One of the standout enhancements in VMware Cloud Foundation 9 (VCF9) is Advanced Memory Tiering with NVMe. This a feature that fundamentally changes how we think about host memory capacity and cost efficiency. Rather than relying solely on traditional DRAM, VCF9 lets you leverage NVMe SSDs as a second memory tier, effectively expanding your available memory footprint without proportionally increasing hardware spend.
Why This Matters for Enterprise IT?
DRAM has long been one of the most expensive line items in a server BOM (specially lately) and memory tiering addresses this directly with the following options:
- Lower Hardware Cost per GB of Memory
By augmenting DRAM with lower-cost NVMe SSDs, organizations can effectively increase the host’s memory capacity without buying additional costly DIMMs. - Better Utilization & Consolidation
Workloads that historically would have required more servers due to memory constraints can now be consolidated onto fewer hosts, increasing CPU utilization and reducing per-VM infrastructure costs. - Real TCO Impact
Case studies show that memory tiering can lead to up to ~40% lower total cost of ownership (TCO) for many workloads, thanks to both lower hardware spend and greater consolidation density.
Practical Benefits of Memory Tiering and Choosing the Right Ratio
The real power of NVMe memory tiering in VCF9 is that you can tune it to match workload behavior and cost saving goals.
- 1 TB DRAM + 1 TB NVMe can become 2 TB total memory (1:1 ratio – safest entry point)
- 1 TB DRAM + 2 TB NVMe can become 3 TB total memory (1:2 ratio – aggressive consolidation)
- 1 TB DRAM + 4 TB NVMe can become 5 TB total memory (1:4 ratio – maximum cost efficiency)
Who Should Consider It?
- Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
- Middleware
- Mixed enterprise workloads
- Some databases
- Test/Dev Environments
- Highly overprovisioned environments
- Any other workloads where cold memory pages are common
As you can see, NVMe memory tiering is a strategic architectural enhancement that enables organizations to rethink memory economics. If you’re building or refreshing a VCF environment, memory tiering should be part of your cost and performance optimization strategy.
