Samsung MZILT30THMLA-00007 PM1643 30.72TB SAS-12GBPS SFF SSD

Samsung PM1643 30.72TB SAS SSD

• Brand Name: Samsung
• Part Number: MZILT30THMLA-00007
• Drive Category: Internal Solid-State Drive
• Series Line: PM1643

Storage Specifications & Interface Details

• Total Capacity: 30.72TB
• Connection Type: SAS-12GBPS
• Drive Format: Small Form Factor
• Flash Architecture: Samsung V-NAND

Durability & Security Features

• Write Endurance: Rated at 1 DWPD (Drive Writes Per Day) over a 5-year lifecycle
• Data Protection: TCG Enterprise-level encryption support for secure storage

Performance Metrics & Speed Ratings

• Sequential Read Speed: Up to 2,100 MB/s – rapid access to large files
• Sequential Write Speed: Up to 2,000 MB/s – efficient data transfer
• Random Read IOPS: Delivers up to 450,000 input/output operations per second
• Random Write IOPS: Capable of reaching 70,000 IOPS – ideal for transactional workloads

Samsung PM1643 30.72TB SSD Overview

As a flagship offering in enterprise storage, the Samsung MZILT30THMLA-00007 PM1643 30.72TB SAS-12Gbps SFF Internal Solid State Drive sets a new benchmark for capacity, performance, and reliability. Tailored for demanding workloads in data centers, virtualization clusters, and high-performance computing environments, this category delivers unrivaled storage density in a compact 2.5-inch form factor. By leveraging Samsung’s advanced SAS-12Gbps interface, organizations can achieve sustained high throughput and low latency under mixed random and sequential I/O patterns. The PM1643 series embodies Samsung’s leadership in flash architecture and controller innovation, making it an ideal choice for mission-critical applications.

Enterprise-Grade SAS-12Gbps Architecture

The heart of the PM1643 category is its SAS-12Gbps interface, which provides a two-lane link capable of up to 1,200 MB/s per lane. By aggregating lanes, total potential bandwidth reaches 2,400 MB/s, ensuring data-intensive tasks execute without bottlenecks. Unlike SATA drives, SAS delivers full duplex communication and dual porting, offering redundancy crucial for 24/7 operations. Coupled with end-to-end data protection features, the SAS interface in this category guarantees both performance and uncompromised data integrity.

High-Speed

With sequential read speeds up to 2,100 MB/s and sequential write speeds above 1,700 MB/s, the PM1643 30.72TB SSD category addresses large-file streaming and backup tasks effortlessly. Its optimized data path and intelligent caching algorithms minimize stalls during burst writes and heavy random workloads. As a result, database maintenance, real-time analytics, and large-scale video editing workflows see significant acceleration. Organizations can scale horizontally without fearing I/O saturation, thanks to the consistent high-throughput profile.

Sequential Read/Write Performance

Designed for workloads that demand sustained data transfer, the PM1643 series achieves peak sequential read/write rates by employing Samsung’s 3D TLC V-NAND arrays and an optimized controller architecture. Sustained write performance remains stable even under prolonged heavy writes, making it suitable for log management and checkpointing in virtualized environments. This stability is a key differentiator when compared to consumer and even some competitor enterprise SSDs. IT teams can rely on consistent service-level agreements (SLAs) thanks to predictable throughput.

Random IOPS and Low Latency

In random read scenarios, the PM1643 30.72TB SSD delivers up to 400,000 IOPS, while random write IOPS hover around 50,000. These figures translate to sub-millisecond response times, optimizing user-experience for transactional databases, high-frequency trading platforms, and real-time analytics engines. Maintaining low latency under mixed workloads is achieved by parallelizing read and write queues across multiple NAND channels. As workloads intensify, prioritization features within the firmware ensure mission-critical I/O receives precedence.

Reliability, Endurance, and Data Protection

In enterprise environments, drive endurance and reliability are non-negotiable. The PM1643 category boasts an endurance rating of up to 3 Drive-Writes-Per-Day (DWPD) over a five-year warranty period, translating to a total of over 16 PB of writes. Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) exceeds 2 million hours, placing it among the most reliable SSDs in its class. Samsung’s proprietary power loss protection capacitors safeguard in-flight data during unexpected power interruptions, ensuring no data corruption occurs.

