Fast data connections
Pure Storage announced the release of its next-generation FlashArray//X and //C R4 models. These products offer an all-flash platform based on a single operating system to support diverse storage needs. The company says, “The latest R4 models offer up to a 40% increase in performance, over 80% faster storage speeds to support greater workload consolidation, and a 30% increase in inline compression to further expand storage capacity.”
FlashArray//X and //C R4 are based on PCIe Gen4 technology and leverage the latest Intel The image below shows Pure’s product portfolio and targeted applications.
Pure Storage FlashArray products and applications
With the forthcoming release of 75TB QLC DirectFlash modules with embedded non-volatile RAM (DFMDs), the company expands its FlashArray/C line, which does not require sub-2ms latency. The FlashArray//X will contain 36 TB TLC DFMDs. Existing Pure customers can take advantage of the R4 upgrades for free through Pure’s Evergreen architecture and subscription offering. The company states that this allows for a completely non-disruptive upgrade with no downtime. In addition, the company’s Auto-on SafeMode has been extended to new volumes on existing arrays, including a new default snapshot schedule and snapshot protection for up to 30 days.
The larger DirectFlash modules are also used in the company’s latest generation of FlasyArray//E products, which target HDD storage tiers for file and object workloads with storage capacities up to 4PB. The company claims that this product family has 8x higher density, 3x higher TB/Watt and 7x lower drive failure rates than HDD storage.
PCI-SIG announced results from research group ABI Research, which forecast that the total available market (TAM) of PCI Express Technology (PCIe) from 2022 to 2027 will be in high-growth industries at a cumulative average growth rate (CAGR) of 14% will grow, including data center, edge, telecom, AI, automotive, mobile and wearables. The figure below shows PCIE used in these different applications. The latest version of the PCIe specification (version 7) with an I/O bandwidth of 512 GB/s per lane was announced in June 2022.
ABI PCIe Growth Drivers
Below are some details from the PCIe announcement.
· The automotive and network edge industries forecast the highest growth opportunities for PCIe technology with total addressing markets (TAM) and compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) of 53% and 38%, respectively, over the forecast period.
· The automotive industry can benefit significantly from the widespread adoption of PCIe technology as it enables consolidation of electrical/electronic (E/E) domains and helps systems improve safety and efficiency
· High-performance applications such as data centers will contribute to continued long-term demand for the deployment of new PCIe technology. In addition to performance, energy efficiency, security and time-to-value are other crucial factors for the adoption of PCIe technology.
· The low-power (L0p) feature of the PCIe 6.0 specification will be a key driver for deployment as power efficiency becomes a key strategy for adopters more focused on sustainability and lowering operational costs
Complex Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN or ORAN) workloads will result in continued demand for PCIe technology as heterogeneous hardware becomes ubiquitous
Pure Storage announces new FlashArray products that serve both high performance and mass storage applications. PCI-SIG released ABI forecasts of 14% for PCIe TAM CAGR growth rate through 2027.