Russian DSS Market. TAdviser 2025 Review

Rubytech Group experts are convinced that AI will have a noticeable impact on the development of DSS in the very near future. Today, almost all leading manufacturers are striving to implement AI in their products. It is already being successfully used for continuous monitoring, analysis and optimization of performance, which allows you to predict possible system failures. AI algorithms can also be used to optimize storage, data security, and security.

The evolution of storage systems in the coming years will be determined by several key trends, according to Bulat specialists. Artificial intelligence will have a significant impact on this process, accelerating the development and adoption of new technologies.

In the future, storage systems will become more intelligent by introducing built-in data analysis algorithms, optimizing storage and automatic resource management, including predictive maintenance, automatic load balancing and increased energy efficiency, said Igor Shkonda, head of storage systems at Jet Infosystems.

AI puts forward specific requirements for infrastructure

The widespread use of AI technologies encourages almost all DSS manufacturers to think about meeting the specific requirements of AI for IT infrastructure, said Yegor Litvinov, Product Director of YADRO. We are talking about the download speed of large amounts of unstructured data for training machine models, which is achieved not only through modern data transmission channels, but also software solutions for data streams implemented in parallel file systems or distributed object storage.

According to the executive director of ATLAS Timur Mustafayev, AI is accelerating technological evolution. Storage systems are becoming more flexible and faster - even the usual classic DSS are already adapting to the types of loads characteristic of AI models. Building disaster-tolerant solutions based on end-to-end NVMe architecture and high-speed data networks becomes a mandatory attribute when creating an IT architecture that can multiply the efficiency and training speed of the most demanding AI models.

The industry, as noted by Alexey Zabrodin (RTK-DPC), is moving not only towards increasing storage volumes, but also accelerating data processing, that is, increasing the performance of storage systems, which is extremely important, in particular, for AI tasks, and this has a huge impact and creates increased requirements for the speed of reading data to DSS. The stack of protocols and technologies that are used to make DSS, to create a direct two-way data transmission path from the information source (computing processor) to the storage location (physical or virtual disk) and back with read and write support, will change. This will require specialized sets of server hardware.

According to Igor Shkonda (Jet Infosystems), the creation of Data Lakes for analytics and machine learning is a promising task for the development of DSS . Data Lakes enables organizations to store large amounts of structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data in their original format, providing opportunities for today's analytics challenges.

In the coming years, a steady increase in demand for file and object storage is expected, which is due to an increase in the market for solutions for AI and "digital twins," said Yegor Litvinov (YADRO).

AI will help you distribute data more efficiently

Alexander Filchenkov (Graviton) believes that AI can reduce data storage and will have an impact on the development of the DSS market in the coming years directly and indirectly.

Timur Mustafayev (ATLAS) noted that storage systems are becoming smarter and more adaptive due to the use of AI algorithms as part of the solution itself. Models predict workloads and failures, automatically configure caching, replication, and access priorities, simplify updates and recovery, help detect anomalies, and adapt performance levels to business-critical tasks.

According to Denis Dubinin (ICL Techno), AI can play a major role in optimizing data storage by automatically classifying information and selecting optimal storage locations (e.g. hot, warm or cold data). Assessing the overall impact of AI on DSS development, the expert suggested that although AI can have a positive impact, for example, in managing request queues, predicting cache hits, but this is unlikely to have a systemic impact on the DSS structure.

AI will help protect data

As Denis Dubinin (ICL Techno) said, with the development of cyber threats, DSS will integrate advanced data protection mechanisms such as encryption and automatic backup. AI can be used in detecting anomalies and preventing attacks.

According to Igor Shkonda (Jet Infosystems), functionality related to automation of control through APIs, including support for cloud computing, will become an important area . Deeper implementation of AI will ensure the effective operation of the built-in mechanism for protecting DSS from ransomware attacks or ransomware viruses.

