NVMe vs SSD Storage
Infrastructure
14.02.2025
7 min read
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Fast data retrieval is a need for the 21st century. The data transmission rate can greatly impact application response time, especially when it involves gaming, video editing, website hosting, AI, and machine learning.
SDDs evolved to overcome the shortcomings of hard drives. SSDs, in contrast to HDDs, utilize flash memory, which translates to performance. However, because of the SATA connection, standard SDDs failed to deliver high-performance storage solutions. That’s where PCIe and NVMe came in.
This guide provides insights on NVMe vs SSDs. Is SATA a suitable option? Is NVMe good for server and hosting needs? What are the different variants?
SSD Variants
There are several variants of solid-state storage, each with its unique characteristics and use cases.
Solid-state drives come in different forms utilizing different hardware interfaces ie. IDE/PATA, SATA, and PCIe.
Here are all the different variants of SSD available in the market:
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IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) / PATA (Parallel ATA): These SSDs are found in legacy systems. They use 40- or 80-pin connectors and are relatively slow because they are based on older technology.
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SATA(Serial ATA): In early 2000, the SATA became the industry standard. It uses 7-pin data and a 15-pin power connector. The generation of SATA interfaces matters. SATA I can offer 150 MB/s or 1.5 Gbit/s. SATA II and SATA III can offer 300 MB/s (~3 Gbit/s) and 600 MB/s (~6 Gbit/s) respectively. SATA SSDs are available in three distinct form factors: 2.5-inch, 3.5-inch, and mSATA.
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mSATA: The compact size of mSATA makes it a perfect fit for notebooks, laptops, and tablets.
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SCSI/SAS: SCSI can connect multiple devices to a single host adapter. It finds its application in legacy server racks. SAS is the recent version of SCSI. SAS can offer transmission rates up to 12 Gbps or 24 Gbps. Such speed enhancements make it suitable for data centers and enterprise storage.
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PCIe: PCIe establishes a fast connection directly to the CPU and underlying storage device, bypassing traditional interfaces. This direct connection makes high throughput possible. NVMe, utilizing PCIe, delivers ultrafast data transfer and improves application response time. NVMe can offer up to 2 GB/s or 4GB/s per lane. For instance, a 4-lane interface can reduce the transfer time almost by 4 times.
NVMe vs SSD
Standard SSDs are designed to interface through SATA, whereas NVMe SSDs leverage PCIe ports for enhanced performance.
PCIe transmits data through lanes, with each lane capable of transmitting data in both directions simultaneously (full-duplex).
Performance
An NVMe SSD can be 20 times faster than a normal SSD. The ‘e’ in Non-Volatile Memory Express refers to a PCIe bus.
Gen 4.0 NVMe SSD can deliver up to 7500 MB/s while Gen 5.0 NVMe SSD can double that speed reaching 14500 MB/s. Contrary to this, a SATA SSD can deliver up to 500 MB/s.
Despite the significant data transmission rate gap, it barely affects personal computing. However, in cloud and hosting solutions, it matters. When a server handles 1k simultaneous requests, high-speed SSDs shine with their I/O efficiency, boosting performance and ensuring smooth service even during peak demand.
Power
NVMe SSDs can consume more power than SATA SSDs, typically around 4-8 watts under load and 1-3 watts under idle conditions, due to the power-intensive PCIe interface.
Cost
Despite the slightly higher price of NVMe-enabled SSDs, this reflects their superior performance capabilities compared to SATA III SSDs.
NVME Advantages over a Normal SSD
- Parallel Data Transfer: NVMe leverages multiple lanes to transfer the data, unlike serial communication protocol, where only one bit of data can be transferred at a time. This in turn, improves data bandwidth and throughput.
- Occupies Less Space: NVMe comes in M.2 and U.2 form factor. M.2 drives are 22mm wide x 80mm long while the majority of standard SSD comes in a 2.5-inch form factor and has dimensions 69.85mm wide x 100mm long x 7mm (or 9.5mm) thick. With modern laptops and motherboards, you can connect two M.2 drives at the same time.
