4 / SAS 24Gbps
• Backward Compatibility: 22.5Gb/s, 12Gb/s, 6Gb/s, 3Gb/s, 1.5Gb/s

Performance Capabilities

Sequential Throughput

• Sequential Read (128KiB): Up to 4200 MB/s
• Sequential Write (128KiB): Up to 4100 MB/s

Random I/O Performance

• Random Read (4KiB): Up to 720,000 IOPS
• Random Write (4KiB): Up to 160,000 IOPS

Reliability and Endurance

• Endurance Rating: 1 Drive Write Per Day (DWPD)
• Mean Time Between Failures: 2,500,000 hours
• Data Loss Protection: Supported

Expansion and Connectivity Options

• Host Interface: 1 × SAS 24Gb/s
• Supported Bays: 1 × 2.5-inch hot-plug bay

Broad Server and Storage Compatibility

This Dell enterprise SSD is fully validated for a wide range of Dell PowerEdge rack, tower, and modular servers, ensuring seamless integration and optimal performance.

Supported Dell PowerEdge Systems

• PowerEdge C6420, C6520, C6525, C6620
• PowerEdge HS5610, HS5620
• PowerEdge R350, R440, R450, R550
• PowerEdge R640, R650, R650xs, R6515, R6525
• PowerEdge R660, R660xs, R6615, R6625
• PowerEdge R740, R740xd, R750, R750xa, R750xs
• PowerEdge R7515, R7525
• PowerEdge R760, R760xa, R760xs, R7615, R7625
• PowerEdge R840, R860, R940, R940xa, R960
• PowerEdge T550, T560
• PowerEdge XE9680, XR7620
• PowerVault MD2424

Ideal Use Cases

• Enterprise databases and analytics platforms
• Virtualization and cloud infrastructure
• High-performance computing environments
• Read-heavy applications and content delivery systems

The Evolution of Server Storage: Why SAS-24Gbps is a Game Changer

The transition to SAS-24Gbps (SAS-4) marks a fundamental shift in enterprise storage architecture. For years, 12Gbps SAS and SATA SSDs served as the workhorses, but with CPUs, memory, and networking advancing at a rapid pace, storage risked becoming the weakest link. The Dell 345-BLFM directly addresses this with its 24Gbps interface, effectively doubling the available bandwidth per drive compared to the previous generation.

Bandwidth and Latency Benefits

This isn't just about theoretical peak speeds. In practice, the doubled bandwidth means a single drive can handle significantly more concurrent I/O operations, drastically reducing queue depths and latency for all connected devices on the same controller. For databases, this translates to faster query responses. For virtualized environments, it enables higher VM density with consistent performance. The 24Gbps interface is also backward compatible with 12Gbps and 6Gbps infrastructures, allowing for a phased upgrade path, though its full potential is realized in next-generation servers equipped with SAS-4 controllers.

Impact on Storage Array Design

From a system design perspective, the efficiency gains are profound. To achieve a target aggregate storage bandwidth, fewer 24Gbps drives may be needed compared to 12Gbps drives. This can lead to simplified configurations, reduced power consumption, and freed-up drive bays for future expansion. It future-proofs your investment, ensuring the storage subsystem is not the limiting factor for new applications for years to come.

Decoding the Read-Intensive 1DWPD Endurance Profile

Enterprise SSDs are categorized by their endurance, typically expressed in Drive Writes Per Day (DWPD) over the warranty period. The Dell 345-BLFM is specified as a 1 DWPD, read-intensive model. This is a crucial differentiator from write-intensive or mixed-use drives and defines its ideal application scope.

What 1DWPD Truly Means for Workloads

A 1 DWPD rating means that over its 5-year warranty, you can write the drive's full capacity (15.36TB) every single day. This equates to over 28 petabytes (PB) of lifetime writes. For context, this far exceeds the write patterns of most server workloads that are not purely transactional databases or high-frequency data logging. This endurance profile is meticulously balanced with NAND flash technology and advanced wear-leveling algorithms to deliver optimal cost-per-gigabyte for its target uses.

Optimal Workload Matching

Matching the drive's endurance to the workload is key to cost-effective infrastructure. A write-intensive drive (often 3-10 DWPD) is overkill—and more expensive—for applications where reads dominate. The Dell 345-BLFM’s 1DWPD is perfectly suited for workloads with a read-to-write ratio of 70/30 or higher. This intelligent matching prevents you from paying for endurance you will never utilize, while still providing a substantial, enterprise-grade safety margin for unexpected write activity.

Architectural Deep Dive: Components and Reliability

Beyond the interface and endurance, the intrinsic architecture of the Dell 345-BLFM is built for 24/7/365 operation in mission-critical servers. Every component is selected and validated for enterprise rigor.

