Due to consolidation of semiconductor fabs and NAND memory vendors in the last few years, Apple is tied to Samsung as one of its key DRAM and NAND memory supplier.
Facebook continues to advance the frontier of flash NAND SSD in servers and data centers. The article bellow discusses Flashcache and other open source projects.
"internally developed caching software, called Flashcache, to more efficiently use the thousands of solid-state drives (SSDs) that the social networking giant deploys to store frequently consulted data.
The newly releasedFlashcache 3.0is able to make better decisions about what data to cache, while reducing the amount of wear and tear on expensive flash disks."
Facebook continuesto push the boundaries of storage and server technologyin order to more quickly serve its billion users, and the results are being offered as open-source technology that can also benefit other companies.
Recently, Facebook updated its internally developed caching software, called Flashcache, to more efficiently use the thousands of solid-state drives (SSDs) that the social networking giant deploys to store frequently consulted data.
The newly releasedFlashcache 3.0is able to make better decisions about what data to cache, while reducing the amount of wear and tear on expensive flash disks.
The work aims to improve overall Facebook performance without unduly driving up operating costs.
“While the cost per GB for flash is coming down, it’s still not where it needs to be,” Mituzas wrote. Given the premium prices commanded for SSDs, Facebook doesn’t want to wear out these disks too quickly. “SSDs have limited write cycles, so we have to make sure that we’re not writing too much.”
Other open-source projects
Flashcache is one of a number of software projects that Facebook originally developed in house that the company has also released as open source. Earlier this year, for instance, the company alsoreleased a virtual machine, called HipHop, that speeds the processing of PHP code.
The company hopes that other organizations could reuse such programs as HipHop and Flashcache and eventually contribute to their further development. Like other open-source caching software such as memcache and Redis, Flashcache can be used to speed the responsiveness of a heavily visited website or popular Web application.
Facebookoriginally createdFlashcache to boost the responsiveness of the MySQL databases that store user data. The software can be loaded onto the Linux kernel as a module without making any changes to the kernel itself.
The idea behind Flashcache is to use SSDs to hold the material that is most requested by users. SSDs tend to be faster than traditional rotating platter hard drives, though they are also more expensive by the GB when compared to hard drives. So it would not be cost-effective for Facebook to store all of its data on SSDs, especially if the vast majority of Facebook user data is rarely consulted.
FACEBOOKFacebook found hotspots in its cache, where frequently consulted data could cluster in small areas, causing bottlenecks.
Although designed to work with MySQL and the MySQL InnoDB database storage engine, Flashcache can be used as ageneral caching mechanism for Linux systems.
Flashcache can also speed times it takes to write data to disk, from the user’s perspective, by saving newly updated data on SSD first and then writing it to the hard drives later.
The updated Flashcache module improves performance in read-write distribution, cache eviction and write efficiency.
Analyzing Flashcache performance, Facebook had found that most of its caches have a small subset of data that is read much more frequently than most of the other data.
With the previous version of Flashcache, 50 percent of a cache’s contents accounted for 80 percent of disk operations. Such a concentration of frequently consulted material could cause performance bottlenecks.
To improve Flashcache’s read-write distribution, the engineers developed a number of techniques to automatically position the data so that cache reads are distributed more evenly across the SSD. Now 50 percent of the cache accounts for 50 percent of the disk operations.
To improve the process of determining which data to move off the cache, a process called cache eviction, Flashcache switched from using the FIFO (first in first out) algorithm—in which the oldest data in the cache is removed first to make room for new data—to a LRU (least recently used) algorithm, which discards the data that hasn’t been requested for the longest period of time.
Improvements were also made in write efficiency.
Previously the software would write to disk only when it had a certain amount of data that was ready to be written. This resulted in uneven performance across different caches, however. So, Facebook engineers developed an approach that would write the cached data to disk whenever a copy of that data was requested by a user, which resulted in a smoother flow of write operations.
Thanks to these improvements, the updated caching mechanism has an average hit rate—or information that is requested by users that resides in cache—of 80 percent, up from 60 percent in the previous version. This means more data is served more quickly.
Updating the software has also slashed server I/O (input/output) required to read data by 40 percent, and reduced the I/O required to write data by 75 percent. For a company that is running thousands of servers, such a reduction in traffic can help make more efficient use of servers and keep hardware costs manageable.
The article below discusses "Apple’s Inc.’s new flagship product—the iPhone 5s—features some cutting-edge components that represent pioneering achievements for the smartphone market while maintaining a nearly identical cost compared to the iPhone 5.
