NVMe drives
For a deeper dive into NVMe technology, download the OVH/Intel® white paper
What is an NVMe disk?
Like traditional SSDs, NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) disks are based on NAND Flash memory. By sitting directly on top of the PCI Express bus, previously used by other devices like graphics cards, NVMe disks are not affected by the bottlenecks of the SATA interface.
Speed
The PCIe x8 connection delivers both increased read/write and bandwidth performance.
Consistency
The consistency of IOPS is important. Unlike commonly distributed NVMe disks, those integrated on OVH servers are "Datacentre" disks. They ensure stable and consistent performance.
Security
Intel Datacentre NVMe disks have protective mechanisms which ensure end-to-end data integrity.
Capacity
The storage capacity of NVMe disks available at OVH starts at 450 GB and goes up to 1.6 TB.
Performance
Bandwidth
Whereas a SATA III connection offers a maximum speed of up to 750 MB/s, a PCI Express lane delivers speeds of up to 985 MB/s. NVMe disks use 8 PCI Express lanes for communication, or up to 2.8 GB/s read speed (for an Intel DC P3700 disk).
Latency
PCI Express delivers a significant improvement in read/write performance, thus increasing the number of read/write operations per second (IOPS). For example, an Intel DC P3700 disk offers up to 460,000 read IOPS. Latency is around 20 us, compared to 5 ms for a traditional SSD disk.
Applications
Website
The improvement in read/write speed decreases page load time for websites which need a lot of disk access.
Database
Implementing a cache system on an NVMe that hosts a large database can greatly optimise access.
Big Data
Often very demanding in terms of response time (online advertising, real-time display, etc.), Big Data workloads take advantage of NVMe disks' lightning-fast response times.
HPC
For your most intensive write needs, Intel DC P3700 disks available on Premium Customisable HG/FS MAX deliver reduced computing time.
Available as an option on EG/SP/MG servers
Intel® SSD DC P3520 450 GB
Intel® SSD DC P3520 1.2 TB
Intel® SSD DC P3700 1.6 TB
Testimonial
Intel/OVH NVMe whitepaper
Go further and dive right into the heart of fast storage technology. From Flash storage cells to access protocols, this whitepaper details the principles, characteristics and applications of SSD and NVMe disks.