Video streaming is an easy-to-understand workload from the I/O perspective, right? It’s pretty obvious that it’s a workload heavy on long, streaming reads. The application can be modeled with a consistent read flow, and the software tests should be easy. However, an analysis of the real-world workload shows something very different. At the disk level, the reads turn out to be a rapid flow of 4k and 8k block reads from a solid-state-disk. Further, other processes on the system also add in a small amount of 4k and 8k writes in the midst of the reads. All of this impacts the application –and an SSD — which was likely heavily tested on the basis of long, streaming reads.
Understanding the real-world characteristics of a workload can be a significant advantage in the development of new hardware, new systems, and new applications. 
The SNIA Solid State Storage Initiative (SSSI) and SSSI member company Calypso Systems are providing an opportunity to build a repository of workloads for the industry to use for real-world testing, as outlined in a new SSSI white paper How to Be a Part of the Real-World Workload Revolution.
By going to the TestMyWorkload site, anyone can participate by providing a trace capture of an I/O workload that can be used by others to develop better products. The capture itself traces the block transfers, but does not capture actual data. Any workload replay would use representative blocks, so there are no concerns about data security or integrity from these captures.
The repository can be used by any participant to test hardware and software, and can help system vendors and users optimize configurations for the best performance based on real-world data. By participating in this effort, organizations and individuals can provide insight and gain from the knowledge of all the contributors.
Follow these three steps to be a part of the revolution today!
1. Read the white paper.
2. Download the free capture tools at TestMyWorkload.com.
3. Mark your calendar and register HERE to learn more in the free SNIA webcast How to Be a Part of the Real-World Workload Revolution on July 9 at 11:00 am Pacific/2:00 pm Eastern.
The SNIA Solid State Storage Initiative (SSSI) and SSSI member company Calypso Systems are providing an opportunity to build a repository of workloads for the industry to use for real-world testing, as outlined in a new SSSI white paper How to Be a Part of the Real-World Workload Revolution.
By going to the TestMyWorkload site, anyone can participate by providing a trace capture of an I/O workload that can be used by others to develop better products. The capture itself traces the block transfers, but does not capture actual data. Any workload replay would use representative blocks, so there are no concerns about data security or integrity from these captures.
The repository can be used by any participant to test hardware and software, and can help system vendors and users optimize configurations for the best performance based on real-world data. By participating in this effort, organizations and individuals can provide insight and gain from the knowledge of all the contributors.
Follow these three steps to be a part of the revolution today!
1. Read the white paper.
2. Download the free capture tools at TestMyWorkload.com.
3. Mark your calendar and register HERE to learn more in the free SNIA webcast How to Be a Part of the Real-World Workload Revolution on July 9 at 11:00 am Pacific/2:00 pm Eastern.
PIRL brings together software development leaders interested in learning about programming methodologies for persistent memories and sharing their experiences with others. This is a meeting for developer project leads on the front lines of persistent programming; not sales, marketing, or non-technical management.
PIRL is small, with attendance limited to under 100 people, including speakers. It will discuss what real developers have done, and want to do, with persistent memory. It will involve what worked, what didn’t, what was easy and hard, what was surprising, and what others can learn from the experience. Presenters are encouraged, and even expected, to show and write code live in the presentation in a comfortable and dynamic peer environment.
Possibilities for presentations include, but are not limited to:
• Experiences on a particular project
• Live code development showing new concepts
• Code challenges
• New tools for programming
All attendees will be provided access to a development environment to respond to code challenges, or to show their own work in small forums. This is intended to be a competition-free atmosphere for peers to network with each other to advance the use of persistent memory in the industry and academia. By combining many of the industry leaders with the academic lights driving practical applications of new technology, peers at PIRL will encourage forward progress for adoption of persistent memory in the marketplace.
Keynote speakers include key personnel from Dreamworks, VMWare, Oracle, Eideticom, and Intel.
PIRL will be hosted by the Non-Volatile Systems Laboratory at the University of California, San Diego. It will be held at Scripps Forum on July 22nd to 23rd, 2019, with optional events starting July 21st. Pre-registration will be $400.
We’re excited to present this new conference, and we’re excited for you to participate. Submit your presentation or code challenge idea today. 
Thanks to all who attended or listened on-demand to our recent SNIA Solid State Storage Initiative (SSSI) webcast on 
You can catch up on videos of Summit talks, along with the slides presented, 
The opportunity for widespread delivery of solid state storage using NVMe and software innovation in the storage space is ready to move the datacenter to new and more ambitious levels.
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