Pure Storage: FlashArray//X

FlashArray//X is DWH using NVMe and NVMe‑oF. The uniform high-performance array allows to integrate the workloads on DWH connected as to SAN network, and directly (DAS), in the uniform consolidated and qualitatively more effective datacentrichny architecture.

2020: all-NVMe FlashArray//X of third generation

On March 3, 2020 the Pure Storage company announced availability of the seventh generation of updates of Evergreen and all-NVMe FlashArray//X of third generation. This updating provides clients with higher performance and gives the chance to accelerate products output to the market. Thanks to model of storage Evergreen customers have an access to continuous innovations now from Pure Storage which include these and future updates in the packet of products and solutions.

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"With FlashArray//X instead of worrying about outdated DWH, clients of Pure are provided with the innovative and multifunction solutions. Evergreen allows customers to take advantages of future functions and innovations of the Pure Storage system without delays, interruptions and painful migrations. Customers can be sure that their investments into the next generation of FlashArray//X optimized for future updates from Purity/FA will be able to provide also further good results", 'Prakash Darji, the general managing director of FlashArray, Pure Storage noted'

According to the developer, the last generation of FlashArray//X allows customers to accelerate and consolidate databases and problems of corporate systems, to extend them to a cloud and to upgrade the strategy of data protection. The improved functionality and performance of FlashArray//X are also available through model on the basis of utilities of Pure-as-a-Service. Pure-as-a-Service offers the unified hybrid cloud services of data transmission, allowing customers to unroll them locally, in collocations, on a hosting or in a public cloud using the cloud storage of Pure's Cloud Block Store. All of them have the unified subscription, the general functionality and experience with a cloud.

"Evergreen guarantees us access to the last developments, but that really distinguishes Pure as strategic supplier, so it is his capability to improve constantly new products, solutions and functions which help to achieve real results in our business. Whether it be updating hardware or the software or a complete overhaul of the platform, we know that we will be able to take all advantage immediately. It, in turn, allows us to implement innovations with a speed of the modern market that is undoubted advantage in the world where real time already became the requirement", 'Keith Martin, the senior director on engineering of cloud capacities, ServiceNow noted'

The features of the updated FlashArray//X mentioned by the producer:

• Key applications work quicker
  • the Updated FlashArray//X allows to improve performance to 25% in comparison with the previous generation of FlashArray//X, with the updated controllers equipped scaled processors Intel Xeon which are known also as Cascade Lake.
  • Clients can accelerate work of corporate applications, including SAP HANA, Oracle and the Microsoft SQL Server. Performance of SAP HANA of OLAP with a NSE performance increases to 50% in comparison with the previous generation//X needlessly in migration.
  • Customers will be able to increase speed and to integrate the DAS applications, such as PostgreSQL and MySQL, for increase in efficiency and acceleration of time to market.
    • Testing of MySQL allowed to increase performance by 50% at 35 percent decrease in delays in comparison with DAS.
    • Testing of PostgreSQL gave performance gain to 20% at 35 percent decrease in delays in comparison with DAS.

  • Support of NVMe-oF and Storage Class Memory allows FlashArray to provide a delay time to 150 microsec, providing performance necessary for the most exacting corporate databases, and the maximum density for reduction in volume of space, available on a disk, in data processing centers.

• Subscription to innovations
  • Within updates which are included into the Evergreen model current users of FlashArray will have an opportunity to implement innovations quicker and with performance improvement to 50% in comparison with FlashArray//M R2.
  • "Rethink the systems of updates" – for the customers working at solutions of data storage of competitors, the updated FlashArray//X gives an opportunity to switch. The storage system can be used as the utility including all software of arrays and providing protection of investments of customers without repeated transition to a new system.
  • FlashArray//X of the last generation show the high consumer value provided to Pure's Evergreen Storage. For March, 2020 Pure provided 11 generations of the hardware and 21 generations of software updates, all without failures, with the general increase in density by 146 times, claim in Pure Storage.
  • FlashArray//X is also available in the OpEx model through model "as service" locally or as the bridge to public cloud providers, such as Amazon Web Services to provide further data migration between hybrid and private clouds for clients.