Other trends

Denis Dubinin (ICL Techno) predicts that SDS (software-defined storage, software defined storages - ed.) Will continue to gain popularity, distributed storage systems such as object storage and blockchain systems will become more in demand. With the development of IoT, video surveillance and big data, storage and processing will grow, and DSS will evolve towards more scalable and flexible solutions that can cope with petabytes and exabytes of information. Solid-state drives (SSD , Solid State Drive - ed.) And the NVMe protocol will become the standard for high-performance storage systems, providing low latency and high data processing speed. The use of RAM for data storage will become more common, especially for tasks that require instant access.

Block storage systems are also actively developing: high-speed NVMe access protocols to Flash-based storage media and to NVMe over Fabrics virtual data volumes have already proven their superiority, and End-toend NVMe DSS will become mainstream in the coming years for working with data critical to access speed. And that's just primary storage. There are also backup storage and archive storage that will also evolve, focusing on the growing demand for capacity scalability and intelligence to efficiently store this growing capacity. Advanced deduplication and compression algorithms will play a key role in this process, and hardware is likely to remain traditional standard multipurpose, "said Yegor Litvinov (YADRO).

At the moment, the growth of the flash drive segment, which customers consider as the basis for the implementation of projects of different directions, is striking, said Ilya Bornyakov (ITPOD). At the same time, hybrid DSS, when SSDs were used in conjunction with mechanical SAS 10000 rpm drives. (Serial Attached SCSI; hard drive connected via SCSI command set - ed.) Are no longer relevant.

The expert predicts that the demand for all-flash systems will grow, especially with NVMe, as well as for a new type of memory - QLC NVMe, which combines efficiency with predictable performance. All-flash DSS with QLC NVMe will become a popular solution for migrating from legacy hybrid systems, reducing space (from an entire rack to 6U), colocation costs, and power consumption. AI can amplify these trends, but it is still more a driver of growing demand for computing resources than for storage resources.

An increased demand for object data storage is expected. The trend is due to both the growth of the volume of stored information and the need to localize the storage of unstructured data in their own data centers. To a greater extent, customers are interested in domestic solutions included in the list of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

A number of companies are already using object storage, which they built on their own several years ago on the basis of open source software, said Anton Okan, business development manager DSS Jet Infosystems. With the growth of unstructured data, the scaling and technical support of such solutions becomes more complex and risky processes. Therefore, organizations are looking for domestic object storage facilities that can level the problems of scaling and maintenance, which will free up the time of companies' own personnel for other tasks.

According to the expert, the development of the DSS market in the Enterprise segment in the near future will focus on improving fault tolerance. Technologies for synchronous and asynchronous replication of data between individual DSS, configurations of metrocluster solutions (metrocluster - geodistributed, fault-resistant clustered storage system - ed.) Will be actively implemented. By 2026-2027, the expert predicts, these technologies will reach such a level that they will ensure their use in real productive and high-load projects.

Timur Mustafayev (ATLAS) believes that in the Russian context we should talk about such trends: increasing import substitution, localization and certification requirements, which not only shifts the choice towards domestic solutions, but also forms new architectural restrictions and operational practices - for example, the preference for proven domestic stacks, strengthened requirements for compatibility and redundancy, as well as the need to take into account regulatory norms when designing distributed and hybrid infrastructures.

Speaking about DSS systems and their areas of use, Bulat experts offer functional classification. Segmenting storage by task allows you to choose the best solution for specific business processes. Today's DSS fall into several categories based on functionality, performance, scalability, and cost.

The main categories include:

• High-performance DSS
• DSS for virtualizations and Cloud
• Big Data and Analytics DSS
• Backup and Archive DSS
• DSS for Mission-Critical Applications
• Software-Defined DSS
• Edge Computing DSS
• DSS for Media and Entertainment

Each segment has its own unique performance, reliability and scalability requirements and can be used in a wide range of applications, from high-performance artificial intelligence solutions to cost-effective data backup systems.

Experts note that with the existing separation of DSS by load type (SSD and all-flash for demanding tasks and HDD 7200 rpm for cold storage, regardless of media localization), data centers (data centers) are still the main driver of development. This is the starting point for most IT equipment manufacturers. A large, data center-centric business has high requirements for reliability, performance, and scalability, but still has significant IT budgets. This allows vendors to invest in technology development and product creation.