The low-end version of the iPhone 5s with 16 gigabytes (GB) of NAND flash memory has a bill of materials (BOM) of $191"
" iPhone 5s to LPDDR3, ... Apple probably used this high-speed, cutting-edge memory—as opposed to the LPDDR2 employed in the original iPhone 5 and 5c—to support the fast processing speeds of the A7. Such performance comes at a price. The 1 GB of LPDDR3 costs $11.00, up from $9.50 for the same quantity of LPDDR2 in the 5c." Price of DRAM and NAND memory will have a strong impact on Apple profit margin in the future. Currently on the low end model memory cost is about 10% of iPhone 5s cost, while it is 20% of 64GB model. Looking at NAND memory price drop in the past, for example, the 16Gbytes of NAND flash in the iPhone 5 is estimated to cost $9.40, down dramatically from $19.20, based on pricing in October 2011. Any DRAM or NAND price drop will help Apple bottom line Ron Insightful, timely, and accurate semiconductor consulting. Semiconductor information and news at - http://www.maltiel-consulting.com/
Apple’s Inc.’s new flagship product—the iPhone 5s—features some cutting-edge components that represent pioneering achievements for the smartphone market while maintaining a nearly identical cost compared to the iPhone 5. The low-end version of the iPhone 5s with 16 gigabytes (GB) of NAND flash memory has a bill of materials (BOM) of $191, according to the preliminary results of a physical dissection of the device conducted by the Teardown Analysis Service at IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS), a leading global source of critical information and insight. When the $8 manufacturing expense is added in, the cost rises to $199. The compares to a $197 total cost for the original iPhone 5, based on the completed IHS teardown analysis from one year ago. “The iPhone 5s features a 64-bit apps processor, low-power Double Data Rate 3 (LPDDR3) DRAM, and a novel fingerprint sensor—features that have never before been seen in a smartphone,” said Andrew Rassweiler, senior director, cost benchmarking services for IHS. “In addition, it is very interesting to see that Apple continues to collaborate closely with suppliers to develop unique radio frequency (RF) solutions that give Apple a competitive edge.” The table below presents the preliminary BOM and manufacturing cost based on a physical dissection of the iPhone 5s conducted by the IHS Teardown Analysis Service. Note that the teardown assessment is preliminary in nature, accounts only for hardware and manufacturing costs and does not include other expenses such as software, licensing, royalties or other expenditures.
iPhone turns 64Although other smartphones have included 64-bit graphics processors, the 5s is the first model with a 64-bit applications processor, an innovation that has major implications for the iPhone and for Apple’s other product lines. “The move to the 64-bit apps processor is largely driven by the need for greater computational power to ensure that the smartphone’s fingerprint sensor works quickly and seamlessly,” said Wayne Lam, senior analyst for wireless communications at IHS. “The processor also boosts the performance of the iPhone 5s’s camera, allowing 120 frame-per-second (FPS) video and 10 FPS photo capture. This design change will likely set the stage for 64-bit processors to be used in upcoming Apple products, including new models of the iPad, the Apple TV and even MacBook Air PCs.” The 64-bit processor is part of the Apple-designed A7 apps processor, based on a core from ARM Holdings plc. The new 64-bit processor core is called “Cyclone,” as opposed to the 32-bit version used in the iPhone 5 and 5c, known as “Swift.” Despite the well-publicized feud between the companies, Samsung is the manufacturer of Apple’s A7. This likely is because Samsung has a license to ARM's 64-bit core. The A7 used in the iPhone 5s costs $19—significantly higher than the A6 used in the original iPhone 5 and 5c, which currently carries a cost of $13. Precious memoriesIn parallel with the upgrade to 64-bit computing, Apple has updated the memory of iPhone 5s to LPDDR3, marking the first time that the IHS Teardown Analysis Service has identified this advanced type of DRAM in an electronic product. Apple probably used this high-speed, cutting-edge memory—as opposed to the LPDDR2 employed in the original iPhone 5 and 5c—to support the fast processing speeds of the A7. Such performance comes at a price. The 1 GB of LPDDR3 costs $11.00, up from $9.50 for the same quantity of LPDDR2 in the 5c. Printing moneyThe addition of the fingerprint scanner also represents an increased hardware cost for the 5s. The user-interface segment of the 5s, which includes the fingerprint scanner, costs $15. This compares to just $8 for the user interface for the 5c, which has no fingerprint scanner. Battle of the bandsAnother major difference between the iPhone 5s and the original iPhone 5 lies in the RF transceiver, which has been updated to support more 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) bands. Like the iPhone 5c, the 5s uses Qualcomm’s WTR1605L RF Transceiver, which supports up to seven simultaneous LTE connections during operations. The original iPhone 5 utilizes the older RTR8600L RF transceiver, also from Qualcomm, which supported only five active LTE bands. Design stasisOne of the biggest-ticket items in the iPhone 5s gets no change: the display and touch-screen subsystem. Maintaining the same specification and the same suppliers for the panels as the iPhone 5 has helped Apple hold the line on its hardware costs for the 5s. Japan Display Inc., LG Display and Sharp have been the main display suppliers for the iPhone 5 for more than a year, allowing Apple to provide them the opportunity to enhance their manufacturing yields and efficiencies. NAND flash has also not made any significant advances with the 5s, and the amount of the memory content in the phone remains the same. The table below presents major component suppliers for the iPhone 5s.
