Improving Database Performance Using a Flash-Based Write Cache

Abstract. The use of flash memory as a write cache for a database stored on magnetic disks has been so far largely ignored. In this paper, we explore how flash memory can be efficiently used for this purpose and how such a write cache can be implemented. We systematically study the design alternatives, algorithms, and techniques for the flash-based write cache and evaluate them using trace-driven simulations, covering the most typical database workloads.