Flash Memory Boosts Artificial Intelligence.

The market for all-flash arrays was estimated at USD 8.23 billion last year, so the projected annual growth rate of 25 percent will add billions of dollars in revenue[i]. This is no coincidence: flash memory offers significantly faster data access and transfer speeds than conventional hard disk drives.  This results in accelerated application performance, which is critical for modern enterprise workloads. 

Energy-saving and scalable to the max

Flash memory consumes less power and generates less heat, making it more energy efficient and reducing cooling requirements in data centers[ii]. It is more compact and lightweight, enabling higher storage density in a smaller footprint. In addition, flash memory has no moving parts, which reduces the risk of mechanical failure and increases overall reliability. Finally, cost and future-proofing come into play: Costs have come down, making it more affordable for companies to deploy flash memory on a large scale. This is important because flash memory can easily scale to meet the demands of today's applications.

AI needs flash technology

Flash storage technology plays a critical role in the efficient and effective deployment of AI solutions. Its high performance, scalability, and reliability make flash storage the ideal choice for the large data volumes and compute-intensive requirements associated with AI workloads. 

AI models rely on large data sets to train and improve their performance. Flash memory's low latency and high input/output operations per second (IOPS) enable fast data access, which accelerates the training process and reduces model development time. AI algorithms can be computationally intensive and require a lot of processing power. Flash memory can meet the high throughput requirements of these algorithms. Many AI applications, such as real-time fraud detection or autonomous vehicles, require immediate processing of incoming data. The fast data access and high throughput of flash memory enables real-time analysis and ensures that AI models can make lightning-fast decisions. They ensure that data is processed efficiently and bottlenecks are minimized. 

Finally, AI models require persistent storage to store and retrieve data. Flash memory provides reliable persistence, ensuring that data is protected and accessible even in the event of power or system failures. In most cases, this is important not only for AI, but for other applications as well[iii].

Entry-level all-flash storage solution: IBM FlashSystem 5300 

The IBM FlashSystem 5300, launched this year, is a compact and powerful all-flash storage platform[iv]. The system is an ideal entry point into the world of all-flash storage, especially for small and midsize businesses. It delivers outstanding performance, scalability, and data management capabilities. The new System 5300 includes NVMe SSDs, Flash Core Module (FCM), NVMe over Fabrics (NVMeoF), and support for Storage Class Memory (SCM) devices that were not available in previous versions. NVMeoF is a technology that allows the fast NVMe protocol to be used over a network. Typically, NVMe is connected directly to a server's local storage system, but with NVMeoF, you can achieve these high speeds over networks such as Ethernet, Fibre Channel, or InfiniBand. Unlike traditional vendors who invest in monolithic storage systems, the IBM FlashSystem 5300 is designed to consolidate workloads into a small footprint (just 1U of a standard rack) for higher performance and capacity. 

The new model delivers significant improvements in performance, capacity and data protection. The new version offers more storage capacity, up to 45 percent more throughput for typical enterprise workloads, and at least 50 percent more bandwidth for sequential workloads than the previous generation. Built-in FlashCore Module 4 technology uses machine learning models to monitor I/O statistics in real time and detect anomalies such as ransomware in less than a second.

A wide range of use cases

High performance, scalability and data management capabilities in a compact and affordable package make the System 5300 an attractive option for enterprises and smaller organizations. Its high performance and low latency are ideal for databases such as Oracle, SQL Server, and MySQL.  The system can also efficiently support virtualized workloads, providing the performance and scalability required for virtual machines and containers. Its fast data access and processing capabilities are ideal for handling large data sets and complex analytical tasks.  The system's integration with the IBM Cloud makes it the right choice for deploying cloud-native applications and taking advantage of the hybrid cloud - enabling seamless data movement between on-premises and cloud environments. This can be a significant advantage for organizations already using IBM products or services.

Key competitors to the IBM Flash System 5300 include all-flash storage systems from vendors such as Dell EMC, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, NetApp, Pure Storage and Huawei. These competitors offer products with similar features and performance.

UMB and IBM have been working together successfully for decades. With over 350 IBM certifications, UMB is the strongest IBM partner in Switzerland and the only one with Elite Specialty Status for IBM Power and Storage. With our above-average expertise in IBM hardware, software and services, we guarantee excellent cooperation. 

Please contact us for more information.

[i]All Flash Array Market: Industry Analysis and Forecast (maximizemarketresearch.com)

[ii]All-Flash Data Centers: Sustainable Solutions for Modern Businesses 

[iii]Flash Memory: Non-Volatile Storage for Modern Electronics 

[iv]IBM Storage FlashSystem 5300