What is an all-flash array

What is an all-flash array?
By Janie Diaz, also available at Tintri
All-flash array is a series of flash memory drives utilizing nonvolatile solid state disk (SSD) storage with no
spinning disks, arms or heads. All-flash array offers better use of data center space and power, requires less staff
than hard disk drives (HDD), allows ultra-fast transfers for fastest data writing, reading and retrieving available
today and allows real-time analytics. All-flash array reduces latency events. All-flash array is the foundation for
virtual storage and enterprise applications of tomorrow.
The benefits of all-flash array are boundless. But, some of the favorite characteristics from fans of this
technology include lowering overhead, the ability to handle complicated workflows and high levels of inputoutput
(IO), and the ability to leverage real-time data to create predictive analytics.
Faster, smaller, better
An all-flash array is speedier and smaller than its HDD counterpart and offers more comprehensive operations.
Beyond providing storage for servers or data centers, they facilitate more robust server virtualization. Sure, you
can use it to quicken your access to important information, like patient files or the ups and downs of a fickle
stock market. But you can also keep information organized by type or size, by application or operating system
(OS) language and more.
Scalability and use in virtualization
In additional to benefiting large corporate entities, all-flash arrays are useful for the growing small or mediumsized
venture. It scales up very easily and makes adding additional storage a cinch. And, for organizations looking

toward a future with cloud for clients, all-flash arrays with virtualization-aware capabilities are the only answer.
Those arrays are geared toward housing the building blocks of cloud—virtual machines and containers—without
shuffling between LUNs and volumes.
Added benefits: no more worrying
When you use all-flash arrays and the right user interface (UI), you don’t need to worry about storage
capabilities, workload demands or suddenly unsupported HDD arrays. All-flash from Tintri solves these issues
with virtualization-aware storage (VAS). You won't need to bite your nails wondering about the software that
runs your arrays when you choose the Tintri Global Center (TGC) management console.
When you're operating cloud, you need all-flash arrays and VAS because the building block language of the
cloud is VMs and containers, not LUNs and volumes. To recognize the building blocks of cloud, you need a Web
services architecture, which connects to compute and network to apply automation policies and share data.
What’s next?
VM isolation through individual lanes
Prevent IO traffic jams by giving each VM its own lane. Speed up processes, preserve performance, and never
worry about the level of performance you're getting from each individual VM. Select quality of service (QoS)
settings for individual VMs as you wish, and enhance your overall system's agility and speed even more.
Multiple configurations for varied architectural needs
If you're worried about having a flexible architecture capable of scaling out as your venture grows, you can set
that concern aside with the Tintri T5000 All-Flash Array, which is available in nine configurations. These
architectures vary in capacity up to 308 TB, which uses groundbreaking 3D NAND, and as many as 32 VMstores
and 160,000 VMs. All these VMs and all-flash arrays are easily managed from TGC—a single central console for
managing your whole all-flash array and all the VMs within your architecture.
Greater automation through concurrent hypervisors
A quality all-flash array and VM management system allows your enterprise to run on the most granular level
possible. Using multiple concurrent hypervisors with deep integration for all-flash storage systems lowers
overhead through superior automation.
Know what's up with apps in real time
Find out where lags exist with the click of a mouse. With real-time analytics, you can find where latencies exist
on the VM level, which keeps you from losing time. That means you'll stay at the head of your class while
competitors use delayed statistics and outdated data. With Tintri, there’s no more wondering what just
happened because you’ll have all the real-time data you need about every event that occurs in every VM,
period.

Backup and recovery in a snap
With the click of a mouse, recover and back up individual VMs. Say goodbye to spreadsheets and conflicting,
outdated information and say hello to a simple user interface that allows you transfer VMs from one array to
another in no time flat.
T5000 All-Flash Array and the characteristics outlined above represent just one of many ways the world of data
storage is changing. There’s no denying these changes are made possible only through the existence of the allflash
array, especially when combined with VAS. Being able to manage your data, applications and other
information on the most granular level possible is where the future of data centers and storage is headed. Allflash
arrays are arguably the most important component for making this future possible.
The future of the all-flash array lies at the center of Tintri Cloud Enterprise. The Tintri T5000 allows you to
manage information at the VM level while offering the agility of public cloud from your private data centers. The
following five areas of management available through Tintri are what separates the future of all-flash arrays
from its past.