NetApp Flash Cache

Use NetApp Flash Cache intelligent caching and SATA drives to optimize storage-system performance and efficiency.

Add NetApp® Flash Cache controller-attached PCIe intelligent caching instead of more hard disk drives (HDDs) or solid-state drives (SSDs) to optimize your storage system performance.

Flash Cache speeds data access through intelligent caching of recently read user data or NetApp metadata. No setup or ongoing administration is needed, and operations can be tuned. Flash Cache works with all NetApp storage protocols (SATA drives, SSDs) and software, enabling you to:

  • Increase I/O throughput by up to 75%[1]
  • Use up to 75% fewer disk drives without compromising performance[2]
  • Increase e-mail users by up to 67% without adding disk drives[3]

Intelligent caching and NetApp storage-efficiency technologies enable the Virtual Storage Tier, which promotes hot data to performance storage in real time without moving data.

Flash Cache modules are integrated as a standard feature in high-end NetApp storage systems. With 1TB of Flash Cache built in, your system can respond in real time to dynamic workloads.

Learn more about intelligent caching with Flash Cache (PDF).

Simulate the results of adding Flash Cache with Predictive Cache Statistics, a feature of the NetApp Data ONTAP® operating system.


[1] See WP-7082, "Using NetApp Flash Cache (PAM II) in Online Transaction Processing"
[2]See TR-3799, "Flash Cache in File Services Workloads"
[3]See TR-3867, "Using Flash Cache for Exchange 2010"