- Faster Speed: In the previous section, we already made a comparison of speeds offered by NVMe in contrast to normal SSD.
What to Look for in an NVMe Storage
It's important to note that NVMe SSDs can vary in performance, endurance, and functionalities, which can have a substantial impact based on the specific use case.
PCIe Gen 3 vs Gen 4 vs Gen 5
PCIe has evolved, with newer generations offering faster data transfer speeds and improved performance.
PCIe Gen 3 provides a maximum data transfer rate of 8 Giga transfers per second (GT/s) per lane, while PCIe Gen 4 doubles this to 16 GT/s per lane. PCIe Gen 5, the latest generation, further increases this to 32 GT/s per lane.
Gen 4 doubles the bandwidth offered by Gen 3. PCIe Gen 4 still holds the bet for consumer markets.
Form Factor
These drives come in different physical sizes.
- M.2: M.2 are small-size drives that fit directly into the motherboard, ideal for laptops and desktops. SATA SSD also comes with M.2 form factor.
- U.2: Used in server and enterprise environments, connects via PCIe slots and typically offers higher endurance. U.2 comes with a 2.5-inch form factor
- PCIe Add-in Cards (AIC): Larger and used primarily for server or high-performance applications, requiring a dedicated PCIe slot.
Heat Sink
Many high-performance drives come with built-in heatsinks to help dissipate heat. Some Gen 4 drives, like the Samsung 980 Pro or Western Digital Black SN850 come with a heatsink for improved performance.
Endurance (TBW or DWPD)
TBW (TerraByte Written) shows the total data that can be written to the drive over its lifespan, while DWPD (Drive Writes Per Day) indicates how often the entire drive can be written per day, typically over 5 years.
Hosting Aspect
Opting for NVMe-based SSDs instead of SATA SSDs in hosting and SEO can have a substantial effect on performance and user experience. A bad user experience can hurt SEO rankings and visitor engagement
At Hostman, you can grab NVMe-enabled cloud servers for $2 per month.
Latency
In a hosting environment, low latency is critical for ensuring fast and efficient data access and transfer. NVMe SSDs offer lower latency than SATA SSDs. This means faster response times for your website, especially in situations with high traffic or complex database queries.
Uptime
A high-performance drive is designed to provide reliable and continuous access to data over an extended period. It is built with enterprise-grade components and features that enable it to withstand heavy workloads and maintain its performance levels even under high-stress conditions. The drive may include features such as power loss protection, which helps ensure that data is not lost or corrupted in the event of a sudden power outage. Here, at Hostman, we provide 99.98% uptime.
User Experience
SEO involves not only rankings but also user experience. Hosting on NVMe-enabled servers can speed up website load times, keeping visitors engaged and potentially reducing bounce rates. For e-commerce stores, this could lead to improved conversion rates.
Conclusion
If you're running a smaller website with minimal traffic or non-resource-heavy content, you might not need to migrate just yet.
For SEO, speed is a critical factor. Google considers page load time and Core Web Vitals as ranking factors, meaning faster websites are more likely to rank higher.
If you're seeing slow page loads, frequent throttling, or lag during peak traffic times with traditional SSD hosting, NVMe hosting might be just the upgrade you need to avoid losing users and boost your rankings.
Similarly, if you run a high-traffic website, such as an e-commerce store, media platform, or blog with rich multimedia content, the performance boost from NVMe storage can be a game-changer.
Upgrading to NVMe web hosting can improve the website’s performance. With Non-Volatile Memory Express hosting, you get top-tier speed, reliability, and efficiency, far exceeding traditional SSD hosting. However, NVMe's power isn’t always necessary for every type of website.
Infrastructure
14.02.2025
7 min read
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Infrastructure
VMware Cloud Director: What It Is and How to Use It
VMware Cloud Director (formerly vCloud Director, or “vCD”) is a modern solution for cloud providers, mainly designed for building virtual data centers on top of physical infrastructure. The platform allows combining all of a data center’s physical resources into virtual pools, which are then offered to end users on a rental basis.
