Overview of storage technologies: from FlashSystem to Unity XT

As digital technologies evolve, data storage requirements become more complex. High access speed, reliability, and scalability play key roles when choosing a storage system. HDD, SSD, NAS, SAN, or cloud solutions—which best suits your needs? In this article, we'll examine the main storage technologies, their benefits, and their applications.

IBM FlashSystem: speed, performance and cyber resilience

IBM FlashSystems are high-performance all-flash arrays that provide instant access to critical data, minimise latency and keep business applications up and running. Featuring advanced Flash Grid architecture, these systems enable centralised storage management, increasing the efficiency and flexibility of your IT infrastructure.

IBM FlashSystem benefits:

• High performance and speed. With low latency (<50µs) and maximum throughput of up to 800GB/s, IBM FlashSystem is ideal for demanding operations such as financial transactions, big data analytics and database workloads.
• Operational resiliency and scalability. Flash Grid provides AI-optimised load management, automatic resource balancing and continuous data migration between systems without downtime. This eliminates data storage islands and simplifies storage management.
• Cyber security and regulatory compliance. IBM FlashSystem supports automated encryption, rapid recovery from attacks and compliance with global cybersecurity standards: DORA, GLBA, FISMA, DPDP, NIS-2 and others.
• Reduce storage costs. IBM FlashSystem users report a 40% to 90% reduction in enterprise storage costs through optimised system performance and reduced physical hardware requirements.
• Energy and environmental efficiency. The new FlashCore modules deliver 30% more effective capacity per rack unit and consume 29% less power than competitive solutions.

This is the ideal solution for:

• Financial institutions - fast transaction processing and regulatory compliance.
• Analytics platforms - fast access to data and optimised performance.
• Cloud environments - scalability and continuous migration between systems.
• Enterprise data centres - centralised management of large volumes of data.

IBM FlashSystem is an innovative platform for businesses seeking maximum productivity, security and operational efficiency. Flash Grid, AI optimisation, and advanced cybersecurity features, deliver fast, reliable, and secure access to data, helping businesses scale risk-free.

Unity XT: versatility, scalability, and efficiency

Dell EMC Unity XT is a high-performance hybrid array with a unified architecture that supports block, file, and object storage. With embedded software, Unity XT simplifies data management, delivers efficiency, and increases performance at no additional cost.

Unity XT features:

• Unified architecture - Manages files, blocks and VMware vVOLs from a single pool of storage, with dual active controllers for high availability.
• Automated performance - Intelligent algorithms optimise storage performance and increase resource efficiency.
• Multi-cloud Ready - Supports integration with cloud platforms for rapid data migration and scalability.
• Security - Protect data with array-level encryption, strong access protocols, security monitoring and auditing systems.
• Affordability - Optimal price/performance with lower total cost of ownership (TCO).

Performance and scalability

Unity XT is available in a range of configurations, allowing you to choose a solution for any business need - from small businesses to large enterprise data centres.

Management optimisation and integration

• Unified management console - Unity XT provides an intuitive web-based interface with advanced self-service capabilities.
• Dell Live Optics - infrastructure analytics to help you assess performance, identify bottlenecks and optimise resource utilisation.
• Interactive Demos - test your ability to manage and work with Unity XT in a virtual environment.

Unity XT is a powerful hybrid system with high performance, scalability and cloud readiness. With advanced security, automated management and cost-effectiveness, Unity XT is the optimal solution for organisations looking to improve storage efficiency and minimise operational costs.

PowerStore: intelligent and scalable storage

Dell PowerStore is a high-performance workload consolidation solution that combines flash, software-defined storage and automation. With intelligent algorithms and adaptability, PowerStore delivers efficiency, scalability and reduced infrastructure costs.

PowerStore features:

Intelligent management. Automate storage with AI-optimised storage that simplifies administration and doubles the time to deployment.

• Scalability and performance. The NVMe and SCM architecture delivers up to 30% workload acceleration, making PowerStore the ideal choice for block, file, VMware vVols and container environments.
• Cost optimisation. With 5:1 data compression, PowerStore significantly reduces storage costs, minimises rack space and power consumption (up to 54% less).
• Reliable data protection. Built-in synchronous replication, Metro Volume and cloud integration provide continuous availability and zero data loss backup.
• Future-proof. Seamless upgrades without migration and the ability to modernise existing solutions with Universal Storage Import.

More than just storage, PowerStore is a key element of the IT infrastructure, delivering speed, security and efficiency for all workloads - from databases and virtualisation to containerised environments and artificial intelligence.