NAND Flash and Controller Synergy

At its heart, this drive utilizes high-quality 3D TLC (Tri-Level Cell) NAND flash. Dell's firmware and proprietary controller are tuned specifically for this flash, managing tasks like garbage collection, bad block management, and read refresh with minimal impact on host performance. The controller also enables the full suite of enterprise features, including power-loss protection, end-to-end data path protection, and advanced error correction code (ECC).

Power-Loss Imminent (PLI) Protection

A cornerstone of data integrity, the PLI circuit ensures that in the event of a sudden power failure, the drive has enough stored energy in its onboard capacitors to complete any in-flight writes from the volatile cache to the non-volatile NAND. This prevents data corruption and is a non-negotiable feature for any enterprise storage device deployed in servers without guaranteed uninterrupted power supplies.

Ideal Applications and Deployment Scenarios

The specific characteristics of the Dell 345-BLFM make it a superior choice for a well-defined set of enterprise applications. Deploying it in these scenarios maximizes ROI and system performance.

Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence

Modern BI tools like Tableau, Power BI, and complex SQL queries demand rapid scanning of massive datasets. The high capacity (15.36TB) allows large fact tables and historical data to reside on incredibly fast storage, while the read-optimized performance and high bandwidth make aggregate calculations and joins execute swiftly, delivering insights faster to end-users.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Boot/Base Image Storage

In VDI deployments, the boot storm—when hundreds or thousands of virtual desktops start up simultaneously—is a notorious challenge. Storing the golden boot images and applications on the Dell 345-BLFM pool allows for near-instant provisioning and login times. The read-intensive nature is perfect, as the base images are largely static, with user writes being redirected to separate storage tiers.

Content Delivery and Media Streaming Servers

For serving large media files, streaming video, or hosting a content repository, high sequential read speed and low latency are paramount. The SAS-24Gbps interface ensures that multiple high-bitrate streams can be served concurrently from a single drive without buffering. The 2.5-inch form factor allows for high-density storage servers capable of holding petabytes of content in a single rack.

Consolidated Server Boot Drives

In hyper-converged infrastructure or dense blade server environments, using these drives as high-performance, high-capacity boot drives for hypervisors (like VMware ESXi or Microsoft Hyper-V) allows for rapid host reboot times and the local storage of multiple hypervisor instances or critical management virtual machines.

Integration and Management in the Dell Ecosystem

A significant advantage of the Dell 345-BLFM is its seamless integration within broader Dell EMC server and storage platforms. This is not a generic SSD; it is a Dell-engineered solution with deep firmware compatibility.

Dell OpenManage and iDRAC Integration

When installed in a compatible Dell PowerEdge server, the drive is fully discoverable and monitorable through Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) and Dell OpenManage Systems Management. Administrators can view drive health metrics, SMART attributes, temperature, predicted life remaining, and wear indicators directly from their management console. This provides proactive alerting and simplifies lifecycle management.

Predictive Failure Analysis and Firmware Updates

Dell's proprietary firmware includes enhanced telemetry. The drive can communicate subtle signs of wear or potential issues long before a failure occurs, enabling parts to be replaced proactively during a maintenance window. Furthermore, firmware updates for the SSD are delivered through standardized Dell update bundles (DUPs), ensuring compatibility and easy deployment alongside server BIOS and driver updates.

Comparative Landscape: Positioning in the Storage Tier

Understanding where the Dell 345-BLFM sits relative to other storage options clarifies its value proposition and selection criteria.

vs. SATA SSDs

While SATA SSDs offer a cost advantage, they are limited by the 6Gbps SATA interface and typically lack the same level of power-loss protection and enterprise-optimized firmware. SATA is a half-duplex interface, whereas SAS is full-duplex, meaning data can be read and written simultaneously. For any performance-sensitive server workload, the SAS-24Gbps drive offers significantly higher IOPS, lower latency, and superior reliability.

vs. NVMe U.2/U.3 SSDs

NVMe drives offer even lower latency and higher throughput than SAS by utilizing the PCIe bus directly. However, they command a price premium and may require different server backplanes and infrastructure. The Dell 345-BLFM SAS drive provides an excellent balance of high performance, high capacity, and proven, mature ecosystem integration at a compelling TCO for workloads that may not require the absolute lowest latency that NVMe provides.

vs. Lower-Capacity SAS Drives

The 15.36TB capacity is a key differentiator. Using higher-capacity drives reduces the number of devices needed to achieve a total storage pool, which simplifies management, reduces power and cooling overhead per terabyte, and maximizes the storage potential of each server chassis bay. It is the ideal choice for capacity-optimized, high-performance storage tiers.