Driven by an explosion of data creation and retention needs, hard-disk-drive (HDD) storage capacities and data-center densities are rapidly expanding thanks to a technology called shingled magnetic recording (SMR). Using a recording technology that overlaps data tracks like shingles on a roof, SMR HDDs will increase areal density and corresponding disk capacity beyond the 26-TB barrier within the same 3.5-in. HDD footprint.
Enterprises that adopt SMR technology and zoned storage can leverage higher-density storage systems and architectures compared to those using today’s conventional-magnetic-recording (CMR) HDDs. SMR drives deliver significant total cost of ownership (TCO) advantages relative to CMR for data centers and hyperscale cloud operators who want the highest-capacity drives while working within the existing form factor, performance, and power envelope of today’s CMR HDDs. SMR and CMR HDDs are available with SATA and SAS interfaces.