KIOXIA’s Software-Enabled Flash Technology Now Available on GitHub

Flash Storage Development API Specification Delivers Unprecedented Digital Storage Host Control, Management

SAN JOSE, Calif., August 20, 2020 – Hyperscale and cloud applications are redefining the way the world works, plays and communicates – and their architects and developers just got a big helping hand. KIOXIA America, Inc. (formerly Toshiba Memory America, Inc.), today announced that an application programming interface (API) for its Software-Enabled Flash™ technology is now available on GitHub®. This new technology combines software flexibility, host control and flash native semantics to make flash easier to manage, more timely to deploy and more predictable in nature.

First announced at the 2020 Open Compute Summit in April, KIOXIA’s Software-Enabled Flash technology removes the barriers associated with legacy hard drive-based technologies to deliver an entirely new way to maximize the potential of flash. By fundamentally changing the relationship between solid state storage and the host in cloud environments, Software-Enabled Flash technology frees developers from narrowly defined “drive” behavior, which presents challenges for applications requiring control over workload isolation, data placement, and Quality of Service (QoS). Using the API specification, hyperscale flash storage developers realize the full speed and capability of flash with the ease of software definability.

Additionally, Software-Enabled Flash technology enables architects to maximize the benefits of their investments in solid state storage, including the unprecedented ability to freely and flexibly define storage behaviors between the host and the flash. This leads to benefits such as latency management and user-definable performance, as well as optimized flash health and endurance. The API abstracts generational differences, eliminating the need for developers to modify code with each new version of flash memory – thereby reducing development efforts and enabling the rapid deployment of new generations of flash memory.

“It is in the spirit of innovation and collaboration that we move forward with releasing the Software-Enabled Flash API for access and review,” noted Eric Ries, SVP, Memory Storage Strategy Division (MSSD), KIOXIA America, Inc. “We want the cloud computing and storage development community to benefit from all that this new technology has to offer. It opens the door for hyperscale storage developers to unleash the full potential of flash in their unique environments in a way that just isn’t possible with traditional storage methodologies.”

As an introduction to the Software-Enabled Flash development environment and key features, KIOXIA America, in conjunction with the LINUX® Foundation, will host a webinar titled, “Unlocking the Power of Flash with a New Open Source Software-Enabled Flash Technology” on August 26 at 11am PT. Click here to register.

Software-Enabled Flash hardware is compliant with PCIe® standards, enabling a large ecosystem and accelerating open innovation across multiple products. The API specification is available on the KIOXIA America, Inc. GitHub site:  https://github.com/KioxiaAmerica/SoftwareEnabledFlash.

For more information, please visit www.kioxia.com and www.SoftwareEnabledFlash.com.

About KIOXIA America, Inc.
KIOXIA America, Inc. (formerly Toshiba Memory America, Inc.) is the U.S.-based subsidiary of KIOXIA Corporation, a leading worldwide supplier of flash memory and solid state drives (SSDs). From the invention of flash memory to today’s breakthrough BiCS FLASH™ 3D technology, KIOXIA continues to pioneer cutting-edge memory solutions and services that enrich people's lives and expand society's horizons. The company's innovative 3D flash memory technology, BiCS FLASH, is shaping the future of storage in high-density applications, including advanced smartphones, PCs, SSDs, automotive, and data centers. For more information, please visit KIOXIA.com.

Notes:
PCI Express and PCIe are registered trademarks of PCI-SIG.

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  • Information in this press release, including product pricing and specifications, content of services, and contact information is current and believed to be accurate on the date of the announcement, but is subject to change without prior notice. Technical and application information contained here is subject to the most recent applicable KIOXIA product specifications.