IBM AI-powered storage: Redefining data management

With the mixing of artificial intelligence into data management systems, IBM Corp.’s conversation around storage has shifted into an entire recent gear.

The corporate made a series of storage announcements during theCUBE and IBM’s “Future-Ready Storage Redefining Data Center Boundaries” event. A key element of the most recent releases involved the inclusion of AI-powered predictive analytics and data placement for the IBM FlashSystem 5300, yet one more example of how AI is reshaping the IT ecosystem. (* Disclosure below.)

“Generative AI has hit us as an industry,” said Denis Kennelly, general manager of IBM Storage at IBM, during an interview on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. “How can I rapidly evolve to make the most of these wonderful innovations? That’s the crux of the issue facing many consumers today … what we’re doing here in IBM storage helps address what I call a dilemma throughout the storage industry.”

Here’s theCUBE’s complete video interview with Denis Kennelly:

Listed below are three key insights you would possibly have missed throughout the event:

1. IBM concentrate on storage infrastructure is guided by a must bring AI to the info.

Within the IT world today, it’s all in regards to the data. And data need infrastructure to run. This makes what’s under the hood in storage and servers of critical importance, and IBM has validated this with the mixing of AI into its hardware offerings to facilitate data management.

“The large trend in storage is … we’ve got to bring AI to the info,” said Dave Vellante, chief analyst of theCUBE Research, throughout the introductory launch session of the IBM event.

Here’s theCUBE’s complete video kickoff session with Dave Vellante, who was joined by John Furrier, theCUBE Research executive analyst:

The IBM FlashSystem 5300 is a one rack unit designed to supply enterprise-class data services and high availability for storage customers. The corporate noted the presence of AI-powered predictive analytics with IBM Storage Insights as a part of the April release.

“We took this concept of injecting AI and machine learning all the way down to the hardware layer,” said Scott Baker (pictured), chief marketing officer and vp of IBM Infrastructure Portfolio product marketing at IBM, during an interview on theCUBE. “Every one in every of the computational storage devices which can be in [the 5300], what we call the FlashCore modules themselves, has the power to take a look at the heuristics of knowledge because it comes into the box. That is the long run of knowledge storage.”

Here’s theCUBE’s complete video interview with Scott Baker, who was joined by Ivo Koerner, chief revenue officer of IBM Storage:

The longer term of knowledge storage will even be in automation and a capability to include AI in numerous use cases for performance and cost-effectiveness. As a part of the 5300 release, IBM also announced its Storage Assurance program for delivering computational storage with AI-powered data services.

“You’ll be able to have a look at the automation stack that they’re going to have together with the AIOps pieces that they’re announcing and produce the intelligence closer to the storage,” said Rob Strechay, theCUBE Research principal analyst, during a roundtable discission within the IBM event.

Here’s theCUBE’s complete video roundtable discussion with Rob Stretchay, who was joined by theCUBE analysts Dave Vellante and John Furrier:

2. Data monitoring and extra protections are being leveraged on the hardware level for enhanced security.

IBM’s watch party from Atlanta checked in throughout the event.

In a threat landscape full of ransomware attacks and stealth intrusions, IT organizations are on the lookout for data protection and resilience. With the FlashSystem 5300, IBM has added security measures that include a capability to watch data because it streams in.

“[It has] high sequential throughput performance; you mix that with our data resilience capability with FCM-4 Ransomware Threat Detection and our ability to detect and recuperate from threats fast, which is vital,” in line with Jim Comstock, product manager of IBM FlashSystem, during a conversation with theCUBE. “I hear quite a lot of people speak about cyber resiliency and protecting data, but IBM is leading the way in which in IOs as they are available in and detecting changes.”

Here’s theCUBE’s complete video interview with Jim Comstock:

IBM has also bolstered a corporation’s ability to take care of attacks by leveraging AI-driven predictive analytics and automation through IBM Storage Insights to receive near-instant notification when an attack occurs.

“Our research team has trained a model, an inference engine that’s running real time, and it has been trained for many various use cases,” said Andy Partitions, chief technology officer and chief architect, IBM FlashSystem, at IBM, during a webinar as a part of the event. “This might be running on every FlashSystem that has the brand new release on 5300. If we detect that a ransomware attack has occurred, we then raise an alert to Storage Insights. Storage Insights will then alert the client.”

The discharge of IBM’s latest storage device occurs at a time when regulatory bodies internationally are ramping up controls over using AI and data. The corporate’s security enhancements are designed to assist users meet data protection obligations, which have grow to be more significant in some areas of the world.

“It’s very top of mind, obviously, particularly in Europe at once,” said Ian Shave, vp of IBM Storage Data Resilience Solutions at IBM, during a joint appearance with Partitions. “[Organizations] should know they’ve got a duplicate of knowledge they’ll come back from. They should have the option to prove that they’ll actually recuperate.”

Here’s theCUBE’s complete webinar with Andy Partitions and Ian Shave:

3. Tighter IT budgets and a quest for efficiency are impacting storage procurement decisions.

IBM’s Sam Werner talks with theCUBE analysts about storage technology.

Certainly one of the important thing topics of conversation throughout the IBM event centered around the necessity for locating effective storage solutions which can be reasonably priced in a tighter budgetary climate.

“You could reduce the price per terabyte,” said Sam Werner, vp of product management, IBM Storage, at IBM, during an interview with theCUBE. “You could reduce power consumption, smaller footprint. You could have the option to grow to be far more efficient and effective in the way you do things so that you may manage this inside your budget and sustain with the necessities of your organization. Those are the challenges we’re attempting to help our customers with today.”

Here’s theCUBE’s complete video interview with Sam Werner:

IBM’s message is that spending efficiencies in storage can allow customers to shift their focus toward other progressive solutions that can help drive business results.

“The cash they’ve for innovation is getting tinier and tinier,” added IBM’s Koerner, in his joint appearance throughout the event. “With the Storage Assurance model, we’re freeing up innovation budget, budget that you may then spend money on modernizing your application landscape, budget that you may use in implementing innovation like AI. The great thing about this system we began is you get up-to-date in the latest technology and newest innovation.”

IBM offers an advanced maintenance agreement for its FlashSystem technology, structured to incorporate hardware updates and various assurances to attenuate lifecycle risks for purchasers. The goal is flexible storage maintenance with a lower cost of ownership at a time when compute budgets are focused on modernization with AI.

“Ultimately, clients must stay modern,” said Audrey O’Donnell, product manager of IBM FlashSystem at IBM, in conversation with theCUBE. “They need the most recent infrastructure to maintain up with their business needs and regulations, and yet they’ll’t afford to refresh their equipment every couple of years. From day one, you don’t should over-purchase. You’ll be able to slowly add capability as your capability grows, which really is basically the important thing to optimizing your storage TCO.”

Here’s theCUBE’s complete video interview with Audrey O’Donnell:

To look at more of theCUBE’s coverage of IBM’s “Future-Ready Storage Redefining Data Center Boundaries” event, here’s our complete event video playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for IBM’s “Future-Ready Storage Redefining Data Center Boundaries” event. Neither IBM Corp., the sponsor of theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE