Dell 345-BKZW 960GB SAS-12GBPS Hot Plug 1DWPD Read-Intensive 2.5-Inch SSD

Overview of Dell 960GB Self-Encrypting SAS SSD 

The Dell 345-BKZW 960GB SAS Solid State Drive is engineered for enterprise-grade servers, delivering exceptional read-intensive performance, robust security, and seamless integration with Dell PowerEdge systems. Designed as a hot-pluggable 2.5-inch drive, this SSD ensures data reliability, speed, and ease of deployment in modern data centers.

Main Specifications

Manufacturer: Dell
Part Number: 345-BKZW
Drive Type: Internal Solid State Drive 

Technical Specifications

• Capacity: 960GB
• NAND Type: V-NAND TLC
• Form Factor: 2.5-inch
• Interface: SAS 3 (12Gb/s)
• Endurance: Read-Intensive (1 DWPD)
• Security: Self-Encrypting Drive (SED)

Performance Highlights

• Sequential Read: Up to 4150 MB/s
• Sequential Write: Up to 1450 MB/s
• Random Read: 595,000 IOPS
• Random Write: 75,000 IOPS

Connectivity & Expansion Options

• Interface: 1 x SAS 12Gb/s
• Compatible Bays: 2.5-inch Hot-Plug
• Effortless scalability with hot-swappable drive trays for minimal downtime

Physical Dimensions

• Height: 15 mm (+0, -0.5 mm)
• Width: 69.85 mm (+0.25, -0.25 mm)
• Length: 100.45 mm max

Compatibility with Dell PowerEdge Servers

This Dell-certified SSD is designed to operate seamlessly across a wide range of PowerEdge platforms, ensuring broad server compatibility and optimized system performance:

PowerEdge C Series

• C6420, C6525, C6620
• HS5610

PowerEdge R Series

• R340, R440, R450, R550
• R640, R650xs, R6515, R6525
• R660, R6615, R6625
• R740, R740xd, R7425
• R750xs, R7515, R7525
• R760, R760xs, R7615, R7625
• R840, R940, R940xa

PowerEdge T Series

T550

Key Advantages

• Enterprise-grade reliability and endurance
• Supports demanding workloads with 1 DWPD endurance rating
• Compact 2.5-inch form factor fits standard server trays
• Certified for seamless integration across multiple Dell PowerEdge models

Outline of Dell 345-BKZW 960GB SAS-12GBPS SSD 

The Dell 345-BKZW 960GB SAS-12GBPS Hot Plug 1DWPD Read-Intensive 2.5-Inch SSD represents a high-performance storage solution designed for enterprise and data center environments. Leveraging the latest SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) 12Gbps interface, this solid-state drive delivers exceptional read-intensive performance, providing a balance between speed, reliability, and endurance. Its hot-plug capability ensures minimal downtime during maintenance or drive replacement, making it ideal for mission-critical applications.

High-Performance Storage for Enterprise Applications

This Dell SSD category is engineered for demanding workloads that require consistent, high-speed data access. The 960GB capacity is ideal for:

Database operations requiring low latency and high IOPSVirtualization platforms where multiple virtual machines demand fast storage
Big data analytics applications needing rapid data throughput
Content management systems requiring reliable and quick access to large files

Benefits of Dell 345-BKZW SAS SSDs

Organizations rely on Dell 345-BKZW SSDs for enhanced performance and operational efficiency. These SSDs provide:

Enhanced Data Throughput and Low Latency

The SAS 12Gbps interface ensures higher data throughput compared to SATA SSDs, allowing faster read and write operations. For read-intensive workloads, the 345-BKZW SSD provides low latency, ensuring rapid access to frequently used data, which is critical for enterprise applications where delays can affect performance and productivity.

Hot-Plug Capabilities

Hot-plug functionality allows IT administrators to replace or add drives without shutting down servers. This feature is crucial in environments that require 24/7 uptime, such as:

Reduced Downtime

With hot-plug support, system maintenance becomes seamless. Drives can be swapped or upgraded while the server remains operational, significantly reducing downtime and maintaining high service availability.

Enterprise-Grade Endurance

The 1DWPD rating ensures that this SSD can handle a full drive write per day over its warranty period. This makes it suitable for read-heavy environments such as:

Performance and Reliability

The Dell 345-BKZW SSD delivers industry-leading performance designed for demanding workloads. Its SAS-12GBPS interface ensures sustained data transfer rates while reducing bottlenecks in high-traffic server environments. The 1DWPD rating guarantees that the SSD can handle heavy read operations without compromising longevity. Additionally, Dell's enterprise-class engineering enhances reliability with robust error correction algorithms and thermal management mechanisms.

High-Speed SAS Connectivity

Utilizing the SAS-12GBPS interface, this SSD provides a significant boost over traditional SATA drives. High-speed connectivity ensures faster access to critical business data, resulting in improved server responsiveness and reduced application latency. SAS connectivity is particularly advantageous in large-scale storage arrays, where high IOPS and consistent throughput are essential.