It integrates tightly with VMware’s own technologies: vCenter and vSphere. vCenter is a set of tools for managing virtual infrastructure, and vSphere is the virtualization platform for cloud computing.
Key Capabilities of VMware Cloud Director
Creation of virtual data centers (vDCs) with full isolation of virtual services and resources.
Migration of virtual machines (VMs) between clouds, and self-deployment of OVF templates.
Snapshots and rollback of VM changes.
Creation of isolated and routable networks with external access.
Integrated, tiered storage with load balancing between virtual machines.
Network security: perimeter protection and firewalling.
Encryption of access to cloud resources to secure the virtual infrastructure.
Unified authentication across all VMware services (single sign-on) so users don’t need to re-authenticate.
Deployment of multi‑tier applications as ready-made virtual appliances, with VMs and OS images.
Allocation of isolated resources for different departments within a single virtual structure.
How VMware Cloud Director Works
VMware Cloud Director uses a multi-tenant model. Rather than building a dedicated environment for every customer, it creates a shared virtual environment. This reduces infrastructure maintenance costs massively: for large cloud providers, savings can reach hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars per year, which in turn lowers the rental cost for end users.
Resource consumption model:
Using vCenter and vSphere, the provider aggregates physical resources into a shared pool called a “virtual data center” (vDC).
From that pool, resources are allocated into Org vDCs (Organizational Virtual Data Centers), which are the fundamental compute units consumed by customers.
VMware Cloud Director syncs with the vSphere database to request and allocate the required amount of resources.
Org vDCs are containers of VMs and can be configured independently. Customers can order different numbers of Org vDCs for different purposes, e.g., one Org vDC for marketing, another for finance, a third for HR. At the same time, interconnectivity can be established between these Org vDCs, forming a large, virtual private data center.
It’s also possible to combine Org vDCs into multiple networks. Additionally, within those networks, one can create vApps (virtual applications) made up of VMs, each with their own gateways to connect to Org vDCs. This setup allows building virtual networks of any architecture, isolated or routable, to match various business needs.
When such a network is created, the provider assigns a user from the customer organization to the role of network administrator. A unique URL is also assigned to each organization. The administrator is responsible for adding or removing users, assigning roles and resources, creating network services, and more. They also manage connections to services provided by the cloud provider. For instance, VM templates or OVF/OVA modules, which simplify backup and VM migration.
Resource Allocation Models in VMware Cloud Director
VMware Cloud Director supports several models for allocating resources, depending on how you want to manage usage:
Allocation Pool: You set resource limits and also define a guaranteed percentage of the shared pool for a user. This model is good when you want predictable costs but don’t need full reservation.
Pay-As-You-Go: No guaranteed resources, only consumption-based; ideal if usage is variable. The model is flexible and fits users who want to grow gradually.
Reservation Pool: You reserve all available resources; user requests are limited only by what the provider’s data center can supply. Reservation Pool is suited for organizations that need fixed performance and large infrastructure.
Useful Features of VMware Cloud Director
Here are several powerful features that optimize resource usage, routing, and tenant isolation:
Delegation of Privileges
You can assign network administrators from the users of each organization. These admins get broad rights: they can create and manage VMs, deploy OVF/OVA templates, manage VM migration, set up isolated/routable networks, balance VM workloads, and more.
Monitoring and Analytics
Cloud Director includes a unified system for monitoring and analyzing VM infrastructure: VMs, storage, networks, memory. All data is logged and visualized in a dedicated dashboard, making it easier to detect and resolve problems proactively.
Networking Features
Networking in vCloud Director supports dynamic routing, distributed firewalls, hybrid cloud integration, and flexible traffic distribution. Many of these features are now standard in the newer versions of Cloud Director. If you don’t already have some of them, you may need to upgrade your NSX Edge and convert it to an Advanced Gateway in the UI.
Dynamic routing improves reliability by eliminating manual route configuration. You can also define custom routing rules based on IP/MAC addresses or groups of servers. With NSX Edge load balancing, incoming traffic can be distributed evenly across pools of VMs selected by IP, improving scalability and performance.
Access Control and More
You can create custom user roles in the Cloud Director UI to control access tailored to organizational needs.
