Dell has recently upgraded its PowerStore midrange storage arrays with Intel Xeon CPUs, resulting in a 66% performance boost compared to the previous version. The new PowerStore Prime range includes models with high-capacity QLC drives ideal for read-heavy workloads.
During Dell World 2024, CEO Michael Dell hinted at an upcoming performance upgrade for AI workloads in the PowerScale scale-out NAS family. Travis Vigil, Dell’s senior vice-president for portfolio and products, stated that PowerStore has been the most successful array family since its launch in 2020, with over 10,000 enterprises adopting it. The latest evolution, PowerStore Prime, is considered the most significant update to the family yet.
The PowerStore Prime catalogue includes five 2U models with NVMe drives and Ethernet or Fibre Channel ports. The arrays range from 500T to 9200T and can support up to 96 SSDs with additional shelves. The 3200T model offers high-density QLC drives, known as the 3200Q, for increased flexibility in adding SSDs.
PowerStore OS 4.0 introduces compression capabilities with a ratio of 5:1, significantly increasing usable capacity. The new generation of Intel Xeon CPUs and improved compression functionality give PowerStore OS 4.0 a 30% speed advantage over the previous version, along with 28% less energy consumption per TB stored.
PowerStore 4.0 also includes enhanced functionality for cloud integration and AI capabilities. This includes replication to remote sites, failover automation, and a new admin console, PowerStore AIOps, powered by generative AI. Administrators can access diagnostics through a chatbot using natural language, making management more efficient and user-friendly.