PowerFlex: software-defined storage for scalable infrastructure

Dell PowerFlex is a versatile software-defined infrastructure (SDI) that combines compute and block storage in a single integrated platform. With a flexible architecture, PowerFlex delivers scalability, performance, and adaptability for any IT environment, including containers, cloud platforms, and traditional data centres.

Key benefits of PowerFlex:

1. Flexible deployment and automation. PowerFlex supports containerised applications, DevOps processes and integration with AWS, Azure and OpenStack.
2. High performance. With linear scaling and low latency (sub-millisecond latency), PowerFlex optimises analytics, AI/ML and big data workloads.
3. Efficiency and resource savings. Up to 276% ROI in three years and 2x reduction in data usage with advanced deduplication technology.
4. Enterprise-class reliability. Up to 99.9999% availability for continuous operation of critical applications.
5. Continuous scaling. Ability to grow compute and storage independently without disrupting services.

PowerFlex configurations are available:

• PowerFlex Rack is a turnkey solution with integrated networking capabilities and full lifecycle support.
• PowerFlex Appliance is a scalable system with minimal integration requirements.
• PowerFlex Custom Nodes is a modular configuration for IT teams who want to customise their infrastructure.
• Dell APEX Block Storage for Public Clouds - delivers the same performance and reliability for on-premises and cloud deployments.

PowerFlex is the ideal solution for organisations looking for a scalable, efficient and reliable platform to manage complex IT infrastructures and workloads.

PowerScale: scalable file storage for AI and multi-cloud environments

Dell PowerScale is a high-performance, secure and flexible scalable NAS solution optimised for storing and processing structured and unstructured data. It provides fast access to large volumes of information and supports today's workloads, including artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), analytics, and multimedia content.

Key features of PowerScale:

• Accelerate AI computing. Integration with GPU servers and support for GPUDirect and NFSoRDMA for faster model training and large data processing.
• Universal data access. Support for multiple protocols, including S3, allowing you to work with single storage in distributed environments.
• Continuous scaling. Flexible architecture allows you to expand storage capacity without disruption, ensuring efficient resource management.
• Enterprise-class security. Government-grade data protection and built-in threat detection, including API-integrated ransomware detection.
• Resource Optimisation. Intelligent storage management that reduces storage footprint by up to 50% and accelerates data processing up to three times faster than the competition.
• Efficient management of large volumes of data. New MetadataIQ feature provides fast metadata search across geographically distributed storage.

Why choose PowerScale?

• Market Leader - Recognised as #1 in the IDC NAS Solutions Rankings.
• Proven performance - trusted by more than 16,000 customers, including more than 1,500 GPU computing organisations.
• Flexible configurations - a wide range of models (all-flash, hybrid, archive) for every task: from media files to heavy AI computation.

PowerScale is a comprehensive solution for organisations looking to work efficiently with large data sets, optimise AI workloads and provide reliable storage in a multi-cloud environment.

PowerMax: the ultimate in performance, security and automation

Dell PowerMax is the flagship enterprise storage solution that combines the highest levels of performance, automated management and advanced security. With an AI-enabled architecture, PowerMax delivers up to 50 per cent better response time, a 5:1 data reduction guarantee and an 82 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Key benefits of PowerMax:

1. Unmatched security. PowerMax adheres to the Zero Trust concept with built-in root-of-trust technology, immediate detection of malicious activity and fast recovery mechanisms in the event of an attack. It meets the most stringent security requirements (FIPS 140-2, STIG, DoD Approved Products List).
2. Automation and AI optimisation. Built-in AI analyses workloads, predicts system behaviour and performs self-healing. Dynamic cache optimisation minimises latency and ensures continuous performance.
3. Scalability and efficiency. With a modern scale-out architecture, PowerMax integrates seamlessly into virtualised environments and supports open systems, mainframes, file storage and IBM i. The latest NVIDIA BlueField DPU provides high-speed access to any SSD drive in the system.
4. Energy efficiency and Sustainable Storage. PowerMax reduces power consumption by up to 80% per terabyte and supports environmental monitoring at the array, rack and data centre levels.

The optimal choice for mission-critical and demanding workloads, PowerMax delivers advanced security, maximum performance and automated management.