VMs can be pinned to specific ESXi host groups (affinity rules), which helps with licensing or performance. If Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS) is supported, Cloud Director can automatically balance VMs across hosts based on load.
Additional useful features include automatic VM discovery and import, batch updating of server cluster cells, and network migration tools.
25 November 2025 · 5 min to read
Infrastructure
Why Developers Use the Cloud: Capabilities and Advantages
Today, up to 100% of startups begin operating based on providers offering services ranging from simple virtual hosting to dedicated servers. In this article, we will examine the advantages of cloud computing that have led to its dominance over the “classic” approach of having a dedicated server in a separate room.
Cloud Use Cases
Typical scenarios for using cloud technologies include:
Full migration of a business application to a remote server. For example, enterprise resource planning or accounting software. These applications support operation via remote desktop interfaces, thin clients, or web browsers.
Migration of specific business functions. Increasingly, archival copies are stored in the cloud while software continues running locally. Alternatively, a backup SQL server node can be hosted remotely and connected in case the local server fails.
Implementation of new services. Businesses are increasingly adopting automated systems for data collection and analytics. For example, Business Intelligence (BI) technologies have become popular, helping generate current and comparative reports.
Interaction between local and cloud environments. Hybrid services are well established in large networks. For example, a retail store may operate a local network with an on-site server, receive orders from an online store, and send requests back to transport companies, and so on.This setup allows offline operation even if the internet is fully disconnected: processing sales, receiving shipments, conducting inventories, with automatic synchronization once connectivity is restored.
These examples represent foundational scenarios, giving developers plenty of room to innovate. This is one reason more and more coders are attracted to the cloud.
Advantages
Now let’s examine the advantages and disadvantages of cloud computing. Yes, the technology has some drawbacks, including dependency on internet bandwidth and somewhat higher requirements for IT specialists. Experienced professionals may need retraining, whereas younger personnel who learn cloud technologies from the start do not face such challenges.
Speed
Software development often requires significant time and effort for application testing. Applications must be verified across multiple platforms, resolutions, and device types. Maintaining local machines dedicated to testing is inefficient.
Cloud computing solves this by enabling rapid deployment of virtually any environment, isolated from other projects, ensuring it does not interfere with team development. High deployment speed and access to cloud services also encourage IT startups to launch almost “from scratch,” with minimal resource investment.
The advantages of cloud services are especially critical when development volumes periodically expand. Purchasing hardware consumes a developer’s most valuable resource: time. In the cloud, selecting a plan takes just a few minutes, and the setup of a remote host for specific tasks can begin immediately. Hardware resources on the remote server, such as CPU cores, memory, and storage, can also be easily adjusted.
Security
Building a private server is expensive. Besides the powerful machines, you will need backup power and internet lines, a separate room with air conditioning and fire protection, and security personnel to prevent unauthorized access. Cloud providers automatically provide all these features at any service level.
Other security advantages include:
Easier identity and access management (IAM).
Higher reliability for continuous business operations.
Protection against theft or seizure of storage devices containing sensitive data.
On a cloud server, users cannot simply plug in a USB drive to download files. Data does not reside on local machines, and access is controlled according to company policy. Users only see what their role allows. This approach reduces the risk of viruses and accidental or intentional file deletion. Antivirus software runs on cloud platforms, and backups are automatically maintained.
Cost Efficiency
Purchasing server hardware is a major budget burden, even for large corporations. Before the cloud boom, this limited IT development. Modern developers often need test environments with unique infrastructure, which may only be required temporarily. Buying hardware for a one-time test is inefficient.
Short-term rental of cloud infrastructure allows developers to complete tasks without worrying about hardware maintenance. Equipment costs directly impact project pricing and developer competitiveness, so cloud adoption is advantageous. Today, most software is developed for cloud infrastructure, at least with support for it.
Maintenance, storage, and disposal costs for IT equipment also add up. Hardware becomes obsolete even if unused. This makes maintaining developer workstations for “simple” desktop software costly. Offloading this to a cloud provider allows developers to always work with the latest infrastructure.
