Non-volatile storage devices are a cornerstone of modern computer systems, allowing data to be stored even when the computer is powered off. Tape storage has been used since the 1950s, but it still exists today for certain applications due to its low cost and long shelf life. Hard disk drives (HDDs) were introduced in the 1970s and offer faster access times than tape storage, but are limited by mechanical components that can slow down data retrieval. Solid state drives (SSDs), on the other hand, store data electronically without mechanical components, offering much faster access times and lower latency. However, SSDs also have their own limitations, such as the need for careful data organization to minimize garbage collection and optimize performance. The shift from tape, disk, and solid-state storage has led to a new phenomenon: separating storage from compute, which can introduce significant latency deterioration due to network round trips. To overcome this issue, replication and direct-attached storage with automatic capacity management are being explored as solutions. Recently, PlanetScale announced Metal, an industry-leading solution that combines Vitess+MySQL cluster setup with direct-attached NVMe SSD drives for a full-fledged database platform with extremely durable data, scalable performance, and no artificial IOPS limits.