Dell APEX Storage for Public Cloud and Dell APEX Cloud Platforms

Dell APEX Storage for Public Cloud and Dell APEX Cloud Platforms provide organisations with flexible, secure and scalable data management in hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

Dell APEX Storage for Public Cloud

Dell APEX Storage for Public Cloud is a comprehensive enterprise storage solution for public clouds that provides:

• Unified storage management for block, file, and backup data in the cloud.
• Compatible with AWS - the broadest portfolio of storage solutions in the ecosystem.
• Support for mission-critical workloads, including protection for more than 29 exabytes of data.
• Dell APEX Navigator - Simplify cloud storage management with a SaaS tool that provides centralised access to multi-cloud capabilities.

Dell APEX Cloud Platforms

Allows you to integrate on-premises resources with cloud platforms, providing:

• Flexibility - support a multi-cloud approach with the ability to integrate with Microsoft Azure and Red Hat OpenShift.
• Operational consistency - unified management processes regardless of location or environment.
• Control - optimal workload placement with strict security and compliance requirements.
• Innovative architecture - Leverage modern technologies to accelerate digital transformation.

Dell APEX provides an effective solution for organisations looking to simplify cloud infrastructure management while delivering high performance, data control and security compliance.

ECS: scalable object storage

Dell ECS is a high-performance, scalable and secure enterprise-class object storage optimised for archiving, backup, analytics and modern workloads, including artificial intelligence, machine learning and IoT.

Key features of Dell ECS:

• Unprecedented scalability. ECS can store data in exabytes and supports a single namespace, globally distributed architecture.
• High performance. Using advanced Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors and NVMe SSDs (on the EXF900), ECS delivers accelerated real-time query processing.
• Full compatibility with S3. Enables easy integration with cloud platforms and modern applications.
• Enterprise-level cybersecurity. ECS has built-in protection against threats, including data encryption (D@RE), erasure coding, fault tolerance, triple mirroring and fast recovery mechanisms.
• Cost-effectiveness. Reduce TCO by up to 76% compared to public clouds by optimising infrastructure and data management costs.

Dell ECS models:

• The EX500 is a balanced solution between storage density and cost effectiveness, supporting scalable nodes and metadata caching.
• EX5000 - high storage density (up to 14PB per rack), ideal for data centres.
• EXF900 is a high-performance flash model optimised for AI, analytics and real-time workloads.

Dell ECS provides organisations with a stable and efficient platform for managing large amounts of data, combining performance, security and cost-effectiveness in a single solution.

VxRail: hyper-converged infrastructure for the modern enterprise

VxRail is a powerful hyper-converged solution designed for deep integration with VMware. It delivers high performance, scalability and manageability, making it the ideal choice for modernising data centres, building hybrid clouds and deploying containerised applications.

Key benefits of VxRail:

• Deep integration with VMware - co-development with VMware ensures seamless compatibility and system stability.
• Automated lifecycle management - VxRail HCI system software makes it easy to update and manage your entire infrastructure.
• Scalable for any workload - supports multiple configurations for use in the data centre, at the edge and in the cloud.
• Support for NVMe and vSAN Express storage architecture - delivers up to 4x faster storage performance.
• Secure and reliable - 99.9999% availability (6x9s) to minimise downtime and data loss.

The latest generation of VxRail, powered by 4th generation Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors, delivers high efficiency and performance for the most demanding business applications, including:

• AI and Machine Learning (ML)
• Highly-loaded databases
• Video analytics and graphics
• Cloud environments and Kubernetes

Facts and figures:

• 61% faster creation of new virtual machines.
• 61% more efficient use of IT resources
• 68% less unplanned downtime compared to traditional infrastructure.
• 11 months is the average payback time for VxRail investments.

More than just an HCI solution, VxRail is an innovation platform that helps organisations automate IT operations, reduce costs and accelerate digital transformation.

PowerVault: an affordable and productive solution for small and medium businesses

PowerVault is a cost-effective yet powerful storage system that supports a wide range of workloads including basic storage, archiving, backup and high-performance computing.

Key benefits of PowerVault ME5:

• High performance. PowerVault ME5 systems offer up to 640K IOPS, more controller memory and faster connectivity options to efficiently support workloads such as virtualisation, SQL databases and HPC.
• Flexibility and scalability. The PowerVault ME5 can scale up to 7.39PB of capacity with its modular architecture and support for a variety of storage options: HDD, SSD and JBOD.
• Easy to manage. The intuitive PowerVault Manager interface makes it easy for administrators to manage storage, add capacity and ensure data protection.
• Hybrid and edge support. The PowerVault ME5's edge capacity expansion enables efficient use of storage in cloud gaming, oil and gas, security and analytics applications.

