SSD is becoming ubiquitous in both Client and Data Center markets. The requirements on function, performance and reliability are refreshed frequently. As a result, SSD design, especially the firmware, has been keeping upgrading and restructuring for the decade. 

The test makes the change under control. However, the firmware test is not as mature as the software test. We have well developed methodologies, processes and tools for software. But the embedded platform, where the firmware executes, only provides the limited resources on computation and memory. So, it is difficult to run full test in the native embedded environment. Practically, SSD vendors run system tests with 3-rd party software, consuming huge resources. The existed tools lacks the flexibility to make efficient tests against vendor's own features and flaws. SSD developers need an infrastructure to implement their test s or programs in low cost. Our pynvme is just the answer. 

The test-dedicated light-weighted NVMe driver is the most essential part of the solution, where we rely on SPDK. First, SPDK is reliable. It is designed and tested in large-scale Data Center. Second, SPDK is highly modularized. We can choose modules we need, and extend them with our own features. Last, but not the least, SPDK is active and open. People work for better quality and latest features, so we can focus on the features for testing. I even forget to mention the best-in-class performance.

As part of the SPDK community, pynvme also contributes to the up-stream. And another interesting side-effect is that, since SSD devices pass the test of pynvme s, they also pass the very first test of SPDK!