Optimize flash memory in Linux

Conclusions

A current Linux kernel comes with everything you need for optimal operation of an SSD. The Deadline scheduler is a useful option for many SSDs. When it comes to the trim command, the devil is in the details; you need to carefully consider your setup before regularly using trim. Documenting your own SSD's smart attributes makes sense. Additionally, power loss protection is essential for the enterprise, and when used with cache protection, it also offers performance advantages.

The following ToDo list highlights some important tasks for optimizing SSD performance:

  • Keep the SSDs' firmware as up-to-date as possible.
  • Set up over-provisioning.
  • Check the use of trim thoroughly and avoid it in case of doubt.
  • Use power-loss protection if possible.
  • Use the Deadline I/O scheduler, or use SSD mode if you deploy the CFQ Scheduler.
  • Document the smart attributes of your own SSDs and monitor the values.

Attending to these details will help you get the best possible performance from your SSDs.

Infos

  1. Partition alignment: https://www.thomas-krenn.com/en/wiki/Partition_Alignment
  2. Do I need Trim?: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/04/ask-ars-my-ssd-does-garbage-collection-so-i-dont-need-trim-right/
  3. Tuning Virtual Memory: https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/6/html/Performance_Tuning_Guide/s-memory-tunables.html

The Author

Georg Schönberger works as a system architect in the DevOps team at Xortex eBusiness. His work focuses on information security, monitoring plugins, and system automation.

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