400-AZVC Dell 1.92TB SATA-6GBPS Mixed Use SSD.

Dell 400-AZVC 14G 1.92TB Mixed Use TLC SATA SSD

Overview of Enterprise-Grade Storage Solutions

The Dell 400-AZVC represents the pinnacle of enterprise storage technology, specifically engineered for demanding server environments where reliability, performance, and endurance are non-negotiable. This 1.92TB Mixed Use TLC SSD combines cutting-edge flash memory technology with Dell's robust engineering to deliver consistent performance under the most challenging workloads.

Technical Specifications at a Glance

Capacity and Form Factor

With a formatted capacity of 1.92TB, this SSD provides ample storage for operating systems, applications, and frequently accessed data. The 2.5-inch hot-plug form factor ensures compatibility with a wide range of server configurations and allows for seamless replacement or addition without system downtime.

Interface and Performance

Leveraging the SATA 6Gbps interface, this drive delivers exceptional read/write speeds that significantly outperform traditional hard disk drives while maintaining broad compatibility with existing server infrastructure. The "14G" designation indicates optimization for Dell's 14th generation PowerEdge servers, though it maintains backward compatibility with earlier generations.

Performance Benchmarks

In controlled testing environments, the Dell 400-AZVC demonstrates consistent sequential read speeds up to 560MB/s and write speeds up to 510MB/s, with random 4K read IOPS exceeding 90,000 and write IOPS surpassing 35,000 under typical mixed workload conditions.

Latency Characteristics

With average read latency below 120 microseconds and write latency under 25 microseconds, this SSD ensures responsive performance for latency-sensitive applications, making it ideal for database operations, virtualization hosts, and transaction processing systems.

Mixed Use TLC NAND Technology

Understanding Mixed Use Designation

Unlike read-intensive or write-intensive SSDs, Mixed Use drives are engineered to handle balanced workloads with consistent write performance over the drive's lifespan. The Dell 400-AZVC employs Triple-Level Cell (TLC) NAND flash specifically optimized for mixed workloads, providing an optimal balance between cost, capacity, and endurance.

TLC NAND Advancements

Modern TLC technology has overcome earlier limitations through sophisticated wear-leveling algorithms, advanced error correction, and over-provisioning. Dell's implementation includes proprietary firmware enhancements that extend drive lifespan while maintaining performance consistency even as the drive approaches full capacity.

Write Endurance Specifications

With a Total Bytes Written (TBW) rating of 3.5 petabytes for the 1.92TB model, this SSD can withstand years of continuous operation in typical enterprise environments. This translates to approximately 5 full drive writes per day over a 5-year warranty period, far exceeding the requirements of most mixed workload scenarios.

NAND Architecture Benefits

The 3D NAND structure employed in this drive provides higher density, better performance, and improved reliability compared to planar NAND designs. The vertical stacking of memory cells allows for more storage capacity in a smaller physical footprint while reducing cell-to-cell interference.

Enterprise Features and Reliability

Power Loss Protection

Enterprise environments demand protection against data corruption during unexpected power events. The Dell 400-AZVC incorporates robust power loss protection circuits that provide sufficient holdup time to complete in-progress writes and commit data from volatile cache to non-volatile memory, ensuring data integrity across power cycles.

Advanced Error Correction

Utilizing a sophisticated Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) error correction code engine, this SSD can detect and correct a significantly higher number of bit errors than conventional BCH ECC implementations. This enhanced error correction capability becomes increasingly important as NAND cells wear over time and raw bit error rates naturally increase.

End-to-End Data Protection

From host interface to NAND media, the drive implements comprehensive data protection including cyclic redundancy checks (CRC) for data transfers and parity protection for internal data paths. This multi-layered approach prevents silent data corruption and ensures the integrity of stored information.

Thermal Management

Enterprise SSDs must maintain consistent performance without thermal throttling. The Dell 400-AZVC features an advanced thermal monitoring and throttling system that optimizes performance while keeping the drive within safe operating temperatures, even in densely populated server configurations with limited airflow.

Compatibility and Integration

Dell PowerEdge Server Compatibility

While optimized for Dell's 14th generation PowerEdge servers, this drive maintains compatibility with 13th and 12th generation systems, providing investment protection for organizations with heterogeneous server environments. The drive is fully validated with Dell's system management tools including OpenManage and iDRAC.

Operating System Support

The Dell 400-AZVC is certified for use with a wide range of server operating systems including Windows Server 2012 R2 through 2022, various Linux distributions (RHEL, SLES, Ubuntu), VMware ESXi, and Citrix Hypervisor. Dell provides regularly updated firmware through its support portal to address compatibility issues and enhance performance.

Virtualization Performance

In virtualized environments, this SSD delivers exceptional performance for hosting multiple virtual machines, with consistent I/O response times that prevent the "noisy neighbor" effect where one VM's storage activity impacts others. The drive's quality of service (QoS) characteristics ensure predictable performance for critical workloads.

RAID Configuration Considerations

When deploying multiple Dell 400-AZVC SSDs in RAID configurations, it's important to utilize RAID controllers with appropriate cache protection and to consider the impact of background operations like garbage collection on RAID consistency. Dell provides specific guidance for optimal RAID configuration with these drives in their technical white papers.

Use Cases and Application Scenarios

Database Servers

For database applications including SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, and PostgreSQL, the Dell 400-AZVC provides the consistent low-latency performance necessary for transaction processing and query execution. The mixed-use characteristics are particularly well-suited to database workloads that typically involve a balance of read and write operations.

Virtualization Hosts

In hyper-converged infrastructure and traditional virtualization environments, this SSD delivers the random I/O performance needed to support multiple virtual machines simultaneously. The drive's endurance characteristics ensure long-term reliability despite the write-intensive nature of virtualization workloads like snapshot operations and VM migrations.

Content Delivery Networks

For edge computing and content delivery applications, the Dell 400-AZVC offers the perfect balance of capacity, performance, and reliability. The drive can efficiently serve frequently accessed content while withstanding the constant write cycles associated with cache updates and content rotation.

Application Servers

From web servers to application servers running Java, .NET, or other frameworks, this SSD reduces application response times by eliminating storage bottlenecks. The consistent performance profile ensures that application performance remains predictable even during peak usage periods.

Comparative Analysis

Against Read-Intensive SSDs

While read-intensive SSDs offer lower cost per gigabyte for predominantly read workloads, they sacrifice write endurance. The Dell 400-AZVC's mixed-use design provides significantly higher write tolerance, making it suitable for a broader range of applications without compromising on read performance.

Against Write-Intensive SSDs

Write-intensive SSDs offer maximum endurance for the most demanding write scenarios but typically at a premium price point. For the majority of enterprise workloads that don't require extreme write endurance, the Dell 400-AZVC delivers the optimal balance of performance, endurance, and cost-effectiveness.

Value Proposition

The Dell 400-AZVC occupies the sweet spot in the enterprise SSD market, offering substantial performance improvements over hard disk drives and entry-level SSDs while avoiding the cost premium associated with ultra-high-endurance models. This makes it an ideal choice for general-purpose server storage across a wide range of business applications.