345-BKHY Dell 15.36TB Read-Intensive SAS-24Gbps SSD

Dell 345-BKHY Enterprise SSD: Unparalleled Performance

Enterprise-Grade Storage Solution

The Dell 345-BKHY represents the pinnacle of enterprise solid-state drive technology, specifically engineered to deliver exceptional performance in read-intensive server environments. This 15.36TB SAS SSD combines massive storage capacity with blazing-fast 24Gbps SAS connectivity, making it an ideal solution for data centers requiring high-throughput, low-latency storage for demanding applications.

Key Specifications at a Glance

Capacity and Form Factor

With a substantial 15.36TB capacity in a compact 2.5-inch form factor, this drive provides exceptional storage density for space-constrained server environments. The hot-plug capability ensures seamless maintenance and replacement without system downtime.

Interface Performance

Featuring SAS-24Gbps interface technology, the 345-BKHY delivers double the bandwidth of previous-generation 12Gbps SAS drives, enabling unprecedented data transfer speeds for enterprise workloads.

Detailed Technical Specifications

Storage Architecture

The Dell 345-BKHY utilizes advanced 3D TLC NAND flash technology optimized for read-intensive applications. This architecture balances cost-effectiveness with performance, delivering reliable storage for enterprise environments where read operations dominate the workload profile.

Performance Metrics

SAS Interface Details

The dual-port SAS-24Gbps interface provides full-duplex connectivity with enhanced signal integrity. This dual-port architecture ensures high availability and failover capability, critical for mission-critical server applications where uninterrupted data access is paramount.

Endurance Rating

With a 1 DWPD (Drive Writes Per Day) endurance rating, this SSD is engineered to handle consistent write workloads while maintaining optimal performance throughout its lifespan. This makes it suitable for applications requiring sustained write operations alongside predominant read activities.

Physical Specifications

Form Factor Compatibility

The 2.5-inch hot-plug form factor ensures compatibility with most enterprise server platforms and storage arrays. The hot-plug capability allows for drive replacement and expansion without powering down the entire system, maximizing uptime and operational efficiency.

Environmental Specifications

Designed for 24/7 operation in data center environments, the drive operates within standard enterprise temperature ranges and can withstand typical vibration and shock conditions encountered in server installations.

Performance Characteristics and Capabilities

Read-Intensive Workload Optimization

The 345-BKHY is specifically tuned for read-intensive applications, delivering exceptional random read performance that can reach up to 400,000 IOPS. This makes it ideal for database query operations, content delivery networks, and data analytics workloads where rapid data retrieval is essential.

Sustained Performance

Consistent Latency

Advanced flash management algorithms ensure consistent low latency even under heavy load conditions. The drive maintains predictable response times critical for performance-sensitive applications and service level agreement compliance.

Quality of Service

Enterprise-grade QoS features guarantee performance consistency across multiple simultaneous workloads. This ensures that critical applications receive the necessary resources to maintain optimal performance levels.

Data Transfer Performance

Sequential Performance

The SAS-24Gbps interface enables sequential read speeds exceeding 2,000 MB/s, allowing for rapid data transfer during backup operations, data migration, and large file access scenarios.

Random Performance

With high random read performance, the drive excels in database applications, virtualization environments, and other scenarios requiring rapid access to small blocks of data spread across the storage medium.

Enterprise Use Cases and Applications

Data Center Deployment Scenarios

The Dell 345-BKHY finds its optimal deployment in environments where read performance and capacity are primary considerations. Its balanced characteristics make it suitable for various enterprise applications requiring high-density storage with excellent read capabilities.

Database Applications

OLTP and OLAP Systems

In Online Transaction Processing (OLTP) and Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) environments, the drive's high random read performance accelerates query processing and data retrieval operations. The large capacity allows for housing substantial database instances on a single drive.

Data Warehousing

For data warehousing applications, the combination of high capacity and excellent read performance enables rapid analytics and reporting operations. The 1 DWPD endurance ensures reliable performance throughout extended ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) operations.

Virtualization and Cloud Infrastructure

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

In VDI deployments, the drive efficiently handles boot storms and user data access patterns. The high read performance ensures responsive user experiences while the capacity supports numerous virtual desktop instances.

Server Virtualization

For hyper-converged infrastructure and server virtualization platforms, the 345-BKHY provides the necessary performance density to run multiple virtual machines while maintaining service level objectives.

Content Delivery and Web Services

Content Delivery Networks

The drive's excellent sequential read performance makes it well-suited for CDN edge cache applications, where rapid content delivery to end users is essential for maintaining quality of experience.

Web Server Storage

For high-traffic web services and applications, the SSD accelerates page load times and dynamic content delivery, improving overall user satisfaction and engagement metrics.

Reliability and Data Protection Features

Enterprise-Grade Endurance

The 1 DWPD rating translates to the ability to write the entire drive capacity once per day over its warranty period. This endurance level ensures reliable performance for read-intensive workloads with moderate write components.

Data Integrity Mechanisms

Advanced Error Correction

Sophisticated ECC (Error Correction Code) algorithms protect against data corruption and ensure data integrity. The drive employs multiple layers of error correction to handle both random and burst errors effectively.

End-to-End Data Protection

Comprehensive data protection features include power-loss protection, which ensures data in transit is safely written to non-volatile memory during unexpected power interruptions.

Wear Leveling and Management

Dynamic Wear Leveling

Advanced wear-leveling algorithms distribute write operations evenly across all available flash memory cells, preventing premature wear on specific regions of the drive and extending the overall lifespan.

Bad Block Management

Intelligent bad block management identifies and retires failing memory cells, with spare capacity automatically replacing compromised areas to maintain performance and capacity specifications.

Environmental Durability

Designed for continuous operation in data center environments, the drive meets rigorous standards for temperature tolerance, vibration resistance, and mechanical reliability expected in enterprise storage systems.

Comparative Advantages in Enterprise Storage

Performance vs. Capacity Balance

The Dell 345-BKHY strikes an optimal balance between performance characteristics and storage capacity, delivering high read performance while maintaining cost-effectiveness for large-scale deployments.

Against Traditional Storage

Performance Advantages

Compared to traditional hard disk drives, the 345-BKHY delivers orders of magnitude higher IOPS and significantly lower latency, while consuming less power and generating less heat in the data center.

Total Cost of Ownership

While the initial acquisition cost may be higher than HDD alternatives, the total cost of ownership benefits from reduced power consumption, cooling requirements, and physical space needs.

Within SSD Categories

Read-Intensive vs. Mixed-Use

Compared to mixed-use SSDs, the read-intensive focus of the 345-BKHY provides better cost efficiency for workloads where write endurance beyond 1 DWPD represents unnecessary expense.

Capacity Optimization

The 15.36TB capacity point represents an optimal balance between storage density and performance, avoiding the potential performance compromises sometimes associated with maximum-capacity SSDs.

Technology Leadership

As part of Dell's enterprise storage portfolio, the 345-BKHY benefits from continuous innovation and refinement, incorporating the latest advancements in flash memory technology and storage controller design.