Convenience
Another cloud advantage is ease of use. Cloud platforms simplify team collaboration and enable remote work. The platform is accessible from any device: desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone, allowing work from home, the office, or even a beach in Bali. Clouds have become a foundation for remote work, including project management.
Other conveniences include:
Easy client demonstrations: Developers can grant access and remotely show functionality, or run it on the client’s office computer without installing additional components.
Quick deployment of standard solutions: Setting up an additional workstation takes only a few minutes, from registering a new user to their trial login. New developers can quickly join ongoing tasks.
Easy role changes: In dynamic teams, personnel often switch between projects. Access to project folders can be revoked with a few clicks once a task is completed.
This also applies to routine work: adding new employees, blocking access for former staff, or reassigning personnel. A single administrative console provides an overview of activity and simplifies version tracking, archiving, and rapid deployment during failures.
Stability
Another factor affecting developer success is the speed of task completion. Beyond rapid deployment, system stability is critical. On local machines, specialists depend on hardware reliability. A failure could delay project timelines due to hardware replacement and configuration.
Moving software testing to the cloud enhances the stability of local IT resources, particularly in hybrid systems. Cloud data centers provide Tier 3 minimum reliability (99.982% uptime) without additional client investment. Resources are pre-provisioned and ready for use according to the chosen plan. Development, testing, and operation are typically conducted within a single provider’s platform, in an environment isolated from client services.
Conclusion
Cloud technologies offer numerous advantages with relatively few drawbacks. Businesses and individual users value these benefits, and developers are encouraged to follow trends and create new, in-demand products. Virtually all commerce has migrated to the cloud, and industrial sectors, especially those with extensive branch networks and remote facilities, are also adopting cloud solutions.
25 November 2025 · 6 min to read
Infrastructure
PostgreSQL vs MySQL: Which Database Is Right for Your Business?
PostgreSQL and MySQL are among the most popular relational databases. In this article, we will examine the functional differences between them and compare their performance so that you can choose the database that is suitable for your business.
PostgreSQL vs MySQL
Despite the increasing similarity in features between PostgreSQL and MySQL, important differences remain. For example, PostgreSQL is better suited for managing large and complex databases, while MySQL is optimal for website and online-application databases because it is oriented toward speed. This follows from the internal structure of these relational database systems, which we will examine.
Data Storage in PostgreSQL and MySQL
Like any other relational databases, these systems store data in tables. However, MySQL uses several storage engines for this, while PostgreSQL uses only a single storage engine. On one hand, this makes PostgreSQL more convenient, because MySQL’s engines read and write data to disk differently. On the other hand, MySQL offers greater flexibility in choosing a data engine.
However, PostgreSQL has an advantage: its storage engine implements table inheritance, where tables are represented as objects. As a result, operations are performed using object-oriented functions.
Support
The SQL standard is over 35 years old, and only the developers of PostgreSQL aim to bring their product into full compliance with the standard. The developers of MySQL use a different approach: if a certain feature simplifies working with the system, it will be implemented even if it does not fully conform to the standard. This makes MySQL more user-friendly compared to PostgreSQL.
In terms of community support, the number of MySQL developers still exceeds those working with PostgreSQL, but you can receive qualified help in both communities. In addition, many free guides and even books have been written about PostgreSQL, containing answers to most questions. It is also worth noting that both platforms are free, but MySQL has several commercial editions, which can sometimes lead to additional expenses.
Programming Languages
Both systems support a wide range of programming languages. Among the popular ones are C++, Java, Python, lua, and PHP. Therefore, a company’s development team will not face difficulties implementing features in either system.
Operating Systems
MySQL is a more universal system that runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, and several other operating systems. PostgreSQL was originally designed for Linux, but with the REST API interface, it becomes an equally universal solution that operates on any OS.
Data Processing
PostgreSQL provides more capabilities for data processing. For example, a cursor is used for moving through table data, and responses are written to the memory of the database server rather than the client, as in MySQL. PostgreSQL also allows building indexes simultaneously for several columns. It supports different index types, allowing work with multiple data types. This database also supports regular expressions in queries. However, new fields in PostgreSQL can only be added at the end of a table.
