Afterburner™

Unleashing Extreme Sequential Performance with SLC Cache Technology

Afterburner™ stands as an innovation from Exascend, designed to enhance the speed of sequential read and write processes through the implementation of SLC cache technology. While solid-state drives (SSDs) excel in rapidly retrieving data, composing new information can sometimes be comparably sluggish. This originates from the inherent nature of NAND flash memory, where writing necessitates the erasure of existing data in the targeted storage unit before inscribing new data. To expedite write operations, Exascend’s SSDs integrate the Afterburner™ technology.

At its core, Afterburner™ operates by allocating a segment of NAND flash memory storage units to operate in SLC mode. This mode enables each storage unit to store a solitary bit of data, a configuration that accelerates both writing and erasing processes. When the need arises to write data, it is initially placed within the SLC cache. Subsequently, the data is methodically shifted to other storage sectors, ensuring an optimal balance between performance and longevity.

Thanks to the attributes of SLC cache storage units, write operations can be completed more swiftly. Consequently, Afterburner™ technology significantly enhances SSD write performance. This enhancement makes Afterburner™ technology particularly suitable for small file storage by general users. Furthermore, Afterburner™ technology automatically moves data written to the SLC cache to 3D TLC NAND without affecting performance. Therefore, in scenarios without prolonged continuous write actions to the SSD, the write speed can be maintained in SLC cache mode.

In the context of regular usage, the application of Afterburner™ technology proves to be an effective strategy for enhancing SSD write performance. This advancement empowers SSDs to adeptly manage daily work-related write operations, thereby substantially enhancing overall system performance.