The PowerVault ME5:

The PowerVault ME5 is the ideal solution for businesses looking for reliable, efficient and affordable storage that is scalable and easy to manage.

Key benefits of a modern data storage strategy

1. Storage scalability. Advanced storage systems like the PowerVault ME5 allow organisations to easily expand their resources up to 7.39PB without downtime, providing flexible capacity management and support for a variety of storage options (HDD, SSD, JBOD).
2. High performance. All-flash arrays (e.g. FlashSystem, PowerMax) and advanced hybrid solutions such as the PowerVault ME5 deliver up to 640K IOPS, enabling rapid processing of large amounts of data without compromising on speed and stability.
3. Reliability and security. Built-in replication, backup and multi-level data protection mechanisms help prevent data loss. PowerVault ME5 offers intuitive management through PowerVault Manager, simplifying data control and security.
4. Integration with cloud and edge solutions. Hybrid solutions such as Unity XT, Dell APEX Cloud Platforms combine on-premises resources with cloud services. The PowerVault ME5 also supports edge integration to streamline work with big data, oil and gas exploration, security systems, and cloud gaming.
5. Optimise costs. Flexible models, such as Dell APEX Data Storage Services, enable organisations to reduce their total cost of ownership (TCO). The PowerVault ME5 is an affordable solution that provides the right balance of performance, capacity and cost for small and medium businesses.

How to build a storage strategy using modern technologies

1. Identify the main business needs first

Before choosing a technology, you should consider:

• Do I need high-speed storage? → FlashSystem, PowerMax, PowerVault ME5 (up to 640K IOPS, high performance for critical workloads).
• What are the backup requirements? → PowerVault ME5, ECS, Tape Backup (efficient solutions for data archiving, backup and replication).
• What resources are used for analytics and computing? → PowerScale, Unity XT, PowerVault ME5 (support for SQL databases, virtualisation, HPC).
• Do you need flexible scalability? → PowerVault ME5, Dell APEX Cloud Platforms (add capacity without downtime, integrate with cloud and edge solutions).

2. Select the optimal type of storage

• Hot data (fast processing, low latency): FlashSystem, PowerMax, PowerVault ME5.
• Archive and backup (long-term retention, security): ECS, PowerVault ME5, Tape Backup.
• File storage for collaboration (corporate data, file access): PowerScale, Unity XT, PowerVault ME5.
• Cloud storage and integration (scalability, hybrid solutions): Dell APEX cloud platforms, PowerVault ME5 with support for edge environments.

3. At this stage, you need to implement a tiered storage strategy

Modern organisations combine on-premises and cloud storage, which allows them to:

• Reduce costs with flexible resource management (Dell APEX Data Storage Services).
• Increase productivity with fast SSDs and optimised infrastructure (PowerVault ME5, PowerMax).
• Ensure business continuity with replication, backup and integration with edge solutions.

The result: an optimised storage strategy that delivers resilience, security and high performance at minimal cost.

Real examples of implementation

Financial Sector

• PowerStore and PowerVault ME5 are used to consolidate databases, resulting in
• Improved SQL query and analytical computing performance.
• Optimised storage costs through scalable architecture.
• Uninterrupted financial operations through high reliability.

Healthcare

• ECS and PowerVault ME5 are used to store medical images and electronic records:
• Fast access to patient information.
• Reliable long-term storage with tiered redundancy.
• Flexible integration with healthcare information systems.

Retail

• Unity XT and PowerVault ME5 help streamline analytical services and inventory management:
• Process large volumes of data and store it in real time.
• Optimise logistics and replenishment.
• Integrate with cloud solutions for centralised management.

Media and Entertainment

• PowerScale and PowerVault ME5 provide efficient video storage and processing:
• Support for high-speed editing and streaming.
• Scalability to handle large video archives.
• Integration with cloud platforms for remote access and backup.

The result: With the Dell PowerVault ME5 and other solutions, organisations across all industries can scale their infrastructure, reduce costs and improve efficiency.

Conclusion

A modern storage strategy requires flexibility, performance and security. By combining solutions such as FlashSystem, PowerVault ME5, Unity XT and PowerScale, organisations can

• Optimise costs with efficient scaling models.
• Ensure continuous operation of critical business systems.
• Integrate on-premises resources with cloud platforms for increased mobility.
• Ensure long-term, reliable storage of critical business data.

Are you ready for digital transformation? Choose the best solutions for your business today - contact Solidity!