FlashArray//RC20, Extending Pure Storage Platform to Entry-level Capacities

By Shawn Hansen, VP and GM, FlashArray, Pure Storage, Inc.

The power of the Pure Storage platform is now available in smaller capacities.

FlashArray//RC20 is the newest member of the FlashArray family. The capacity-optimized all-flash system delivers enterprise-class performance, reliability, and agility at capacities and prices that are more accessible for edge deployments and smaller workloads. 

At Pure Storage, we’ve been replacing high-speed spinning drives with flash in Tier-1 environments for 15 years. Five years ago, we noticed an orphan in the space: What about workloads that don’t require ultra-high performance and low-microsecond latency? 

FlashArray//C was launched in 2019 to meet that need, offering the world’s first capacity-optimized all-flash storage array as the first-to-market QLC-flash-based solution. 

But the landscape for all-flash data storage continued to evolve. We heard loud and clear that SMBs and smaller deployments or scenarios with remote office/branch office (ROBO) were missing out. They were looking for the full capabilities of the Pure Storage platform but with smaller capacities and at a competitive price point. ‘Entry-level’ all-flash products from legacy vendors aren’t making the cut, with limited capabilities, the lack of enterprise-grade reliability and security, and disruptive upgrade paths hobbling future progress. 

Today, we’re changing the game yet again and giving customers what they asked for with the new FlashArray//RC20.

FlashArray//RC20: Platform Capabilities Optimized for Edge Deployments and Smaller Workloads

An extension of the existing FlashArray architecture, FlashArray//RC20 offers enterprise-class performance, reliability, and agility at capacities and prices that are more accessible for edge use cases and smaller deployments.

So what is the difference between a FlashArray//RC20 and other members of the FlashArray family? The ‘R’ in ‘//RC20’ identifies the use of factory-renewed controllers, which in conjunction with other new parts, such as new chassis, delivers a product that provides many of the same benefits as other members of the FlashArray//C family, all while reducing e-waste and aligning with our commitment on delivering a sustainable data platform.

FlashArray//RC20 brings the power and capability of the Pure Storage platform and the FlashArray//C family to a model that’s specifically sized and priced to support lower-capacity deployments. And unlike other ‘entry-level’ systems, FlashArray//RC20 can non-disruptively upgrade to higher models in the FlashArray//C family and next-gen controllers to grow as you need in the future. This is a unique benefit of the Pure Storage platform that is unmatched by any other vendor in the industry.

Companies that are considering moving to all-flash for their business-critical workloads can now get the simplicity and power of the Pure Storage platform at a much lower capacity and the same competitive $/TB, making it an attractive way to move off hybrid systems.

Customers who are already harnessing the capabilities of the Pure Storage platform can now deploy FlashArray with smaller capacities across use cases while leveraging the same simple experience. 

Avoid Compromise for Business-critical Workloads
Organizations have business-critical workloads that require high availability and consistent latency, but don’t have the same performance requirements of mission-critical workloads – making it challenging to find the right product to fit the customer’s needs. This conundrum applies to a number of applications like large-scale VMs, databases, dev/test, and disaster recovery deployments, to name a few. 

For these workloads, customers are looking for the combination of entry-level capacity and performance while maintaining enterprise-grade QLC and management. Existing offerings on the market have not provided the right combination of these capabilities, at the right price point, forcing customers to compromise with cheaper hybrid storage or pay a premium for performance-optimized flash they don’t need. 

But it doesn’t have to be that way. The FlashArray//C family offers a capacity-optimized solution designed for those business-critical workloads, delivering the reliability and consistent latency of flash at hybrid storage economics. Configurations support smaller capacities suited for edge deployments and smaller workloads up to PB-scale by leveraging the industry-leading density only possible with DirectFlash Modules (DFMs). FlashArray//RC20 has a lower point of entry starting at 148TB and as part of the Pure Storage platform has the capabilities and scalability that customers expect. 

As part of the FlashArray//C family, FlashArray//RC20 is tuned to provide consistent low latency with high and dense capacity – all while providing $/GB economics that customers would only expect from a hybrid storage array.

Unmatched Enterprise-grade Performance and Capabilities of Pure Storage Platform, Now Available in FlashArray//RC20
For over 15 years, Pure Storage customers have grown to trust and depend upon Pure Storage to power their businesses. As part of the FlashArray//C family, FlashArray//RC20 gives customers the unique benefits of the Pure Storage platform, which no other vendor can match, regardless of capacity or price. 

Pure Storage Platform

Only the Pure Storage platform gives you continuous workload optimization, enabling workloads to move across environments and storage arrays, all managed from a single control plane with Pure1 and Pure Fusion.

This is possible with combination of:

• Intelligent fleet management
• Autonomous modeling
• Global storage pool
• Single OS
• Workload mobility

As an extension of the FlashArray family, FlashArray//RC20 benefits from the unique differentiation of the Pure Storage platform, such as scalable simplicity and flexibility, unmatched power and space efficiency, in-place non-disruptive upgrades, and built-in cybersecurity and resiliency.

With the power of the Pure Storage platform and FlashArray//RC20, businesses of all sizes no longer have to compromise on upgradability and capability to meet their capacity and price requirements. Now is a great time for companies to finally shed the limitations of legacy storage products and join the thousands of customers who harness the benefits of Pure Storage today.

Resource:
FlashArray//RC20 DS