ITTIA teams up with flash file system maker

15
Daniel Hornal writes “January 12, 2006 – Bellevue, WA – Recent innovations in flash memory technology have greatly increased the practical uses of flash memory. Aleph One, a British company focusing on embedded device development, has released YAFFS, a superior file system for storing data on flash. ITTIA is partnering with Aleph One to provide the best data solution for embedded devices requiring persistent storage.

YAFFS is available under both a commercial license and the GPL.

The companies have confirmed compatibility between their product lines and will work together to promote the use of their technologies. ITTIA’s products include the FUEL embedded database, and db.*, an open-source database management system.

Mobile devices and embedded systems that need to store persistent information have a limited number of choices. The shock resistance, power usage and smaller form factor makes flash memory a superior storage medium in most cases. However, developers using flash face some unique challenges. For example, writing to the same location on the flash disk too many times can damage that part of the memory. Developers must take these and other characteristics into consideration when working with flash memory.

In order to help developers overcome these challenges, YAFFS can either be used as a filesystem driver in the operating system, or be linked directly with FUEL to bypass the operating system – even if no operating system is available. This arrangement ensures that data is stored in an optimal format to take advantage of flash memory.

“We developed YAFFS to provide a high reliability/high performance embedded file system on NAND flash and are delighted that YAFFS has been selected by ITTIA as a partner for their FUEL database,” said Laurie van Someren, Aleph One’s General Manager. “We believe the products combine to provide a highly effective embedded data storage solution and look forward to further cooperation and developments.”

FUEL has been designed with enough flexibility to support the unique circumstances faced by embedded developers, such as persistent storage on a battery-powered (unreliably powered) device. Because FUEL is fast and small-footprint, it is a perfect match for mobile devices and embedded systems.

ITTIA and Aleph One are a natural match for other reasons as well. Both companies have a commitment to provide top-notch support at whatever level the customer needs, and can provide development services and support to ensure an optimal solution.

“We begin 2006 by emphasizing on meaningful business relationship and we are delighted to announce our solution offering with Aleph One,” said Sasan Montaseri, President of ITTIA. “Aleph One has served the embedded market for many years and our total solution adds special value to our customers.”

For more information about FUEL, visit www.ITTIA.com/fuel/.

For more information about Aleph One, visit www.aleph1.co.uk/”

Link: ittia.com