Parallel data processing is better organized in PostgreSQL because the platform has a built-in implementation of MVCC (multiversion concurrency control). MVCC can also be supported in MySQL, but only if InnoDB is used. Concerning replication, PostgreSQL supports logical, streaming, and bidirectional replication, while MySQL supports circular replication as well as master-master and master-standby. Replication refers to copying data between databases located on different servers.
PostgreSQL and MySQL: Performance Comparison
Testing is fair only when comparing two clean, “out-of-the-box” systems. Indexed testing provides the following results:
Insertion: PostgreSQL is more than 2.7× faster, processing a 400,000-record database in 5.5 seconds versus 15 seconds for MySQL.
Inner join: PostgreSQL processes 400,000 records in 1.1 seconds, MySQL in 2.8 seconds: a gain of more than 2.5×.
Indexed sorting: PostgreSQL processes the same number of records in 0.9 seconds, MySQL in 1.5 seconds.
Grouping: For the same 400,000-record database, PostgreSQL achieves 0.35 seconds, MySQL 0.52 seconds.
Indexed selection: PostgreSQL is 2× faster: 0.6 seconds vs. 1.2 seconds.
When it comes to updating data, PostgreSQL’s update time increases gradually as the number of records grows, while MySQL processes them in roughly the same time, starting from 100,000 records. This is due to different data-storage implementations. Nevertheless, PostgreSQL holds a significant advantage over MySQL even with large data volumes: 3.5 seconds versus 9.5 seconds for 400,000 records—more than 2.7× faster.
Without indexes, PostgreSQL also shows surprisingly high performance, processing a 400,000-record database in 1.3, 0.7, and 2.2 seconds for inner join, selection, and update operations, respectively.
Thus, PostgreSQL delivers an average performance advantage of about 2× (2.06). Although MySQL was originally positioned as a high-performance platform, constant optimization by the PostgreSQL development team has resulted in greater efficiency.
Advantages for Developers
Here we consider only the unique features characteristic of each platform. Therefore, we will not discuss support for MVCC or ACID, as these features are present in both systems.
From a developer’s perspective, MySQL is advantageous because it:
Provides increased flexibility and is easily scalable, with more than ten storage engines based on different data-storage algorithms.
Handles small read-oriented databases more efficiently (i.e., without frequent writes).
Is easier to manage and maintain, because it requires less configuration and fewer preparatory steps before starting work.
From a developer’s perspective, PostgreSQL is advantageous because it:
Offers an object-oriented approach to data, enabling inheritance and allowing the creation of more complex table structures that do not fit the traditional relational model.
Handles write-oriented databases better, including validation of written data.
Supports object-oriented programming features, enabling work with NoSQL-style data, including XML and JSON formats.
Can support databases without limitations on data volume. Some companies use PostgreSQL to run databases as large as several petabytes.
PostgreSQL and MySQL Comparison
For clarity, the main features of both systems can be presented in a table:
PostgreSQL
MySQL
Supported OS
Solaris, Windows, Linux, OS X, Unix, HP-UX
Solaris, Windows, Linux, OS X, FreeBSD
Use cases
Large databases with complex queries (e.g., Big Data)
Lighter databases (e.g., websites and applications)
Data types
Supports advanced data types, including arrays and hstore
Supports standard SQL data types
Table inheritance
Yes
No
Triggers
Supports triggers for a wide range of commands
Limited trigger support
Storage engines
Single (Storage Engine)
Multiple
As we can see, several features are implemented only in PostgreSQL. Both systems support ODBC, JDBC, CTE (common table expressions), declarative partitioning, GIS, SRS, window functions, and many other features.
Conclusion
Each system has its strengths. MySQL handles horizontal scaling well and is easier to configure and manage. However, if you expect database expansion or plan to work with different data types, it is better to consider implementing PostgreSQL in advance. Moreover, PostgreSQL is a fully free solution, so companies with limited budgets can use it without fear of unnecessary costs.
24 November 2025 · 6 min to read
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