Only after success in the data center segment do manufacturers begin to adapt their solutions for less demanding markets, such as small businesses or a segment close to home use.

Whatever tasks load the DSS with data, all this works within the data center. The cloud infrastructure as a whole should be built without classic DSS at all, but exclusively at the virtual storage level, this is primarily block SDS. That is, the classical DSS architecture is more enterprise than cloud. Therefore, the development of Russian technologies as part of cloud operator solutions will rather mean washing out classic DSS from their technical solutions. Development will go towards virtual storage in a software-defined way, - said Alexey Zabrodin (RTK-DPC).

He also clarified that, in principle, there is no separation of DSS for tasks inside and outside the data center. DSS close a large list of needs, and the key is how data storage is implemented.

Outside the data center, storage systems are usually used for tasks where economic attractiveness and ease of management are important, added Ilya Bornyakov (ITPOD). The main areas include office file storage, video surveillance or video editing platforms. For example, file storages, providing convenient access to common data, can be used both in ordinary offices and for storing medical images or in scientific projects of universities. Development prospects are linked to growing demand for affordable, reliable and easily managed solutions that can scale as businesses grow.

According to Fplus experts, there are products designed exclusively for data centers, but manufacturers and developers strive to create universal solutions for a wide range of tasks. In the data center, DSS of systems allow you to solve the tasks of storing accounting data, warehouse databases, virtual services of the company, and are also used for backups and as file sharing. State-oftheart DSS can provide reliable, secure storage and uninterrupted access to large amounts of data, so your infrastructure can run smoothly.

Regarding the prospects for the development of DSS outside the data center, Denis Dubinin (ICL Techno) noted that this is more exotic than a standard solution, especially given the fact that there are mobile, modular and other small-format data centers. The DSS scenario outside the data center may be in demand for river, sea and railway transport, for the needs of the Ministry of Emergencies or in similar situations.

DSS outside the data center, Selectel said, are used to store valuable business information, can be used for virtualization and cloud servers, as well as for various business services and applications. DSS under DBMS are rarely used, since DBMSs can be distributed at their level between different hosts, which allows them to guarantee fault tolerance.

Maxim Soldatkin (Rubytech Group) believes that data centers remain the core of development for the import-substituted DSS segment, especially in the context of a highly loaded infrastructure: it is data centers that allow you to consolidate resources, reducing the total cost of ownership (TCO) of the IT infrastructure, which is achieved at the expense of scale, and the deployment of all high-performance DSS possible only within the data center. Moreover, Rubytech Group's experience shows that the development of DSS outside the data center is devoid of any serious prospects: DSS manufacturers do not assume that their products and solutions will be used on facilities that do not meet the requirements that are guaranteed to be provided in data centers. We are talking about cooling, power consumption, highly available uninterrupted power supply, maintaining a stable level of humidity, etc.

Scenarios for the use of DSS outside the data center cannot be considered commercially effective and significant for large businesses and the market as a whole, the expert said.

It is well known that the volume of data produced in the world has been growing sharply for several years and this growth is exponential. Modern means of communication, digital processes in science and economics, the activities of neural networks and generative AI contribute to this process. According to industry experts, in 2010 the amount of accumulated data in the world was estimated at 2 zettabytes, in 2024 it became ~ 145 zettabytes and in 2025 another 40 will be added (10 zettabytes=10 ²² bytes). At the same time, 80% of this data is unstructured. The further development of the digital economy and the application of artificial intelligence technologies is difficult to imagine without the adequate development of data processing and storage systems (DSS) and directly depends on the speed of accumulation of processed data. On the one hand, DSS accompany the entire history of the development of computer technology. On the other hand, over the past decade, both software and hardware have DSS taken a giant step forward. What is the status of this segment now?

Information systems are built using less and less optimal code, becoming less and less economical in terms of consumed resources, including the amount of stored data. Because at high growth rates, the priority is not the optimality of code and data, but the speed of development of this code. This is an additional factor in increasing storage volumes, - said Alexey Zabrodin (RTK-DPC).

