Data Backup Digest

Although flash-based storage isn't anything new, there has been a recent surge in interest for such devices. From thumb drives to large-scale hard drives, it certainly seems as if flash-based storage will be the way of the future.

Hitachi Data Systems, which has existed in one form or another since 1989, is capitalizing on the latest trends with three distinct appliances. Featuring the Hitachi Flash Storage framework, the HFS A220, A250 and A270 are now available on the market.
The entry-level model, the HDS A220, offers a streamlined form factor, the ability to reach 64 TB of storage capacity and the potential to achieve a whopping 700,000 input / output operations per second, or IOPS. As you can see, this isn't child's play.

As impressive as the A220 is, the A250 and A270 are even better. Whereas the A250 supports a maximum capacity of 192 TB and a total of 900,000 IOPS, the A270 is capable of reaching 384 TB and 1,000,000 IOPS. Moreover, all three entries in the line maintain an average response time of less than 1 millisecond.

In a recent interview, Bob Madaio, senior director of product marketing with Hitachi Data Systems, explained the most common uses for Hitachi Flash Storage appliances. He was quoted as saying: "Hitachi Flash Storage systems are a great solution for high-performance virtual environments where customers want more power and flexibility while using way less space and less energy consumption than Pure Storage or XtremIO."

Madaio continued his interview by touting some of the functionality of Hitachi Flash Storage by saying: "We feel admins will love a few key features in HFS, including the ability to provide maximum IOPS and bandwidth to a volume, so they can be sure one application doesn't overrun all the others on the system. We also sense the ability to align applications with the proper type of data reduction will be a big hit too."

Numerous software features are available too. The included software boasts in-line deduplication and data compression, system snapshots, data replication and encryption, advanced data analytics and more. Other perks include the ability to increase the performance of virtualized machines and desktops, greater operational efficiency and a smaller footprint. This software is featured on the A220, A250 and A270.

Miklos Sandorfi, vice president of Infrastructure Platforms, Solutions and Cloud, spoke about some of the flash-based products of HDS. He was quoted as saying: "Hitachi has delivered a full portfolio of optimized flash solutions bound together by a software-defined approach to storage infrastructure. This gives customers the ability to optimize solutions for a particular set of use cases while getting the power and efficiencies of common management, workflows and policies across their infrastructure."

If you're looking for a storage appliance that will give your enterprise a boost, strengthen your overall efficiency and provide you with a massive edge over the competition, Hitachi Data Systems and the Hitachi Flash Storage platform is one of the best choices available. To find out more information about HDS, head over to their official website at www.hds.com today.