SSDs have become fast, except in the cloud (databasearchitects.blogspot.com)

Article summary

The article discusses how SSDs have become much faster in recent years, but this improvement has not been reflected in cloud storage, where speeds remain stagnant. The author notes that top data center SSDs can achieve high read and write throughput, but cloud providers like AWS have not increased their SSD performance in years. This discrepancy is surprising given the advancements in SSD technology and the potential benefits for customers. The article speculates on possible reasons for this stagnation, including intentional capping of write speeds and lack of demand for faster storage.

Main themes

• Cloud storage performance
• SSD technology advancements
• Virtualization and network overhead
• Cloud provider business models
• Storage optimization and troubleshooting
• Scalability and management tradeoffs
• Pricing and billing transparency

What commenters say

• Some commenters believe that cloud providers intentionally limit SSD speeds to manage wear and tear on devices and maintain quality of service.
• Others argue that the cloud providers' business models and existing investments in other storage services may be hindering the adoption of faster SSDs.
• A few commenters suggest that the demand for faster SSDs in the cloud may be limited, as many applications are not optimized to take advantage of high-speed storage.
• Some argue that the virtualization layer and network overhead in cloud environments inherently limit the potential performance of SSDs.
• A few commenters propose that smaller cloud providers may be able to offer better performance and value than the major players.
• Others note that the lack of transparency and control in cloud environments can make it difficult to optimize and troubleshoot storage performance.
• Some commenters believe that the benefits of cloud computing, such as scalability and reduced management burden, outweigh the potential drawbacks of limited SSD performance.
• A few argue that the cloud providers' pricing models and billing structures may be opaque and unfair, taking advantage of customers who are not aware of the underlying storage performance limitations.