According to the expert, in hardware and software complexes of DSS systems, software is a more complex and important component, and internal DSS software, which allows handling all service modes and emergencies with guaranteed data preservation, is more important than hardware components. Now, added Alexey Zabrodin, there is a trend towards the development of software-defined (SDS) storage systems and, according to the expert, it will dominate in the near future.

Historically, the focus has been on hardware - processors, ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit; specialized integrated circuit - ed.) And specialized adapters that ensured storage reliability. However, today the world's leading vendors emphasize that it is software that determines the functionality and stability of DSS. Today's business requirements emphasize advanced software capabilities such as snapshots, clones, deduplication, replication, and other features that not only simplify administration but also optimize cost of ownership. It is not uncommon when only the software update brings new access protocols to the already installed DSS, improves system performance or increases the available usable space, which makes the software a key driver of DSS innovation, sets the tone for the development of the segment. At the same time, data storage systems continue to be a key element of the IT infrastructure of enterprises and their development is determined by both hardware and software components, "added Ilya Bornyakov (ITPOD).

In distributed storage of unstructured data, where a certain consensus has been reached regarding access to them, the user functionality implemented in the software plays a key role. On the other hand, in DSS provide access to data to a critical always-on, always fast information system, including online banking, card processing and brokerage, the most important characteristic is the speed of I/O processing. Therefore, they require the fastest hardware - processors, access channels, hardware controllers of simplified software logic (ASIC, FPGA, DPU, etc.), - said Yegor Litvinov (YADRO).

Now, Denis Dubinin (ICL Techno) notes, software significantly affects the development of DSS, but new requirements for the hardware of data storage systems are already emerging.

The driver of the segment is the software (microcode) of disk arrays - its quality, functionality and stability. Software becomes a competitive advantage that determines the choice of solutions for customers. While the hardware base remains necessary, but not a key factor, says Igor Shkonda, head of the data storage systems department at Jet Infosystems. The main players in the DSS market (including SDS) have formed a stable hardware base due to an increase in their own production capacity and optimization of logistics supplies of missing components to the territory of the Russian Federation.

Maxim Soldatkin (Rubytech Group), believes that the roles of the hardware and software are equal:

The impact of these two factors on the development of the DSS segment within the high-load infrastructure (HMI) can be considered complementary. The characteristics of hardware affect performance, while the software determines how efficiently hardware resources are used: it implements data optimization processes (deduplication, compression), and starts load balancing algorithms.

The expert recalled that the software ensures the information security of storage systems, guaranteeing the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data, which is especially important for critical information infrastructure (CII).

Alexander Filchenkov (Graviton) believes that it is inappropriate to talk about the influence of hardware on the development of the segment, since only a small part (estimated at less than 5%) functions on domestic references, and the rest was created by the largest foreign manufacturers. At the same time, there are DSS software developers in the Russian Federation who provide a number of interesting solutions.

For this reason, the influence of domestic software prevails significantly on the Russian market, but do not forget that a huge number of storage and redundant coding algorithms are based on algorithms invented abroad by the Russian Federation, the expert said.

Timur Mustafayev, executive director of ATLAS, believes that both segments are important and complementary: even with an ideal balance of platform utilization by software, any hardware architecture has its limits. For example, NVMe or HDD drives, 10 Gb and 400 Gb controllers, processors of various generations - all elements determine the maximum throughput, latency and number of operations per second.

The expert considers the best approach to comprehensive work on the creation of solutions in order to achieve a balance of manufacturability and simplicity of the final product, in which each element of the system is maximally adapted and allows you to unleash the potential of DSS. Nevertheless, the main priority in the long term is the software, since it is the main one for the functionality of the DSS system, the use of hardware depends on it, it is responsible for compatibility with the existing customer infrastructure, as well as for compliance with a particular class of solutions.

The expert noted that some manufacturers pay more attention to the hardware, without optimizing the software architecture, which leads to an increase in the cost and complexity of such solutions, which demonstrate not optimal performance and usable capacity.