Endurance Ratings and Workload Profiles

Leveraging high-density 64-layer 3D TLC V-NAND, the PM1643 series sustains heavy write workloads in demanding applications such as email servers, OLTP databases, and caching layers. The endurance metrics are validated under industry-standard SAS Workload Test D.3, simulating real-world enterprise usage patterns. Businesses can confidently deploy these drives for mixed random workloads without fearing premature drive wear-out. Proactive wear leveling and advanced error-correction code (ECC) algorithms further extend usable device lifespan.

Data Integrity and End-to-End Protection

To counter silent data corruption, the PM1643 category implements end-to-end data protection, including T10-DIF for SAS commands and CRC checks across all data paths. The drive’s hardware-based ECC engine corrects multi-bit errors before they impact host operations, ensuring consistency over years of sustained use. Combined with dynamic thermal throttling, the category prevents performance deviation due to elevated operating temperatures. The result is a robust storage layer that meets stringent compliance and audit requirements.

Architecture and Controller Innovation

At the core of the PM1643 series lies Samsung’s proprietary dual-stage controller, engineered to maximize parallelism and minimize latency. This controller coordinates up to 32 NAND packages, each containing multiple die layers, to facilitate concurrent data paths. Intelligent firmware orchestrates garbage collection and wear-leveling in the background, ensuring minimal impact on foreground I/O. The drive’s power management algorithms dynamically adjust voltage and clock rates to optimize power efficiency under varying workloads.

3D TLC V-NAND Technology

Samsung’s 3D TLC V-NAND architecture stacks 64 layers of memory cells vertically, delivering high density without sacrificing performance. Compared to planar NAND, this 3D approach increases endurance per cell, reduces interference, and lowers power consumption. The PM1643 category leverages this technology to pack 30.72TB into a standard SFF-2.5” chassis, a feat unmatched by many traditional planar SSDs. The combination of high density and proven reliability makes it an ideal component for next-generation storage arrays.

Advanced Firmware and Flash Management

Custom firmware within the PM1643 series intelligently manages block allocation, wear leveling, and dynamic overprovisioning to sustain performance over time. Background operations such as static data refresh and erase operations are scheduled during idle periods, avoiding contention with host I/O. Adaptive read-disturb mitigation ensures data integrity for seldom-accessed blocks. These firmware capabilities translate into consistent QoS for both transactional and throughput-oriented workloads.

Subcategories and Variations in the PM1643 Family

While the MZILT30THMLA-00007 represents the highest capacity in the PM1643 line, the series also offers smaller options to fit diverse budgetary and performance requirements. The family includes 3.84TB, 7.68TB, 15.36TB, and 30.72TB variants, all sharing the same SAS-12Gbps interface and robust controller architecture. Each capacity tier targets specific use cases, from boot drives in dual-controller arrays to ultra-dense cache tiers in all-flash systems. Firmware uniformity across capacities simplifies management and integration.

Form Factor and Interface Choices

Although the SFF-2.5” variant is prevalent for its versatility, the PM1643 line also includes U.2 form factors compatible with modern server bays. Both form factors adhere to the SAS-12Gbps protocol, offering identical performance characteristics. Dual-port capability across these variants ensures high availability. Organizations can choose the physical interface that best aligns with existing infrastructure without compromising on feature set.

Use Cases

The PM1643 30.72TB SSD category excels in a wide range of enterprise applications. In hyperscale data centers, it serves as a bulk data repository for object storage and big data analytics. Financial institutions leverage its low latency for algorithmic trading platforms, where microseconds can determine competitiveness. Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) deployments take advantage of its high IOPS to deliver seamless user experiences to hundreds of simultaneous sessions. Even edge computing nodes benefit from its robust endurance and compact footprint.

Data Center and Hyperscale Deployments

Hyperscale operators harness the PM1643 series to reduce rack space, power, and cooling requirements by deploying fewer drives for the same total capacity. High-density storage servers with 24 or more 2.5” bays can host multiple 30.72TB drives, achieving over 700 TB per enclosure. This density simplifies network topologies and lowers capex per terabyte. Integrated telemetry allows remote monitoring of drive health and performance metrics at scale.