Higher prices for higher-end phonesThe combined BOM and manufacturing cost for the midrange iPhone 5s with 32 GB of NAND flash is estimated at $208. The 64-GB model’s cost totals $218.
Along with the fingerprint sensor, the A7 is a major enticement for consumers to pick the 5s over the 5c.
The A7 is advertised as providing twice the performance of the 5 (and 5c)'s A6 processor.
The switch to the A7 marks the first use of a 64-bit processor in a smartphone. Based onAnandTech's review, it seems that the bulk of the A7's performance gains do not come from any advantages inherent to a 64-bit architecture, but rather from the switch from the outdated ARMv7 instruction set to the newly-designedARMv8.
The modern ARMv8 instruction set was designed for a 64-bit architecture. It does away with the legacy support of the last 20 years, which increases efficiency, improving performance without sacrificing battery life.
Teardowns provide a look inside a device and should not be used as disassembly instructions.
Featured Guide
This guide has been found to be exceptionally cool by the iFixit staff.
One…Three…G…Three…G again…S!…Four…Four again!…And another S!… Five!…S!...Five?!…C!
Thankfully Apple is in the technology business, not the education business. We can only imagine how jumbled pre-school students' ABCs and 123s would be if they were taught in Cupertino.
Crazy nomenclature aside, we were anxious to bite into this latest piece of phone fruit. So anxious, in fact, that we sent one of ourownto the land down-under to get one.
Join us as we dissect the latest iPhone; otherwise:
An iPhone release means a trip to the future—the iFixit teardown crew has traveled 17 hours forward in time to get the iPhone 5s early.
We want to send out a big thanks to our good friends atMacFixit Australiafor letting us use their office in Melbourne for the teardown. They stock Mac and iPhone upgrades/accessories, and also carry ouriFixit toolkits.
To cover all our bases, we confirmed with our best linguists that the 5s upside-down isstill the 5s.
Speaking of toolkits, for this teardown, we'll be using iFixit's brand-newPro Tech Screwdriver Set.
Looks like we found a Murata 339S0205 Wi-Fi module (based on the BroadcomBCM4334, according to Chipworks).
Again comparing our 16 and 64 GB models:
It seems that the Murata IC is the same between both iPhone 5s'.
The design of both logic boards may be identical, but slight differences in markings (e.g. 94V-0 on the rightmost, nonexistent on the leftmost) may indicate that Apple is manufacturing the 5s logic boards at multiple locations.
As we search for a much-anticipated M7 coprocessor, we begin to wonder if it actually is a separate IC, or if it is additional functionality built into the A7.
Maybe the "M" stands for "magical," the M7 is invisible, and Appledoesuse pixie dust to hold the device together. Or perhaps the "M" stands for "marketing"…
It's time to investigate the new kid on the block, and it's fly like anA7. Along with the fingerprint sensor, the A7 is a major enticement for consumers to pick the 5s over the 5c.
The A7 is advertised as providing twice the performance of the 5 (and 5c)'s A6 processor.
The switch to the A7 marks the first use of a 64-bit processor in a smartphone. Based onAnandTech's review, it seems that the bulk of the A7's performance gains do not come from any advantages inherent to a 64-bit architecture, but rather from the switch from the outdated ARMv7 instruction set to the newly-designedARMv8.
The modern ARMv8 instruction set was designed for a 64-bit architecture. It does away with the legacy support of the last 20 years, which increases efficiency, improving performance without sacrificing battery life.
We'll have to wait until we get inside the chip to find out who manufactured it.
Due to consolidation of semiconductor fabs and NAND memory vendors in the last few years, Apple is tied to Samsung as one of its key DRAM and NAND memory supplier. 