New legal coordinates for the regime of activities of KII facilities are set by the decree of the President of the Russian Federation of 30.03.2022 No. 166 "On measures to ensure the technological independence and security of the critical information infrastructure of the Russian Federation," which contains requirements for systems recognized or related to CII, use exclusively Russian software and Russian means of information protection, and Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of November 14, 2023 No. 1912 "On the procedure for the transition of subjects of the critical information infrastructure of the Russian Federation to the preferential use of trusted PAC at CII facilities," which sets priorities in the implementation of IT infrastructure for CII systems.

However, according to Alexei Zabrodin, the system of legal regulation of KII now does not take into account all the nuances. For example, there is no common registry of trusted hardware and software systems. As a result, the requirements of Resolution No. 1912 are not fulfilled.

Many companies that are not owners or managers of critical information infrastructure facilities and systems are in no hurry to implement Russian data storage systems, preferring to act on the principle of "work - do not touch." They continue to use familiar solutions, often due to the lack of direct pressure from regulators. However, the trend is beginning to change: confidence in domestic developments is growing, and the number of companies that completely ignore Russian solutions tends to zero. Business is gradually moving from an inertial approach to a more conscious and strategic choice, taking into account both reliability and prospects for infrastructure development, - said Ilya Bornyakov (ITPOD).

Alexander Filchenkov (Graviton), said that DSS consumers, who were classified as CII, are still trying to hold on to hardware and software solutions of foreign brands, stating that they have no adequate analogues among Russian DSS manufacturers. But due to the tightening of the requirements of the legislation, some are beginning to understand that it is necessary not to compare foreign and Russian solutions, but to competently set tasks for manufacturers of domestic DSS in order to create them under specific consumer tasks.

Some large companies that do not own key information infrastructure are already beginning to adapt Russian storage systems to their needs. This indicates a growing interest in registry DSS solutions, even among organizations that are not on the CII list, "said Alexander Filchenkov.

The complete transition to domestic software has become a non-trivial task for most customers. The movement in this direction, experts say, is obvious, but not everyone has fully implemented it. No more than 15-20% of all subjects of CII understand how to fulfill the requirements of the legislation for CII objects.

The trend towards import substitution in the Russian DSS market not only persists, but is also gaining momentum, Ilya Bornyakov believes. By convention, the market can be divided into two groups. The first strictly follows regulatory regulations, choosing decisions included in the register of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The second group so far relies on the available equipment obtained through parallel imports, however, due to the uncertainty with the return of Western vendors and the associated risks, they increasingly consider Russian solutions as a strategic alternative for building a stable and predictable IT infrastructure.

This opens up wide prospects for Russian vendors: their solutions are in demand not only to fulfill regulatory requirements, but also as a reliable basis for reducing dependence on foreign technologies and minimizing risks in the long term, the expert added.

The trend of import substitution, notes Yegor Litvinov (YADRO), is becoming more noticeable for infrastructure that falls under the norms of Russian legislation and especially for critical systems that require FSTEC certification . This also applies to storage systems and is associated with a constant tightening of localization requirements.

To remain a competitive player in the market, Russian IT infrastructure providers need to invest more and more in their own research and development, design and production at different levels of detail. Currently, the requirements for localization of hardware components have reached the level of printed circuit boards and microcontrollers, and in the field of software - low-level components, such as BIOS servers.

All companies that are required to conduct purchases on 223-FZ are essentially owners of CII and adhere to regulatory principles, Fplus experts say. In order for other companies to also choose domestic manufacturers, it is necessary to improve products, increasing their competitiveness compared to foreign ones.

Denis Dubinin (ICL Techno) noted that the priorities for import substitution of CII elements vary depending on the class of solution. If these are initial class systems, then preference is given to domestic ones, and for middle and high class systems, the operation of previously introduced ones is typical.

Ruslan Sutyagin, director of the DSS department of OCS, stressed that the regulatory requirements for KII facilities came into force in January this year, and now their impact on market development can only be predicted. They, according to the expert, expand the field of opportunities for Russian vendors, but at the same time increase the requirements for their products. A lot will depend on how much equipment from domestic manufacturers will meet the growing needs of customers. Russian vendors are actively working on import substitution of the component base, but in the near future it will remain imported, since the development and introduction of technologies that can compete with the leaders of this industry is extremely expensive and difficult.

