BLOCKBRIDGE SOFTWARE VERSION 6.1 RELEASE NOTES

Faster, Smarter, More Resilient Storage

We’re thrilled to introduce Blockbridge 6.1.0, a minor release packed with performance breakthroughs, cutting-edge caching strategies, and expanded ecosystem compatibility.

High-Impact Performance Upgrades

Cache Fill Threshold

For environments pushing the I/O envelope, smaller I/Os can now bypass caching entirely. This reduces memory thrashing and delivers cleaner performance under extreme IOPS workloads. Configurable from the controlplane via CLI and GUI.

Micro Optimizations Across the Stack

We streamlined data paths to reduce memory references, minimize cross-core contention, and cut processor cache misses. The payoff: lower latency and higher throughput. With 6.1, million-IOPS workloads are achievable at sub-100µs latency.

Uncached Read Efficiency

Uncached reads now skip a buffer copy in the decryption path, delivering up to 50% higher bandwidth per engine.

New Metadata Writeback Strategy

Our redesigned metadata writeback engine now fully overlaps memory copy operations with I/O, removing a key serialization bottleneck that previously limited throughput. Improved concurrency creates a more efficient, continuously flowing pipeline that keeps CPUs productive during I/O waits and significantly improves performance for allocating writes.

Clone Path Speedups

Thin clones now take an optimized shortcut when source and clone reside in the same engine. Perfect for dev/test environments where speed matters.

Upgrade and Startup Performance

Dataplane upgrades and startup times are significantly faster, especially in environments with thousands of virtual disks.

Next-Gen Caching & I/O Efficiency

Next Generation Buffer Cache

A redesigned caching layer now optimizes in-flight I/Os for CPU L1 cache residency, reducing latency and improving throughput consistency. In 6.1, this feature delivers a 25% performance boost in random 4K IOPS.

Local NVMe Preference

Low queue depth workloads now dynamically adapt to prefer local NVMe, reducing interconnect traffic and shaving off latency.

Strengthened Security & Network Controls

NVMe Authentication (DHCHAP)

Blockbridge 6.1.0 introduces full DHCHAP authentication support for NVMe on modern Linux kernels: an essential upgrade for secure, multi-tenant deployments.

Network Access Control

Gain tenant granular control over network interfaces, including VLAN binding and bandwidth path assignment. Ideal for hosting providers offering dedicated Proxmox clusters.

Enhanced Resilience & Recovery

NVMe Timeout Management

Controller timeouts for NVMe are now disabled across Proxmox, Kubernetes, and host-attached CLI scenarios. This removes a major source of unpredictability during extended network outages, smoothing recovery and failover behavior.

Topology-Aware Kubernetes Storage

Topology-Aware Provisioning

Our CSI driver now provisions volumes based on topology, whether datacenter, region, or zone! Topology support helps you build storage layouts that respect physical infrastructure and improve placement efficiency and availability..

Raw Block Volume Support

For databases, analytics engines, and latency-sensitive workloads, native CSI raw block support delivers maximum performance with zero filesystem overhead.

Platform Compatibility & Driver Updates

Proxmox 9 Support

Blockbridge 6.1.0 is fully qualified with Proxmox VE 6, 7, 8, and now 9, letting you adopt the latest feature sets with confidence.

TL;DR 6.1.0 at a Glance

  • Performance: Faster uncached reads, smarter I/O paths, quicker upgrades/startups.
  • Caching: Adaptive caching and NVMe optimization for lower latency.
  • Security & Control: DHCHAP for NVMe and tenant-level network access controls.
  • Resilience: Improved NVMe/TCP orchestration across Proxmox, Kubernetes, and bare metal.
  • Kubernetes: Topology-aware provisioning and raw block volume support.
  • Ecosystem: Full Proxmox 9 compatibility and simplified deployment