Pure Storage launches the FlashArray//XL, a rack with 40 NVMe flash modules (drives) and a total capacity of 5.8 petabytes.
The introduction includes the most powerful array in Pure Storage’s offering. The capacity of the most comparable model, the FlashArray//X, peaks at 3.3 petabytes. A single FlashArray//XL is capable of supplying 5.5 petabytes. This makes the release more suitable for large-scale data centers and the storage needs of demanding workloads.
In practice
The new array is designed for Pure Fusion, the so-called Storage-as-a-Service model that Pure Storage launched in September. Pure Fusion brings a virtually autonomous management layer on top of an infrastructure. The arrays in the infrastructure are recognized. From there, the hardware as a whole can be surveyed and managed. Operators can allocate the capacity of arrays to workloads from an interface.
End users of storage, for example the customers of a data center or IT department of a large company, can manage storage objects independently thanks to an API. Such self-service removes some of the operator’s workload.
The introduction of FlashArray//XL adds scalability to Pure Fusion. New systems are relatively easy to add to a Pure Fusion environment. After connecting a FlashArray//XL and designating the desired storage tier, the solution is almost immediately accessible for workloads that have already been configured for the tier.