Virtualization and Cloud Infrastructure

In VMware, Hyper-V, and KVM environments, the PM1643 category sustains high virtual machine density with predictable performance. Provisioning thick or thin virtual disks on these drives delivers fast provisioning times and accelerated boot storms. Quality of Service (QoS) controls at the host level can throttle or prioritize I/O for specific VMs, leveraging the drive’s low latency and consistent IOPS. Cloud service providers benefit from reduced storage sprawl and streamlined maintenance windows.

Big Data, Analytics, and AI Workloads

Data scientists and analytics teams running Spark, Hadoop, or TensorFlow workloads require both high sequential throughput for training data sets and rapid random access for inference. The PM1643 series addresses these needs by blending high sustained bandwidth with robust random IOPS. In distributed file systems like HDFS, deploying these drives as cache nodes accelerates map-reduce job completion times. AI inference engines also see improved latency, ensuring real-time responsiveness in edge AI applications.

Integration, Compatibility, and Deployment

Seamless integration with leading server platforms and storage arrays gives the PM1643 category a deployment advantage. Certified with major OEMs such as Dell EMC, HPE, Lenovo, and Cisco, these drives appear as validated components in pre-qualified bill of materials (BOMs). Multi-vendor support reduces certification cycles for software-defined storage solutions, speeding time to production. Administrators can apply firmware updates and management policies centrally through established tools.

RAID Configurations and High Availability

When deployed in RAID arrays, the PM1643 series provides rapid rebuild times and predictable performance under degraded states. RAID-6 configurations safeguard against dual drive failures while delivering high usable capacity. Advanced rebuild acceleration features minimize degraded I/O impact, allowing businesses to meet strict uptime SLAs. The dual-port SAS capability further enhances availability by enabling path redundancy.

Software-Defined Storage Integration

Software-defined storage (SDS) platforms such as VMware vSAN, Red Hat Ceph Storage, and Microsoft Storage Spaces Direct leverage the PM1643 category for both caching and capacity tiers. SDS orchestrators recognize these drives’ performance profiles and automatically tier hot and cold data. Policymakers can define data placement rules to optimize cost-per-GB while maintaining response times. Native integration with controller APIs ensures granular health monitoring and automation workflows.

Proactive Health Monitoring

Continuous monitoring of wear indicators, temperature, and media errors is critical for preempting drive failures. Samsung’s management tools generate predictive failure alerts based on machine-learning algorithms trained on millions of drive-hours. Administrators can configure thresholds for proactive drive replacement, aligning with maintenance windows and minimizing unplanned disruptions. Historical performance trends also inform future capacity planning decisions.

Advantages

Adopting the Samsung PM1643 category yields tangible benefits in total cost of ownership (TCO), operational simplicity, and service levels. High capacity per drive reduces rack and facility footprint, lowering power and cooling bills. Predictable performance under diverse workloads streamlines capacity planning and avoids costly overprovisioning. The combination of endurance, data protection, and multi-vendor support mitigates risks associated with hardware failures and compliance audits.

Compliance Features

For industries governed by strict data security regulations, the PM1643 series offers optional self-encrypting drive (SED) with AES-256 bit encryption. Hardware encryption works without performance penalty, ensuring sensitive data remains protected at rest. Secure erasure features comply with DoD 5220.22-M and NIST SP800-88 guidelines, facilitating end-of-life asset retirement. Comprehensive audit logs capture access attempts and firmware changes for forensic analysis.

Comparison to Competing Enterprise SSDs

When compared to other 30.72TB-class SAS SSDs, the Samsung MZILT30THMLA-00007 stands out for its superior read/write balance and firmware maturity. Competing solutions may achieve marginally higher random write IOPS but often at the expense of sequential throughput or endurance. NVMe-based drives offer lower raw latency but require new infrastructure and may lack dual-port redundancy. The PM1643 category represents an optimal middle ground for organizations seeking robust features within existing SAS ecosystems.