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SSD Ditches CPU for File Smarts
29 Oct
Summary
- New SSD firmware handles file lookup and mapping.
- NFSv3 requests bypass host file systems via NVMe.
- FADU promises lower power and cost for AI storage.
South Korean designer FADU has introduced a File-Semantic SSD (FS-SSD) that processes file operations directly within its firmware, targeting the CPU overhead in AI storage. This approach eliminates the need for a host file system and block layer, allowing GPUs and DPUs to access files directly. The FS-SSD integrates NFSv3 requests into standard NVMe commands, enabling efficient data retrieval without host intervention.
FADU's innovation leverages a single file layer based on F2FS, consolidating file-to-block mapping and flash translation. This reduces write amplification by an estimated 63% compared to traditional setups. Preliminary tests showed FS-SSD achieving approximately 460,000 ops/s, significantly outperforming standard Linux NFS servers. FADU projects this technology could lead to a 42% decrease in power consumption and a 57% cost reduction per system.
