Why IBM is building next generation storage solutions. Advertiser content from IBM

In the podcast, the evolution of grain storage parallels the advancements in data management, highlighting the critical nature of secure and efficient data storage for societal progress. The discussion pivots to IBM's flash system, which, through technological innovation like the FlashCore module, offers a more energy-efficient solution requiring at least 29% less energy than competitors. Emphasizing cyber resilience, the system's features, such as safeguarded copy functions and air-gapped snapshots, provide robust security against breaches. This modern storage technology is not only crucial for handling the data demands of a growing population but also supports sustainable practices in an increasingly data-centric world.

• "Storing and protecting food supplies like grains have been critical to civilizations for centuries, just as today, storing and protecting data is critical to modern civilization."

  • The quote draws a parallel between the historical importance of grain storage for societal sustenance and the modern imperative of data storage for civilization's functioning.

• "The Neolithic Revolution gave birth to agriculture, creating the conditions for future civilizations to thrive."

  • This quote highlights the origin of systematic agriculture, which laid the foundation for stable and growing human societies, analogous to how data storage supports contemporary civilization.

• "Sustaining growth required defense against thieves, pests, and contamination; then a new technology, the rounded grain silo, changed everything."

  • The quote emphasizes the technological innovation of the grain silo as a pivotal development in food storage, suggesting a similarity in how technological advancements have revolutionized data storage.

• "Since 2018, global data production has nearly quadrupled from 33 to 120 zettabytes of information."

  • This quote indicates the exponential increase in data generation, necessitating advancements in data storage solutions akin to grain storage developments that supported population growth.

• "IBM's storage flash system silos are simple, but data storage is complex."

  • The quote contrasts the simplicity of grain silos with the complexity of modern data storage systems, implying that while the principles of storage remain, the execution has evolved significantly.

• "By using the flash core module as a computational storage device, offloading things like data reduction, we're able to consume less energy."

  • This quote illustrates how modern data storage technologies, such as IBM's flash core module, reduce energy consumption by localizing processes, drawing a parallel to the efficiency gains in historical grain storage.

• "Producing data creates a need for security and cyber resilience, while farmers were concerned with dangers like pests and theft; security breaches are concerns in the modern data-centric world."

  • The quote compares the historical challenges of protecting grain from physical threats to the contemporary challenge of securing data against cyber threats.

• "What we focus on is cyber resilience, the importance of recovering the data when a breach has happened."

  • This quote underscores the focus on the ability to recover data post-breach, mirroring the historical importance of preserving grain stocks after incidents that could compromise them.

• "Inside a flash system, we take a snapshot and we make it logically air-gapped; nobody can access it, and in fact, we can have it so that nobody can delete it."

  • The quote describes a data protection strategy that creates immutable snapshots, akin to the impermeability of grain silos, which kept stored grains secure from external threats.

• "IBM flash system devices using flash core modules across different configurations require at least 29% less energy than a market-leading competitor."

  • This quote highlights the energy efficiency of IBM's flash system, drawing a parallel to the historical advancements in grain storage that also aimed at efficiency and sustainability.

• "That efficiency also means that it will draw less energy, not having to scrap that controller, not having to scrap those flash core modules."

  • The quote emphasizes the long-term sustainability of modern data storage solutions, reflecting the durable nature of grain silos that did not require frequent replacement.

• "IBM flash system devices using flash core modules across different configurations require at least 29% less energy than a market leading competitor."
  • The quote highlights the energy savings of IBM's flash storage system compared to competitors, emphasizing its efficiency in energy consumption.
• "By localizing this process IBM flash system devices using flash core modules... are able to consume less energy."
  • This indicates that the computational storage capabilities of IBM's flash core modules lead to reduced energy usage by minimizing the need for data movement.
• "That efficiency also means that it will draw less energy."
  • The quote suggests that the overall design and efficiency of IBM's flash storage system result in lower energy requirements.

• "Using the flash core module as a computational storage device offloading things like data reduction... able to consume less energy."
  • The flash core module's ability to offload computational tasks, such as data reduction, is presented as a way to decrease energy consumption, which is a key aspect of computational storage.
• "A process that requires data moving back and forth over and over uses more time and energy than a computational storage device."
  • This quote explains that computational storage devices like IBM's flash core module are more energy and time-efficient by reducing the need for repetitive data movement.

• "It gives a durability so that it doesn't need to be replaced."
  • The quote implies that the durability of IBM's flash storage system contributes to its longevity, reducing the need for frequent replacements and thus supporting energy efficiency.
• "Not having to scrap that controller not having to scrap those flashcore modules... can also help support sustainability goals."
  • This indicates that the long-lasting nature of IBM's components not only reduces waste but also aligns with sustainability objectives by lessening the environmental impact of hardware turnover.

• "Safeguarded copies are immutable snapshots."
  • The quote refers to a security feature of IBM's flash storage system, which creates protected copies of data that cannot be altered or deleted, ensuring data integrity and swift recovery.
• "What you get by having that safeguarded copy on the flash system is a very rapid restore."
  • This highlights the benefit of IBM's safeguarded copy function, which allows for quick data restoration, contributing to the system's overall resilience and efficiency in the event of a breach.

• "It's very important to detect that breach as early as possible so part of cyber resilience is what I call cyber detection, meaning to limit how much data is corrupted and to detect it as soon as possible."
  • Early detection of breaches is emphasized as a crucial aspect of cyber resilience, aiming to minimize data corruption and promptly identify security incidents.

• "Inside a flash system, we take a snapshot and we make it logically an air gap; nobody can access it, and in fact, we can have it so that nobody can delete it; it only expires."
  • The flash system employs snapshots that are logically isolated, ensuring they are inaccessible and undeletable, which provides a form of protection until they expire naturally.
• "One very important part is our safeguarded copy function; safeguarded copies are immutable snapshots."
  • The safeguarded copy function is highlighted as a key feature, creating immutable snapshots that serve as a secure method for data recovery in the event of a breach.

• "What you get by having that safeguarded copy on the flash system is a very rapid restore; that snapshot can be recovered much more quickly than if you had to go to a backup and go through your network."
  • The restoration process from safeguarded copies is significantly faster compared to traditional backup methods, offering a swift recovery solution following a data breach.

• "Using the flash core module as a computational storage device, offloading things like data reduction, we're able to consume less energy."

  • The flash core module's design allows for computational tasks, such as data reduction, to be offloaded, which results in lower energy consumption and contributes to the system's efficiency.

• "IBM flash system devices using flash core modules across different configurations require at least 29% less energy than a market-leading competitor."

  • The energy efficiency of IBM's flash system devices is quantified, showing a significant reduction in energy usage compared to competitors, which has implications for both cost and environmental impact.

• "With both the efficiency of the flash core module and the efficiency of the storage controllers, then allows our clients to use that flash system for many years. It gives a durability so that it doesn't need to be replaced."
  • The combined efficiency of the flash core modules and storage controllers extends the lifespan of the system, reducing the need for frequent replacements and contributing to sustainability efforts.