Optimized for Read-Intensive Workloads

Designed specifically for read-intensive operations, the Dell 345-BKZW SSD excels in environments where frequent read requests dominate. Typical applications include database query operations, virtual machine boot storms, and read caching for high-performance computing. This optimization not only enhances performance but also extends the drive’s lifespan, ensuring a cost-effective storage solution.

Enterprise-Grade Durability

Durability is a critical factor for enterprise storage solutions, and the Dell 345-BKZW SSD excels in this domain. Its 1DWPD endurance rating ensures consistent performance under heavy read workloads, while advanced error correction and wear-leveling technologies protect against data loss. Additionally, the drive's hot-plug capability allows IT administrators to replace or upgrade drives without downtime, maintaining business continuity and server uptime.

Hot-Plug Convenience

The hot-plug design of the Dell 345-BKZW SSD provides unmatched flexibility in dynamic data center environments. IT teams can replace failed drives or upgrade storage without powering down the system, significantly reducing maintenance windows. This feature is particularly useful for mission-critical applications where downtime can lead to operational disruptions or revenue loss.

Integration with Dell Servers

The SSD is fully compatible with Dell PowerEdge servers, ensuring seamless integration and optimal performance. Dell's server management tools, including OpenManage, enable administrators to monitor drive health, manage firmware updates, and optimize performance metrics. This tight integration reduces administrative overhead and ensures reliable operation across all enterprise workloads.

Advanced Data Protection Features

Data integrity and protection are paramount in enterprise storage environments. The Dell 345-BKZW SSD includes multiple features to safeguard valuable information:

Error Correction Code (ECC): Continuously monitors and corrects data errors to prevent corruption.
End-to-End Data Protection: Ensures data integrity from the host system to the SSD, mitigating the risk of data loss.
Power Loss Protection: Protects critical data during unexpected power interruptions, preventing potential file system corruption.
Wear Leveling: Distributes write operations evenly across the NAND cells to extend SSD lifespan.

Energy Efficiency and Thermal Management

The Dell 345-BKZW SSD is designed with energy efficiency in mind, consuming less power compared to traditional HDDs while delivering superior performance. Advanced thermal management ensures optimal operating temperatures, preventing overheating and maintaining consistent performance. These features contribute to a lower total cost of ownership and improved sustainability in enterprise environments.

Low Power Consumption

By consuming less energy, the Dell 345-BKZW SSD reduces operational costs and minimizes heat generation, which in turn lowers cooling requirements. Energy-efficient storage solutions are critical for data centers aiming to reduce their carbon footprint while maintaining high-performance operations.

Thermal Reliability

Equipped with thermal sensors and intelligent heat dissipation mechanisms, this SSD maintains stable performance even under heavy workloads. Proper thermal management ensures longevity, prevents throttling, and safeguards data integrity.

Use Cases and Applications

The Dell 345-BKZW 960GB SAS SSD is versatile, supporting a wide range of enterprise applications:

Virtualization: Provides rapid read access for virtual machines, ensuring smooth operation and faster deployment.
Database Management: Optimized for frequent read queries, ideal for SQL and NoSQL database environments.
High-Performance Computing (HPC): Accelerates data retrieval for simulation, modeling, and analytical workloads.
Enterprise Storage Arrays: Enhances performance and reliability in multi-drive configurations for mission-critical workloads.
Content Delivery: Enables fast access to static content, improving user experience in media and web applications.

Virtualization Efficiency

With the increasing adoption of virtualized environments, the Dell 345-BKZW SSD offers the performance required for high-density VM hosting. Its low latency and high throughput ensure that multiple virtual machines operate seamlessly without bottlenecks, supporting faster boot times and efficient resource allocation.

Database Performance Optimization

Databases often experience heavy read operations, especially in reporting, analytics, and query-intensive tasks. The Dell 345-BKZW SSD is designed to handle such read-heavy workloads with minimal latency. This capability allows enterprises to deliver faster data insights, improve customer response times, and support real-time decision-making processes.

Comparing Dell 345-BKZW SSD with Other Enterprise Drives

When selecting a storage solution, understanding the advantages of the Dell 345-BKZW SSD over other drives is critical:

Versus SATA SSDs: SAS-12GBPS provides superior data throughput, lower latency, and enhanced reliability.
Versus Higher Endurance SSDs: While optimized for read-intensive workloads, the 1DWPD endurance rating is sufficient for most enterprise applications without the higher cost of write-intensive models.
Versus HDDs: Offers faster read speeds, lower power consumption, and reduced physical footprint, resulting in significant operational efficiency.

Performance Advantage over SATA

SATA SSDs often struggle with high IOPS demands in large-scale deployments. The SAS interface of the Dell 345-BKZW SSD ensures more consistent performance, especially in multi-drive configurations. This makes it ideal for storage arrays and clustered environments where performance consistency is critical.

Cost-Effective Read-Intensive Solution

While some enterprise SSDs are optimized for write-heavy workloads, the Dell 345-BKZW strikes a balance between cost and performance for read-intensive tasks. Organizations can achieve high-speed access to critical data without overspending on unnecessary write-endurance features.