Hitachi Vantara unveils new block storage appliance for SMBs

Hitachi Vantara has announced the launch of a new block storage appliance as part of its Virtual Storage Platform One hybrid-cloud data platform.

The updated offerings feature three dedicated models that provide businesses with a common data plane across structured and unstructured data in block storage. Designed to simplify operations, enhance data protection, and reduce carbon emissions, these new models aim to cater specifically to the needs of mid-sized enterprises.

The data storage, infrastructure, and hybrid cloud management subsidiary of Hitachi, announced that the new block storage appliance is equipped with advanced data infrastructure technology. This includes optimised rack space utilisation, reduced power consumption, and lower cooling costs. Additional features such as self-installation capabilities and Ops Center Clear Sight for cloud-based management intend to streamline day-to-day operations. The platform is also fortified with intrinsic security measures and enhanced data protection functionalities.

With businesses witnessing exponential growth in data volumes, particularly due to the rise of AI and connected technologies, the need to rethink and scale data architectures has become increasingly critical. A recent survey revealed that 68% of IT decision-makers are concerned about the impact of AI and machine learning on their organisation’s energy use and carbon footprint. Moreover, 77% of respondents noted that legacy data architectures negatively affected their sustainability performance.

The Virtual Storage Platform One Block aims to address these challenges by optimising data management. It features Hitachi Thin Image Advanced (TIA) snapshot software, which quickly creates data copies for decision support and modern data protection operations. TIA also stores only the data blocks that have changed, saving up to 90% of disk space. Additionally, the platform's Dynamic Carbon Reduction technology switches CPUs to eco-mode during low-activity periods, reducing energy consumption and contributing to a lower CO2 footprint by as much as 30-40%.

Octavian Tanase, Chief Product Officer at Hitachi Vantara, emphasised the significance of the new offering, describing it as a powerful and dense platform that delivers necessary data processing and reliability. He noted that the block storage appliance helps mid-sized businesses minimise rack space while reducing power and cooling costs, thus creating a more sustainable data centre environment.

The new block storage appliance is integrated seamlessly into the Virtual Storage Platform One management suite, enabling storage arrays to be managed as one comprehensive unit. The platform is equipped with capabilities that include block, file, and object storage solutions, offering common data services, including third-party storage arrays through Hitachi’s Storage Virtualization Operating System (SVOS). The platform showcases a 100% data availability guarantee, ensuring uninterrupted data access for mission-critical workloads.

Ashish Nadkarni, Group Vice President and General Manager of Worldwide Infrastructure Research at IDC, praised the integration of Hitachi Vantara's new block storage platform into the broader architecture of Virtual Storage Platform One. He highlighted that this move underscores Hitachi's commitment to providing scalable, reliable, and efficient solutions tailored to the complex needs of businesses navigating structured and unstructured data across hybrid cloud environments.

The scalability of the Virtual Storage Platform One Block is notable, enabling businesses to start with a single appliance and scale up to a 65-node cluster. This feature accommodates evolving storage requirements and allows businesses to streamline infrastructure, reducing complexity and optimising resource utilisation. Furthermore, the platform supports a hybrid cloud model, allowing businesses to run modern cloud-native applications alongside traditional block workloads, thus bridging the gap between on-premises infrastructure and the cloud.