There are many user reports related to data loss in NVMe SSD, and one thing is common in all those reports, unexpected power outages. In this article, we will discuss how prone are consumer SSDs to data loss due to unexpected power outages and how this affects the data in them. We will also explore how various hardware or firmware power loss protection (PLP) mechanisms counter data loss during such a scenario.
Power outages/cuts are unexpected, causing inconvenience and unforeseen data loss from our storage drives. SSDs are just like any other available storage media, susceptible to data loss. Let’s read further to know more about this.
Performance of SSDs During Shut Down & Sudden Power Outage
Before proceeding further, let’s understand how an SSD acts during normal and unexpected system shut down due to a power outage.
During a normal system shut down, the SSD’s drive controller gets a command known as Standby Immediate Command from the host ATA, which informs the storage drive about the upcoming power down sequence. As soon as the drive controller receives the command, the drive starts to flush or write the last data present in its DRAM cache (storage cache) into the NAND flash and update its mapping tables. The power is continuously supplied to the drive until this process is complete.
During a sudden power outage, the host ATA doesn’t get enough time to interact and deliver the command to the drive controller as the system unexpectedly shuts down. When this happens, the data present in the DRAM cache (Storage cache) gets lost as it couldn’t reach the NAND flash in time. What this means that due to an unexpected power cut, the drive was unable to flush or write the last data present in its buffer cache into the NAND flash, leading to loss of crucial data. In some cases, unexpected power outages can even corrupt an OS or render the NVMe SSD unresponsive.
SSD Failure Due to Unexpected Power Outage
As discussed earlier, the next-gen consumer SSDs come with various power loss protection (PLP) mechanisms baked into their firmware that help safeguard the data during a power outage. However, some NVMe SSDs still lack such mechanisms, which makes them susceptible to data loss due to power outage.
To test the associated power protection of NVMe SSDs, an avid tech enthusiast tested four randomly selected SSDs of various brands. According to his initial findings, two out of the four SSDs lost data after a deliberate power cut done by pulling out the power cable.
An in-depth analysis of the test further revealed that the simulated unexpected power cut-off resulted in the flushed DRAM data being lost data. However, the remaining two drives that were unaffected by this unexpected power cut retained the data. This test results pointed towards another thing, the usage of PLP in the consumer NVMe SSDs. The consumer NVMe SSDs are not equipped with power loss capacitors but many are equipped with firmware-based PLP/PLDP or power loss (data) protection mechanisms. These mechanisms safeguard the consumer-class drives and the contents in case of a sudden power loss.
Countermeasures to Avoid Data Loss During Unexpected Power Outage
The above test makes one thing clear - the enterprise SSDs come equipped with hardware-based power loss capacitors that help counter data loss in sudden power outages, while the consumer-class NVMe SSDs do not. But many of the latter ones employ firmware-based PLP or PLDP mechanisms or countermeasures that make these less vulnerable to data loss during a power loss. Here are some countermeasures listed below –
- Samsung uses Journaling, a method that keeps as much data intact as possible during an unexpected power outage. This method allows SSDs to keep a tab on the changes that were yet to be made using OS’s file system.
- Some manufacturers use Sensitive Circuitry that detects power fluctuations and outages, thereby triggering a DRAM flush prior to complete power loss.
- To safeguard the data and the system, users install UPS or Uninterrupted Power Supply unit with their desktop system to protect their NVMe SSDs from losing data during an unexpected power outage.
An Expert Data Care Solution
Countermeasures are an additional layer of security that helps us keep our data secured in cases like unexpected power outages. However, sometimes, these countermeasures fail, making the NVMe SSD vulnerable to data loss. In such cases keeping a professional data recovery software like Stellar Data Recovery Professional helps a lot.
Stellar Data Recovery Professional is a robust and intuitive software that users can use to recover their precious data from any storage media like HDD, SSD, NVMe SSDs etc., which got lost due to any reason like a sudden power cut. It has an easy-to-navigate UI and makes data recovery as simple as a cakewalk. Follow these simple steps to recover data lost from your SSD due to a power outage –
- Download and install Stellar Data Recovery Professional from its official website.
- Launch it. Once you are in, select the type of file/s you wish to recover.
- Select the storage media from where you wish to recover and click on Scan.
- Once the scanning is complete, you can preview the recovered files by clicking on Preview.
- If you are satisfied with the results, click on Recover and recover the files onto your desired external drive.
Note – If you cannot see the required files after the scan, you can perform a deep scan of the drive. During the deep scan, the software performs an in-depth search in various drive sectors to find the missing files.
Additional Data Care Tips
The countermeasures as mentioned above serve as an additional security layer safeguarding the data against data loss from an NVMe SSD due to an unexpected event like a power outage. Users can do their part to take data care up by a notch by following the tips we have compiled.
- Perform regular backup
- Enable TRIM Command
- Leave Some free space in the SSD
To Sum It Up
An unexpected power outage is an annoying factor that affects not just our work but also the data stored on our NVMe SSDs and other storage devices. In this article, we learned about how an NVMe SSD works during a normal shut down sequence and an unexpected power cut.
We also shed some light on various countermeasures incorporated by manufacturers to deal with sudden power cuts that lead to abrupt data loss. Finally, we looked at a real life data loss case during an unexpected power loss situation. We hope this article helped you understand how an NVMe SSD reacts to a sudden power cut and how you can avoid data loss in such a case.
A passionate writer, driven by his interest in everything tech, Keshav Katyal has always been captivated by the latest gadgets since childhood. His interest in gadgets grew when he got his first gaming console, the Nintendo Game Boy Advanced. Hours and days of tinkering with gadgets encouraged the inner geek in him who now loves writing about the latest technologies.
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