It’s always gratifying when you run benchmarks and discover your product actually does outperform the competition. Months and months of development effort went in to making Reliance Nitro and FlashFX Tera run flawlessly in an open source environment. We were pretty sure our transactional architecture beat the pants off YAFFS2, JFFS2, and UBIFS, but until you run the final benchmarks, you really don’t know for certain. Recently we ran tests on two platforms, a ConnectCore Wi-i.MX51 (Cortex-A8) and an NVidia Tegra 2 (Cortex ARM9). The Flash part used for all tests was a Samsung 512 MB part. The specific test used was IOZone, with a specified file size sufficient to be larger than the Linux cache, in order to better reflect the raw throughput. The results speak for themselves:

Also see an article weighing the pros and cons of JFFS2

If you’ve noticed the numerous posts lately on the Datalight blog regarding JEDEC and eMMC, you might be wondering why we’re so excited about this particular standard. There are many features that this “smarter” memory will enable for OEMs; In this post I’ll focus on one of those features in the eMMC specification –secure delete.

Securely deleting information on flash memory is more complicated than it seems. For one thing, files are constantly being moved around to ensure even wear of the flash, resulting in multiple copies of file data on the media. Furthermore, when a file is marked for delete, it is typically not physically deleted, rather the space is only marked as available to be overwritten. Until that happens, the “deleted” data is still present and recoverable on the media. In fact, the University of California San Diego Non-volatile systems lab has produced an in depth study of file deletion on flash memory, where they found significant data still present on the media even after deleting the files. A copy of the report can be found at: http://cseweb.ucsd.edu/users/swanson/papers/Fast2011SecErase.pdf

In order to securely delete a file on raw flash, you must use a controller that will either track every block where the file has been stored, or will overwrite the space the file was stored in each time it is moved. The latter describes exactly the secure erase and secure trim features found in the eMMC 4.41 standard. This means that the hardware will finally be capable of securely deleting files –brilliant! There is just one problem: Who has software to support this functionality? As of this writing, there is no file system which supports the feature. While an application can make a call to the media to delete a file securely, the file system may have a backup copy stored somewhere. Fact is, the file system must support the secure delete capabilities of the hardware in order for these features to function correctly.

If an OEM wants to take advantage of the secure erase and secure trim features, their application will need to communicate with the eMMC driver, which may differ from part to part. As the only software company that is an active member of JEDEC, we are excited offer support for quite a few eMMC features. File system support for secure erase and secure trim will be coming later this summer!

Learn more about Datalight Embedded File Systems

Today we released our newest version of RWD (Reliance Windows Driver) with support for Windows 7. This is very good news for manufacturers and users of devices that need exchangeability with a Windows desktop, but can’t or won’t compromise performance and reliability to get it. As Windows 7 is enjoying much stronger adoption than Vista, we anticipate strong demand for RWD as well (it also supports XP and Vista). Check out the official press release for more details on this new version of RWD.

Earlier this month (June 4th) SpaceX sent the Falcon 9 rocket on its maiden voyage from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station with a successful orbital insertion. Falcon 9 is a reusable spacecraft which will be used to resupply the International Space Station under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. We are delighted that SpaceX selected Datalight Reliance and FlashFX Pro to protect mission-critical data from the rigors of space travel, such as shock, vibration, temperature extremes and radiation. Emily Shanklin,Director, Marketing and Communications for SpaceX had this to say: “Datalight software enables reliable flash-based embedded computing for SpaceX’s upcoming Falcon 9 and Dragon spacecraft missions in the data-hostile conditions of space.”

Earlier this week we announced XCFiles, a design-ready exFAT-compatible file system for next-generation extended capacity SD (SDXC) cards. Visit Datalight.com to read the full announcement or learn more about our exFAT implementation

We just announced support for Linux Kernel Version 2.6.34. Read the full announcement here:  http://bit.ly/c3UqXk

Blackboard is the standard-bearer for student ID systems around the world. Their contactless cards serve as campus ID, building access, and point-of-sale accounts for meals and other services, and are rapidly replacing the old magnetic stripe systems. The cards and readers use a Windows Embedded CE-based platform. When Blackboard’s BSP provider learned that the systems would be responsible for keeping track of sensitive financial transactions, they recommended Datalight software to make certain that the system will function with bullet-proof reliability. To read more about our work with Blackboard, check out the full success story.

