Intelligent storage is a data storage system that includes a layer of software for analysis and processing to allow storage to play a more active role in optimizing application, network, and workload performance. With the inclusion of artificial intelligence (AI), intelligent storage can predict how data stored on a device will be accessed, proactively apply software updates and patches, and efficiently manage data across different storage tiers.
Why Is Intelligent Storage an Improvement on Previous Storage Solutions?
In the past, data storage was often a monolithic, device-centric service offering only one kind of access. Today’s storage solutions must support more inputs, more types of data, dispersed instances, and of course, more users.
Intelligent storage systems remove the barriers created by traditional storage, offering operational agility, efficiency gains, and the ability to adapt to usage patterns on the fly. For example, intelligent storage can shift infrequently accessed data to cheaper data storage and even identify security threats by tracking anomalous data.
Intelligent storage can help digital enterprises extract more value from data, which is becoming more critical to operations and competitive posture and more complex to collect, store, and access.
How Does Intelligent Storage Work?
Intelligent storage is storage hardware enhanced with compute resources for software and processing. Intelligent storage can also be deployed as a virtual machine or a cloud-based service. Hardware vendors are adding this intelligent storage capability directly to flash modules and building it into data center storage arrays. Other approaches use emerging technologies in intelligent storage, such as software-defined storage.
AI creates the “intelligence” in intelligent storage. AI can be built into storage systems in several ways: at device levels, tiered storage and data lifecycle management, and data accessibility support. For each category, AI can analyze the access patterns and performance associated with data and automatically perform actions to keep speed and access at their peak.
However intelligent storage is built, the goal is to offer storage that optimizes collection, organization, caching, delivery, and even costs and power consumption. This might entail unifying data types, extraction from unstructured data, replication and distribution, data deduplication, strategic caching, backups, and security.
Intelligent storage can work via user-defined algorithms, or, as is increasingly the case, the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to learn behaviors, assess patterns, and optimize storage to meet business goals. Intelligent storage can also flag potential problems, even those outside storage, before they impact other business processes.
Intelligent Storage Technologies
Technologies enabling intelligent storage include the following:
- AI analytics: Using processes such as analytical queries and predictive modeling, AI can optimize data storage by looking for patterns and anomalies that indicate problems or forecast outcomes.
- Internet of things (IoT): IoT sensors and other devices monitor intelligent storage solutions to generate data for AI analytics on functions such as performance.
- Tiered storage: Segregating storage based on need and priority helps control bandwidth usage so that essential low-latency applications won’t be adversely affected.
- Smart network interface card (smartNIC): This specialized module makes data center networking, security, and storage more efficient and flexible. SmartNICs also relieve server CPUs of management tasks for modern distributed applications.
Emerging Technologies for Intelligent Storage
In recent years, new approaches for intelligent storage have emerged that can be loosely defined as software-defined storage (SDS). In SDS, everything about storage, from provisioning to optimization to security, is determined by purpose-built software with artificial intelligence and machine learning at its core.
AI is often at the heart of emerging trends in data storage, such as increased protection against cybersecurity threats through monitoring of anomalous activity or alerts about storage drive failure.
Benefits of Intelligent Storage
Because intelligent storage automatically manages tasks like performance and resource maximization, you gain time back for other tasks. Intelligent storage also offers:
- Compatibility: Intelligent storage supports new workflows such as those for IoT devices, DevOps, containerization, and the cloud operating model. Since it’s endlessly expandable and customizable, intelligent storage can adapt to future technology evolution and innovation.
- Performance: Intelligent storage supports faster performance and lower latency by optimizing the placement and flow of data for critical applications.
- Efficiency: Intelligent storage can optimize for performance and specific workflows, but it can also optimize for cost and maximizing of resources—for example, through advanced deduplication and reduction of redundancies and even management of cloud bursting. Over time, these efficiencies can reduce CAPEX and storage footprints.
- Compliance and security: By offering a way to customize data flows and access policies, intelligent storage presents new possibilities for strengthening security. Its algorithms can also factor in data governance rules, providing a basis for automated compliance.
Conclusion
The explosion of data shows no signs of slowing and the need for more sustainable data center operations is growing more pressing. Intelligent storage can help organizations meet the computational demands of a data-driven future as well as align with environmental goals.
Pure1 Meta® is the AI-driven, full-stack analytics platform behind the intelligent storage management system from Pure Storage. Pure1 Meta leverages machine learning and the accumulated, real-time, call-home data of a global fleet of cloud-connected arrays to provide predictive analytics at scale. With Pure1 Meta, it’s possible to forecast and troubleshoot data storage issues before they occur.
