华为开发大型 72TB SSD - 磁带混合存储设备——第一代 MED 驱动器针对温存储和冷存储

Huawei's storage challenges and solutions: Due to being on the U.S. government's Entity List, Huawei has trouble getting hard drives from American companies. So, it develops its own storage technology called magneto-electric disk (MED).
- MED design and features: It integrates an SSD with a proprietary tape system in a single sealed unit. Can operate like a disk with block-based storage, combining high-speed SSD for warm data and slow tape for cold data. Contains about half the length of standard LTO tape for archival data and the tape moves automatically.
- Data management: Incoming data is written to SSD and then moved to tape. System has metadata maps in NAND for locating data blocks. SSD with FTL processes and manages data for warm storage.
Performance of MED: The first-generation MED holds 72 TB with only 10% of the power of traditional disk drives. In a rack setup, it can achieve 8 GB/s throughput, over 10 PB storage, and consume under 2 kW power, making it cost-effective and power-efficient.
Cost and efficiency advantages: Promises a 20% reduction in total cost of ownership compared to conventional tape systems. No robotic elements and reduced physical space requirements provide a high-density, low-power solution with reduced operational overhead.
Roadmap and future developments: Huawei's roadmap shows continuous improvements. A second-generation unit is planned for 2026 or 2027, expected to fit a 3.5-inch drive bay with a shorter tape and higher area density.
Impact on storage hierarchy: Reduces the traditional three-layer storage hierarchy to just two layers (SSD and MED), helping data centers and cloud providers manage storage more efficiently, reduce power consumption, and achieve quicker data access.
Application and exploration: Chinese cloud providers are already exploring adopting MED for archival storage. Huawei also works on SSD innovation with a planned 60 TB SSD using 3D QLC NAND and SLC cache to complement MED in high-capacity storage. Anton Shilov is a contributing writer at Tom’s Hardware covering various aspects of the tech industry.