SSD Cache on HPE Simplivity

[jeffersonnnunes]

I am preparing a technical document (RFP) for the acquisition of a hyperconverged computing (HCI) solution, but in this document I need to include the main hyperconverged computing manufacturers on the market.
I came across a situation related to disk storage cache, where other manufacturers have NVME cache, but in HPE Simplivity there is no storage cache, at least I didn't find anything in the official documentation that indicates the presence of cache in HPE Simplivity.
However, I cannot simply remove the cache requirement, as this opens the door for other competitors to provide their products without cache, which in their case is essential to use cache to improve performance. Other vendors also have real-time deduplication, compression, and global optimization, so I need to find a way to include HPE Simplivity without taking away from the others' performance.
Could anyone clarify for me whether HPE Simplivity really does not have a cache, or if it does in other, more robust versions? If it doesn't have a cache at all, what would be the name of the technology that replaces the need for a cache and how would it work? This way I will be able to adjust my RFP so that the main manufacturers can participate with their best equipment. If you could send links too I would be grateful.
Thanks!

[Sanika · Accepted solution]

Hi jeffersonnnunes,

HPE SimpliVity does not use a cache layer for its data services. Instead, it uses Data Virtualization Platform (DVP) that performs inline deduplication, compression, and optimization, significantly reducing its physical footprint on storage. This eliminates the need for a separate cache layer and reduces the I/O and network traffic, resulting in improved performance and efficiency. It may act as a "space-based cache" by minimizing the amount of hot data needing to be accessed frequently. Less data translates to faster reads and writes.
The DVP is implemented by a PCIe card called the HPE OmniStack Accelerator Card, which offloads the processing of data services from the CPU and memory of the host server. The card is available in different models and capacities, depending on the HPE SimpliVity platform.
HPE SimpliVity integrates solid-state drives (SSDs) alongside HDDs within each node. Data is intelligently placed on the appropriate tier based on access patterns. Frequently accessed data resides on the faster SSDs, acting as a "performance-based cache" while keeping costs manageable.

While these features may not be explicitly labeled as "cache," they collectively achieve similar performance benefits as follows:

1. Reduced latency for frequently accessed data
2. Faster I/O operations
3. Improved overall system responsiveness

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Sanika.

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