Data Backup Digest

If you've been keeping an eye on the niche of data storage as of late, you should already be well aware that the race for increased capacity, faster speeds and improved reliability is heating up. Engineers and developers are coming from all corners of the IT industry in order to throw their own offerings into the mix, but the latest announcement by Fixstars might be the biggest advancement we've seen in recent years.

Prompted by the lack of large-capacity SSDs, the team with Fixstars set out to pioneer an SSD that could compete with the current line of HDDs in terms of capacity. Their answer was the Fixstars Olive server, also known as the Ceph on Olive. A palm-sized device that comes equipped with a stunning 13 terabytes of storage space, the drive is taking the IT industry by storm.

Not only is this unheard of in the world of solid-state drives, but it's difficult for a single, disk-based HDD to reach such a high capacity. However, Fixstars' Olive device isn't simply a solid-state drive. In fact, Olive also includes a dual core CPU, 512MB of RAM, Gigabit Ethernet connectivity and a field-programmable gate array, or FGPA. Moreover, all of this functionality is packed into one 2.5-inch device.

To say that such a device could revolutionize the future of data storage is an understatement. In the past, SSD users had to sacrifice storage space in lieu of higher speeds. This meant building a system that utilizes numerous SSDs or, as an alternative, building a setup that include a combination of solid-state and hard disk technology. However, those who opt for the latter will still experience bottlenecks from their traditional HDDs.

About Ceph on Olive

Ceph on Olive is a phrase that is actually used to describe two separate technologies, each of which has been combined in the recent offering by Fixstars. The unique combination of these two technologies is what makes it capable for the server to achieve a capacity of 13 terabytes.

For starters, Ceph is simply an object-storage-based platform that works by storing digital data on a solitary distributed cluster. Nodes can be added later on, which makes Ceph a highly scalable solution. The software is also available for free at ww.ceph.com.

Olive is simply the name that has been given to Fixstars' new device. In that sense, the term Ceph on Olive is quite easy to understand. However, for the sake of brevity, many have taken to calling the new device Fixstars Olive, the Olive server, or simply Olive.

About Fixstars Solutions

While they might not have the most recognizable brand name, Fixstars Solutions has actually been around since 1999. Headquartered out of Sunnyvale, California, they are perhaps best known for the Yellow Dog Enterprise Linux for CUDA offering, which came out in 2010. Although they've had enjoyed some other technological advancements and product releases throughout the years, the team with Fixstars has remained relatively low-key until their latest announcement. Given the scope of their latest innovation, however, it's safe to say that their cover has been blown.