The provided FlashArray//X line for 100% of NVMe, since initial level with a capacity of 11 TB//and finishing X10 (with the modules DirectFlash NVMe with a capacity of 1 TB) with line top//70 and//X90 which support DirectMemory Cache with memory of Intel Optane Storage Class Memory for the highest requirements to activity of the enterprise. The line of FlashArray//X is supplemented by FlashArray//C optimized on capacity which provide profitability a flash memory at low price for workloads of the 2nd level.

2018: Expansion of a lineup all‑NVMe of arrays FlashArray

On May 23, 2018 the Pure Storage company, producer of platforms of data storage all flash for the companies innovators which using data do the world better, announced expansion of a lineup all‑NVMe of arrays FlashArray and from this point announces economic availability of acquisition of uniform high-performance all‑NVMe of an array to all loadings. The generation of FlashArray//X accelerates: the databases virtualized and container environments, web and scalable applications, development environments and testings — at the price of arrays of FlashArray//M with an equal effective capacity.

The lineup of all‑NVMe of arrays of FlashArray//X includes five configurations — from NVMe‑Ready of an array//X10 for small implementations to all‑NVMe//X90 — at the moment the fastest and the most effective Pure Storage flash array on a ratio compactness/capacity. FlashArray//X represents new generation of uniform high-performance arrays using NVMe and NVMe‑oF allowing to integrate workloads on the storage systems (further DWH) connected as to SAN, and directly (DAS), in the uniform consolidated and qualitatively more effective datacentrichny architecture.

The array//X90 with an effective capacity up to 3 PBytes only 6U differs low response time of 250 microsec and 2kratnym in performance improvement in comparison with a leader of the all flash market — FlashArray//M array. Upgraded version of the Purity Operating Environment operating system ground under a flash — version 5.1 — is available to all clients of FlashArray//M and FlashArray//X as uninterrupted upgrade, she turns on improvement of optimization of capacity up to 20% that will allow to lower still requirements to "crude" capacity — it means further reducing costs for acquisition and service of DWH for clients.

Evolution of architecture using web and scalable applications makes new demands to DWH. Today the companies which selected for themselves cloud Itmodel face in the infrastructure a set of the isolated "islands" of data storage: some DWH is connected to Sanseti — such scheme is applied to classical applications, and others directly (DAS) — to the modern analytical systems and web and scalable applications.

The Datacentrichny architecture is a possibility of flexible connection on fast network of computing resources in which data are not stored and disks, to a uniform high-performance array which differs in high high-speed performance, reliability and compactness are not used. In such architecture storage and calculations are strictly separated that allows to scale and upgrade them independently of each other without falling of performance and decrease in efficiency. The uniform high-performance array several times accelerates all infrastructure, consolidates workloads and provides flexibility of access of modern annexes to the general data — such is the architecture which is completely optimized under data.

As well as all our earlier released arrays, new FlashArray//X will work on a business model of Evergreen™ which guarantees protection of investments of the customer, all upgrades are made uninterruptedly, there are no scheduled downtimes and data migration. Arrays of FlashArray can be updated uninterruptedly to FlashArray//X and already today to seize the opportunities of uniform high-performance all‑NVMe of an array. Today we announce expansion of a lineup FlashArray//X, uninterrupted upgrade to all‑NVMe and NVMe‑oF and also new more smart and effective software.

Expanded lineup of FlashArray//X:

• //X90 — at the moment is the fastest and most effective array of Pure Storage company on a ratio compactness/capacity. Effective capacity up to 3 PBytes, the size only 6U, performance is twice higher than a leader of the all flash market — an array of FlashArray//M and the bottom price for gigabyte.
• //X70 and//X50 — 100% of Nvmemassivy with an effective capacity up to 1.3 PBytes and 650 Tbyte respectively.
• //X20 and//X10 are younger NVMe‑Ready arrays for small tasks and branches. By default they are completed with the SATA flash drives, however, controllers completely support a connectivity of the modules DirectFlash without any additional setup.