Recently we developed a sample project to demonstrate how to boot Linux from flash on an embedded system.  Booting NAND with a single (root) file system can be a challenge, even when using a NOR chip to initialize as this project did. So how did we do it? In order to simplify the process, we loaded our Datalight bootloader into the NOR flash and programmed the monitor that comes with the board to jump directly to it. So if you use the sample project with a Freescale i.MX31, a single command starts the loader and allows it to load the kernel and the initial RAM disk from flash managed by FlashFX Tera with Reliance Nitro. It will then read them into memory, jump to the kernel, and the kernel will start running code from the initial RAM disk which loads the FlashFX Tera and Reliance Nitro drivers into the kernel. Next, it mounts the flash as the root file system and the system is powered up and running. Within about ten seconds your i.MX31 is up and running with FlashFX Tera running the flash and Reliance Nitro running as the root file system. If you’d like to try it for yourself, we’ve included sample code for this project with our latest product release. In addition, our sample loader could just as easily be loaded into memory other ways.

Bothell, WA, – May 5, 2010 – Today Datalight announced support for Linux kernel versions up to 2.6.33, the most recently released Linux versions available. FlashFX Tera, the file-system independent flash memory manager and Reliance Nitro, the highly-reliable, high-performance file system offer much faster mount times than UBIFS, YAFFS, or JFFS2. In addition, the Datalight products boost write speed over the standard file systems and provide out-of-the-box support for over 300 different flash memory parts from all the leading suppliers. Linux is finding its way into more devices such as smart phones, automotive infotainment, and industrial equipment which require both responsiveness and 100% data reliability.

“With the growth in adoption of Linux for data-intensive embedded devices, OEMs need a flash file system that better supports their reliability and performance requirements.” said Roy Sherrill, Datalight CEO. “By supporting the most recent kernel versions of Linux we’re filling that gap in the market with a robust, commercial-grade solution backed by our reputation for responsive, high-quality support.”

FlashFX Tera supports the full range of flash technologies including NAND, NOR, and MLC NAND flash in a single driver. Its patented wear-leveling and bad block management extend the useful life of devices using flash. While FlashFX Tera can be used with virtually any file system, pairing it with Reliance Nitro provides an optimized data storage software stack to simplify system development.

FlashFX Tera 1.2 and Reliance Nitro 1.2 are available immediately from Datalight and the Datalight worldwide network of channel partners. Please visit us at http://www.datalight.com/partners/worldwide-sales-partners to find a reseller near you.

The Reliance family of file systems and FlashFX family of flash media managers comprise the Datalight flash file system solution. Reliance was designed from the ground up for high reliability applications. Dynamic Transaction Point™ technology gives developers full control over performance and data protection characteristics, protecting users from file system corruption, even after unexpected system interruption. Embedded applications can benefit from faster boot times that remain consistent for the life of the product, regardless of disk size. FlashFX™ Tera features pre-written support for over 300 flash parts, works with virtually any NAND controller, and features wear leveling, bad block management, and background compaction for unrivaled performance.

For information, contact:
Kerri McConnell, Director of Marketing
425.686.1069
kerri.mcconnell@datalight.com

We recently had the opportunity to work with Digital Payment to solve a NAND flash corruption issue by using the validation tools that come standard in FlashFX Pro. You’ve probably seen their shiny parking meters around town, including many remote locations that have no permanent power and no easy access to service. That’s why when Digital Payment learned of the reliability benefits of Reliance, they saw an opportunity to improve up-time and lower service costs. Reliability is just one of many reasons their parking meters are popular with parking lot owners and municipalities looking for dependable, user-friendly machines. Be sure to check out the full case study for more information about Digital Payment’s experience with FlashFX Pro and Reliance.