DataCenter 2020: Near-memory acceleration for data-oriented applications

In the years between now and 2020, we should expect continued exponential data growth [15][16]. A number of ongoing advances in storage: the transition to solid-state drives (SSDs), the scaling of NAND flash capacity, and advanced silicon packaging techniques will dramatically increase the capacity of storage subsystems over the same timeframe. This will significantly reduce the ratio of storage bandwidth to storage density. Consequently, the majority of data in 2020 will either be cold or will require near-memory acceleration to pull rich information out of the sea of big data. We argue that, increasingly over time, value lies not merely in the size of the data, but rather in what one can do with it.