Selectel experts, analyzing options for import-substituting DSS meet the requirements of the regulatory framework, talk about software-defined block storage with a total capacity of up to ~ 100 petabytes of data that a number of Russian vendors have on the market. Some large companies are ready to buy domestically produced hardware DSS, but so far there are quite few such requests.

Noting the expansion of the capabilities of domestic manufacturers in connection with the entry into force of new requirements for CII facilities, Bulat drew attention to the need to improve the quality of both equipment and service, including proactive audit of the IT infrastructure and identification of risks to ensure increased reliability of critical systems.

Maxim Soldatkin (Rubytech Group) noted that the volume of parallel imports is decreasing, and the number of DSS manufacturers in Russia continues to increase, new solutions and equipment lines are emerging.

New market players loudly declare themselves: ATLAS, datagarden, QTECH launched the DSS line. Confidence in the segment as a whole is growing, and most distributors are starting to look towards import substitution, the expert said.

In the near future, Rubytech Group experts expect leading Russian vendors to develop the functionality of domestic DSS will meet all the reliability and functionality criteria necessary for use at CII facilities.

Timur Mustafayev (ATLAS) noted that today Russian manufacturers have a real opportunity to strengthen their positions through the development of partner ecosystems and compatibility with existing solutions, as well as the fact that current legislative initiatives play a significant role in uniting market segments that previously took parallel courses.

In practice, we see a high demand for the integration of standard IT solutions with information security solutions. Thus, the unification of two different areas into a single complex is formed, aimed at achieving the common goal established by the state to implement an important strategic task, the expert said.

According to Timur Mustafayev, state regulation stimulates import substitution, which gives vendors predictable demand and the opportunity to plan growth. For customers, this means a phased migration through pilot projects and subsequent scaling with the obligatory inclusion of reliability and availability requirements in contracts.

DSS are used for virtualization, in platforms for deploying file storage, DBMS, business systems (CRM, ERP, BI), for backup and analytics of big data, processing and storage of IoT (Internet of Things) devices, etc.

According to Alexey Zabrodin (RTK-DPC), now there is no industry where DSS would not be used. In all types of storage, there can be data from absolutely any segment of the economy and production where large amounts of data arise. When this data cannot be stored locally, such as on workstations or processing servers, specialized large storage is required.

At the same time, Yegor Litvinov (YADRO) notes that higher demand for DSS systems is recorded in industries such as fintech, telecom, retail, manufacturing, mining, science-intensive research and medicine.

Fplus experts separately distinguish the oil and gas and mining industries, which, in their opinion, are the most digitalized in the mining segment.

Alexander Filchenkov (Graviton) believes that the most in demand is the introduction of DSS in finance, telecom, power, healthcare, industry, transport, retail, public sector and media. These industries are actively digitalized.

The implementation of DSS, said Maxim Soldatkin (Rubytech Group), is also in demand, in addition to the segments mentioned by his colleagues, in logistics. According to the expert, DSS, as an element of the IT infrastructure, predetermine the further course of digital transformation of most industries in accordance with the growing needs of business and the state.

The TAdviser analytical center, in partnership with the Aquarius group of companies (Aquarius and Aerodisk DSS brands), conducted a study "Practice of using DSS in Russian companies." The purpose of the study was to obtain up-to-date data on the DSS market, including identifying the needs of Russian companies for the functionality of data storage systems and setting priorities for the development of Russian DSS.

The storage market continues to be one of the most significant technologically, growing segments of the IT industry. Experts confirm the influence of AI on DSS, and most believe that this will give impetus to the development of software and hardware capabilities of DSS, will become the basis for the development of new technologies.

The consensus forecast for market growth was over 10% in 2025 with a spread of expert estimates from 5% to 25%. In the "middle" scenario, the Russian DSS market will retain technological and financial opportunities for development. At the same time, the monetary policy of the state will remain an important background factor.