WD Delivers New Data Center Innovations For Big Data and Fast Data Applications

Further extending its value, innovation and reach into the data center market, Western Digital Corporation has announced new additions to its data center solutions portfolio, giving customers the flexibility to design modern infrastructures and extract greater value from data. The new solutions include the ActiveScale 5.3 object storage system, extensions to the IntelliFlash N Series family of all-flash arrays, and the new Ultrastar Serv60+8 hybrid storage server platform. This broad portfolio provides the building blocks to rapidly deploy data center solutions for better performance, efficiency and TCO while opening up opportunities to capture, preserve, access and transform data in ways that were not previously possible.

Driven by the volume, velocity and variety of data, from edge to core, data centers are undergoing tremendous change as organizations try to find innovative ways to fuel growth while managing flat IT budgets. With new applications and use cases constantly emerging, driven by IoT, machine learning, AI and analytics, IT managers must design for the future. Addressing these needs, Western Digital’s new offerings include:

ActiveScale 5.3 Object Storage System

Western Digital’s ActiveScale P100 and X100 systems represent the next-generation of object storage for petabyte-scale unstructured data growth. With ActiveScale 5.3 now supporting up to 19-nines of data durability, the system facilitates a “Data Forever” architecture, allowing customers to economically store petabytes of data over multiple generations of storage with confidence. New ActiveScale enhancements include Unified Data Access, a NFS interface for ingest and management of data in traditional file system format and for improving storage usage in environments with mixed file and object use cases. Hybrid cloud replication is new with built-in bucket-level replication from an on-premises ActiveScale system to an Amazon AWS bucket. It also features 20 percent higher storage density for new and existing scale-up or scale-out configurations, delivering better economics and improved data center space efficiency. Western Digital is also introducing Docker container support to select customers for more efficient workload deployment closer to the data. Now available, the ActiveScale family starts at 864TB raw capacity and can scale to 63PB in a single namespace. Ideal uses cases include data collaboration, digital repositories for media workflows, analytics, machine learning, IoT, and tape and legacy NAS consolidation in backup and archive workloads.

IntelliFlash NVMe Flash Arrays

Businesses need to be faster and smarter in order to transform, innovate and evolve to succeed in the markets they serve. Time-to-decision and action are critical. As one of the first Unified, NVMe flash arrays to market, Western Digital’s IntelliFlash N Series is specially designed for real-time transactional applications, machine learning, artificial intelligence and deep analytics. Western Digital is introducing four new IntelliFlash N-Series systems to deliver extreme performance with exceptional economics for a wide range of enterprise workloads. Powered by IntelliFlash OS 3.9, the N Series portfolio can scale from 19TB to 1.3PB of solid-state storage. Version 3.9 leverages nearly a decade of innovation in flash data management to offer a full suite of capabilities including multiple protocols, data reduction, data protection and automated data healing. The new IntelliFlash N Series systems will be available later this year.

Ultrastar Serv60+8 Hybrid Storage Server Platform

With a proven track record of adoption into software-defined storage (SDS) and big data environments around the world, Western Digital’s Ultrastar Data and Ultrastar Serv family of platforms are purpose-built for DIY, SDS and cost-sensitive environments. New to the family is the Ultrastar Serv60+8 high-capacity, performance-optimized storage server, representing a cornerstone in the company’s entry into the SDS server market. Designed for SDS archive, backup, media streaming, content repositories, and remote office and private-cloud environments, it features dual Intel^® Xeon^® scalable processors combined with 60 bays for SSD, HDD or hybrid drive configurations, and a dedicated high-performance, eight-bay SSD section that can accept SAS, SATA or NVMe SSDs for added data acceleration. Its design leverages more than 60 years of storage expertise and patented technologies, including ArcticFlow and IsoVibe technologies, which help improve reliability, maintain predictable performance, and enhance energy efficiency. The Ultrastar Serv60+8 storage server platforms start at 144TB and are now available, in multiple configurations, through the company’s network of worldwide distribution and channel partners.

The ActiveScale 5.3, IntelliFlash N Series and Ultrastar Serv60+8 offerings are natural extensions of Western Digital’s data technology leadership. The company’s unique differentiation and value-add comes from its ability to fine-tune and optimize a complete ecosystem of technologies, from silicon to systems, to deliver breakthrough value and performance for customers. By expanding the scope of innovation to encompass software, processing, interconnect, storage, mechanical and manufacturing disciplines, this unique Symbiotics Design approach delivers purpose-built products that provide the performance, reliability, total cost of ownership and sustainability demanded by data-centric environments today and tomorrow.