345-BLMN Dell 15.36TB 2.5-Inch-SFF Gen4 NVMe U.2 PCI-E SSD.

Dell 345-BLMN 15.36TB PCIe Enterprise SSD 

PCIe Gen4 NVMe Technology

The Dell 345-BLMN represents the pinnacle of enterprise storage technology, leveraging PCI Express 4.0 interface to deliver unprecedented data transfer speeds. This U.2 form factor SSD supports NVMe 1.4 protocol, providing significantly higher bandwidth compared to previous generation storage solutions. With theoretical interface speeds reaching up to 64 Gbps, this drive eliminates storage bottlenecks in data-intensive enterprise environments. The PCIe Gen4 implementation doubles the bandwidth per lane compared to PCIe Gen3, enabling faster data access and reduced latency for critical applications.

15.36TB Massive Capacity

Designed for storage-intensive workloads, this 15.36 terabyte capacity drive provides ample space for large-scale enterprise applications, databases, and virtualized environments. The substantial storage volume allows organizations to consolidate multiple workloads onto fewer drives, reducing overall storage footprint and complexity. This high-density storage solution is particularly valuable for big data analytics, video streaming archives, and scientific computing applications where massive datasets require immediate access and processing.

Form Factor 

The drive utilizes the industry-standard 2.5-inch U.2 form factor with dimensions of 70mm x 100mm x 7mm, ensuring compatibility with enterprise server chassis and hot-swap drive bays. The U.2 interface (formerly SFF-8639) provides both PCIe connectivity and sideband signals for enterprise management features. This physical design supports hot-plug capability, allowing for drive replacement and maintenance without system shutdown. The included drive tray ensures proper mounting and alignment within Dell PowerEdge server drive bays, maintaining optimal airflow and thermal characteristics.

Performance Metrics

Sequential Read and Write Performance

The Dell 345-BLMN delivers exceptional sequential read performance exceeding 6,900 MB/s and sequential write performance up to 3,800 MB/s. These high-speed data transfer capabilities accelerate data access for large file operations, backup and restore processes, and data migration tasks. The performance characteristics make this drive ideal for content delivery networks, video editing workflows, and scientific computing applications where large sequential data transfers are common.

Random Input/Output Operations

With random read performance reaching up to 1,000,000 IOPS (4KB blocks) and random write performance up to 180,000 IOPS, this SSD excels in transactional database environments and virtualized infrastructures. The high IOPS capability ensures responsive performance even under heavy multi-threaded workloads, supporting numerous concurrent users and applications without performance degradation. Quality of Service (QoS) features maintain consistent latency profiles, essential for meeting service level agreements in enterprise environments.

Dell PowerEdge Server Compatibility

14th Generation PowerEdge Server

The Dell 345-BLMN is fully compatible with Dell PowerEdge 14th generation servers including R740xd, R740, R740xd2, T640, and other models in the 14G lineup. These servers provide the necessary U.2 drive bays and PCIe Gen4 compatibility to maximize the drive's performance potential. Integration with Dell OpenManage systems management ensures comprehensive monitoring and management capabilities through familiar interfaces.

15th Generation PowerEdge Server

For PowerEdge 15th generation servers such as R750, R750xa, R7525, and T550, this drive delivers optimal performance leveraging the enhanced PCIe Gen4 architecture of the 15G platform. The drive is certified for use in both boot and data storage configurations, supporting various RAID implementations through Dell PERC controllers. Firmware compatibility and interoperability testing ensure seamless integration and reliable operation.

16th Generation PowerEdge Server

Compatibility extends to Dell PowerEdge 16th generation servers including R760, R760xd, and other 16G models. These latest-generation servers fully exploit the performance advantages of PCIe Gen4 NVMe technology, providing reduced latency and increased bandwidth for demanding enterprise workloads. The drive's thermal characteristics are designed to operate within the environmental specifications of modern data center cooling systems.

17th Generation PowerEdge Server

Forward compatibility with Dell PowerEdge 17th generation servers ensures long-term investment protection. As server technology evolves, this drive maintains compatibility with future PowerEdge platforms, providing a scalable storage solution that grows with organizational needs. The U.2 form factor continues as an enterprise standard, ensuring ongoing support in future server generations.

NVMe Management Interface

Through the NVMe Management Interface, administrators can perform firmware updates, security management, and diagnostic operations without interrupting production workloads. The drive supports namespace management, allowing logical segmentation of the physical capacity for different applications or tenants in multi-tenant environments. Sanitize commands provide secure data erasure capabilities for drive repurposing or end-of-life disposal.

Workload Optimization

Read-Intensive Application Suitability

As a read-intensive SSD, the Dell 345-BLMN is optimized for workloads where read operations significantly outnumber write operations. Typical use cases include database reporting, web content serving, virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) boot images, and data warehousing applications. The drive's architecture prioritizes read latency and throughput, delivering responsive performance for read-dominated access patterns.

Data Center Deployment Scenarios

Database Storage Tier

For database applications, the drive serves as an excellent storage tier for frequently accessed data, indexes, and transaction logs. The combination of high IOPS and substantial capacity supports large database instances with demanding performance requirements, reducing query response times and improving overall application responsiveness.

Big Data and Analytics

In big data environments, the drive accelerates data processing for analytics platforms, machine learning workflows, and business intelligence applications. The high sequential read performance enables rapid scanning of large datasets, while the random read capability supports efficient query processing and data mining operations.

Advanced Features and Technologies

Power-Loss Protection

Enterprise-grade power-loss protection circuitry ensures data integrity during unexpected power interruptions. This feature includes capacitors that provide sufficient backup power to complete in-progress write operations and flush volatile cache contents to non-volatile media. The implementation protects against data corruption and maintains write ordering guarantees even during power failure events.

Security Capabilities

The Dell 345-BLMN supports comprehensive security features including IEEE 1667 and TCG Opal 2.0 compliance for hardware-based encryption. With built-in AES 256-bit encryption, the drive protects data at rest without performance degradation. Sanitize commands provide crypto-erase functionality, instantly rendering all data inaccessible by deleting the encryption key. These security features help organizations meet regulatory compliance requirements for data protection.