A better practice is to let the drive's software automatically manage the SSD and HDD storage. 'This static allocation approach requires deep storage expertise, introduces operational complexities and would not optimally leverage the SSD investment,' Tevis said. While a hybrid drive's SSD and HDD storage functions can be manually configured and allocated to applications, that's generally not a good idea. However, 'if the SSD isn't effectively used by the application, you might be underutilizing the SSD and overpaying for the storage,' he said. 'If leveraged properly by an application, a hybrid drive can provide the high-performance benefits of an SSD at close to the lower costs of an HDD,' said Greg Tevis, vice president of global strategy at SaaS-based enterprise data protection technology company Cobalt Iron. Given that SSHDs don't require additional equipment to use, they're good options for both traditional and remote workforces.įor all their benefits, SSHDs also present some disadvantages. 'They also give you the choice to enable a 'host-hinted' option that will provide hints for you to manually program the device yourself, if you want more control over what gets moved into the separate cache,' Buhrkuhl said.

Additionally, most SSHDs come with self-optimization capabilities enabling the device to learn independently which files to cache for enhanced performance. The devices are typically packaged as single units. 'With vendors bridging disk and flash with cloud and, hybrid can combine local magnetic, flash and remote storage into blended services,' Hubbard said.īasic SSHD deployment is relatively simple. This approach enables hybrid drives to keep costs down while increasing flexibility and performance, he said.Īlthough cost is often the initial driver behind SSHD adoption, the idea of combining multiple storage technologies, each addressing a specific storage need, is becoming increasingly popular. Many hybrid drives automatically optimize the media mix based on usage, deduplication, automated backup and single point monitoring. 'All-SSD racks are too expensive and, on their own, they still don't provide the best capabilities of hybrid,' said Patrick Hubbard, principal head geek at IT management software provider SolarWinds.

Most SSHDs come with self-optimization capabilities enabling the device to learn independently which files to cache for enhanced performance.Ĭost savings is what drives most enterprises to consider SSHD adoption when making the hybrid drive vs.

Difference between ssd and sshd