Kioxia 15.36TB CD8-R Series Read Intensive PCI Express Nvme Bics Flash TLC 2.5inch Solid State Drive SDF1E81GEB02T

Kioxia CD8-R Series: Redefining High-Capacity Read-Intensive NVMe SSDs

The Kioxia CD8-R Series is engineered to deliver enterprise-grade performance, endurance, and reliability for read-intensive applications. Within this advanced product family, the SDF1E81GEB02T – Kioxia 15.36TB CD8-R NVMe SSD stands out with its exceptional capacity, 2.5-inch U.2 form factor, and cutting-edge BiCS FLASH TLC 3D NAND technology. Built for data center environments and server infrastructures requiring optimal read throughput with minimal latency, this drive exemplifies the next generation of NVMe PCIe Gen4 storage solutions.

PCI Express NVMe Gen4: Blazing Fast Interface

The SDF1E81GEB02T leverages the PCI Express 4.0 (Gen4) interface, offering double the throughput of its Gen3 predecessors. With NVMe 1.4 protocol support, this SSD achieves remarkable levels of performance with minimal overhead. PCIe Gen4 ensures high-bandwidth communication between storage and the CPU, drastically reducing latency for read-intensive workloads like content delivery, data analytics, and real-time querying.

Benefits of PCIe Gen4 in Enterprise Environments

• Higher sequential read speeds—up to 6,500 MB/s.
• Increased IOPS performance for rapid query response times.
• Lower power draw per GB transferred compared to SATA or SAS.
• Efficient bandwidth allocation for multi-tenant workloads.

Backward Compatibility

The Kioxia CD8-R Series remains backward compatible with PCIe Gen3 slots, making deployment flexible even in legacy infrastructure, though performance will be limited to Gen3 capabilities.

BiCS FLASH 3D TLC NAND: Storage Density Meets Endurance

At the heart of the 15.36TB SDF1E81GEB02T is Kioxia’s proprietary BiCS FLASH 3D TLC NAND. This triple-level cell (TLC) flash architecture balances endurance, cost-efficiency, and data integrity, making it ideal for read-intensive enterprise storage solutions. Kioxia’s vertically stacked NAND technology enables higher densities with lower power consumption and reduced cell-to-cell interference.

BiCS FLASH TLC vs. QLC and MLC

• Greater reliability than QLC-based drives for critical workloads.
• More cost-effective than traditional MLC NAND with only a slight trade-off in endurance.
• Ideal for read-heavy environments where write cycles are limited.

2.5-Inch U.2 Form Factor for Scalable Deployment

The 2.5-inch U.2 form factor provides a compact yet scalable solution for rack-mounted servers and storage arrays. U.2 connectors allow hot-swappable capability, simplifying maintenance and replacement in dense storage environments. This form factor supports up to 15.36TB per bay, enabling significant capacity scaling without compromising performance.

Enterprise-Grade Flexibility

The U.2 interface is widely supported in enterprise-grade motherboards and RAID controller cards, ensuring plug-and-play compatibility across multiple platforms. Designed for high availability environments, the U.2 format ensures thermal efficiency and consistent I/O under high data throughput scenarios.

Read-Intensive Workload Optimization

Read-intensive SSDs like the SDF1E81GEB02T are purpose-built for scenarios with heavy data retrieval demands and relatively light write operations. This drive is engineered to handle a high volume of read requests with minimal wear on NAND cells, thereby extending its useful lifespan and maintaining consistent performance.

Performance and Endurance Metrics

The Kioxia 15.36TB CD8-R NVMe SSD offers industry-leading performance for its class. With sequential read speeds reaching up to 6.5GB/s and 4K random read IOPS exceeding 1 million, this SSD delivers enterprise-grade performance for high-availability, low-latency infrastructures.

Drive Life and Endurance Ratings

• Endurance: Rated for up to 1 DWPD (Drive Write Per Day) for 5 years.
• MTTF: Over 2.5 million hours for enhanced reliability.
• Power Loss Protection: Embedded capacitors ensure data integrity during sudden shutdowns.

Enterprise Reliability Features

Data integrity and reliability are non-negotiable in data centers, and the Kioxia CD8-R series includes several critical enterprise-level safeguards. From error correction to power fail protection, these drives ensure that mission-critical workloads remain secure and recoverable.

Advanced ECC and RAID Support

Enhanced Error Correction Code (ECC) and end-to-end data protection algorithms work in tandem to detect and correct potential errors before they affect system operations. The SSD is compatible with most hardware RAID controllers and supports native NVMe multipath I/O for high-availability deployments.

Thermal Management and Smart Monitoring

• Integrated thermal sensors for real-time temperature tracking.
• Thermal throttling safeguards to prevent overheating during peak loads.
• S.M.A.R.T. support for predictive failure analysis and system integration.

Scalability for Modern Data Centers

With 15.36TB of capacity per drive, data centers can scale linearly without increasing power or cooling costs significantly. This makes the SDF1E81GEB02T ideal for cloud service providers and hyperscalers who need consistent, low-latency access to massive datasets.

Space-Efficient Storage

Thanks to its high density, fewer drives are required to reach petabyte-scale capacity, reducing rack space requirements. Fewer drives also reduce the complexity of cabling and switching infrastructure in high-density environments.

Energy Efficiency and Environmental Considerations

The SDF1E81GEB02T is optimized for lower power consumption compared to mechanical HDDs and even some earlier-generation SSDs. This reduction in power draw contributes to a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) over the drive’s lifecycle.

Green Storage Technology

• Idle power modes reduce consumption when the drive is not active.
• Conforms to RoHS environmental compliance standards.
• Designed with lead-free and halogen-free materials.

Security and Encryption Support

Security remains a core focus for enterprise SSDs, and the CD8-R Series includes a range of features to protect sensitive data. This includes support for Self-Encrypting Drive (SED) options, TCG Opal 2.0 compliance, and secure erase capabilities.

Data Sanitization and Secure Erase

For organizations that need to decommission drives securely, the drive supports Instant Secure Erase (ISE), which cryptographically erases data in seconds. This is essential for data centers managing multi-tenant environments or rotating drives on a fixed lifecycle.

Firmware and Software Ecosystem

Kioxia provides enterprise-grade firmware management tools and APIs to streamline the monitoring, updating, and configuration of their CD8-R SSDs. The software stack integrates seamlessly with most Linux and Windows server environments.

Firmware Update Capabilities

• Supports in-band and out-of-band updates.
• NVMe-MI compliance for remote management.
• Command Line Interface (CLI) tools for automated deployments.

Compatibility and Interoperability

The SDF1E81GEB02T is validated for use across a wide range of OEM server vendors and enterprise-grade storage platforms. It offers support for major hypervisors, including VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, and KVM, making it ideal for virtualized infrastructures.

Certified Platforms

• Dell EMC, HPE, Lenovo, and Supermicro servers.
• Certified compatibility with VMware vSAN and Microsoft Storage Spaces Direct (S2D).
• Seamless operation in OpenStack and Kubernetes environments.

Key Advantages at a Glance

• Massive 15.36TB capacity in a 2.5-inch U.2 form factor.
• PCIe Gen4 performance with over 1M IOPS read throughput.
• BiCS FLASH 3D TLC for endurance and reliability.
• Ideal for CDN, cloud storage, streaming, and BI analytics.
• Comprehensive support for security, power loss protection, and enterprise firmware tools.