FlashBlade
Pure Storage FlashBlade is a unified fast file and object storage platform designed for high-performance clustered systems, data mining, and real-time data processing.
Publisher review
Pure Storage FlashBlade is a unified fast file and object storage platform designed for high-performance clustered systems, data mining, and real-time data processing. It targets enterprises and government agencies that need to consolidate unstructured data workloads—such as virtual desktops, data lakes, Big Data analytics, and high-performance computing—on a single, scalable all-flash array. The system delivers microsecond latency and up to 1.5 terabytes per second of throughput, with usable capacity of about 500 TB per chassis, scaling to 2.5 petabytes in four rack units.
It uses Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCIe) and Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) flash storage, with power-safe, battery-backed RAM to ensure transactions complete even during power loss. The automated clustering system provides N+2 redundancy and self-healing, while Pure1 management software lets administrators oversee up to five chassis and 75 blades through a single pane of glass. Smart endurance tuning optimizes allocation, wear leveling, and garbage collection, and flash-level quality of service prioritizes critical data.
The array supports standard storage protocols including NFS, SMB, and HTTP, with built-in thin provisioning and compression. Each blade delivers approximately 1 GB per second of throughput, and a full 75-blade configuration can reach 75 GBps. Metadata, files, and objects are distributed across multiple blades for redundancy, fault tolerance, and parallel I/O.
FlashBlade integrates with enterprise applications and extends to AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud for hybrid deployments. In 2021, it was named a Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice for distributed file systems and object storage, scoring 4.8 out of 5 from 64 end-user reviews, with a 97% willingness-to-recommend rating.
How it works
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Microsecond latency throughput
Delivers up to 1.5 TB per second of throughput with microsecond latency, enabling real-time data processing and high-performance computing.
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2.5 PB in 4 rack units
Supports up to 2.5 petabytes of usable capacity in just four rack units, using PCIe and NVMe flash storage for density and speed.
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Automated clustering with N+2 redundancy
Self-healing cluster system with N+2 redundancy requires minimal setup and maintenance, even across large deployments of multiple chassis.
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Smart endurance tuning
Optimizes allocation, wear leveling, and garbage collection automatically to extend flash lifespan and maintain consistent performance.
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Flash-level quality of service
Ensures critical data workloads receive priority performance, preventing contention in multi-tenant or mixed-workload environments.
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Multi-protocol support
Supports NFS, SMB, and HTTP protocols, plus block-level devices, with built-in thin provisioning and compression for efficiency.
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Pure1 single-pane management
Manages up to five chassis and 75 blades through one interface, simplifying configuration, monitoring, and scaling without service interruption.
Strengths and trade-offs
Strengths
- Very easy to use with a clean interface and reliable platform, as reported by users on Reddit and FedTech Magazine.
- High throughput of up to 1.5 TB per second and microsecond latency provide fast, constant access for demanding workloads.
- Scalable and flexible architecture allows adding blades without service interruption, supporting thousands of virtual desktops.
- Automated intelligence with N+2 redundancy and self-healing minimizes manual maintenance and improves uptime.
Trade-offs
- High price compared to competitors like NetApp AFF A-Series and Dell PowerStore, making it less accessible for budget-constrained buyers.
- Difficult to troubleshoot when problems occur, according to user feedback on PeerSpot and Reddit.
- Capacity-based pricing model can lead to unexpected costs if storage needs grow faster than planned.
- Limited protocol support compared to some hybrid arrays—lacks native Fibre Channel block access, relying on NFS/SMB/HTTP.
Pricing context
Capacity-based pricing model; no public list prices, but industry sources indicate it is premium-priced relative to NetApp AFF A-Series and Dell PowerStore.
Getting started with FlashBlade
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Order FlashBlade hardware
Contact Pure Storage sales to order a FlashBlade chassis and blades based on your capacity and throughput needs. Specify the number of blades, which each deliver about 1 GB/s throughput, and confirm the configuration fits your rack space.
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Connect to network
Connect the FlashBlade chassis to your data center network using Ethernet cables for NFS, SMB, or HTTP protocols. Ensure the network supports high throughput and low latency to match the array's performance capabilities.
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Configure Pure1 management
Set up Pure1 management software by registering the FlashBlade with your Pure Storage account. Use the single-pane interface to define cluster settings, enable automated clustering with N+2 redundancy, and apply smart endurance tuning.
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Load data onto array
Mount the FlashBlade as a file share or object store from your application servers using NFS, SMB, or HTTP. Copy your unstructured data—such as data lake files or virtual desktop images—onto the array to leverage its high throughput and low latency.
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Monitor and scale storage
Use Pure1 to monitor throughput, latency, and capacity usage across all blades. When storage needs grow, add blades to the chassis without service interruption, scaling up to 75 blades and 2.5 PB in four rack units.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pure Storage FlashBlade?
Pure Storage FlashBlade is a unified fast file and object storage platform designed for high-performance clustered systems, data mining, and real-time data processing. It consolidates unstructured data workloads like virtual desktops and data lakes on a single all-flash array.
What are the key performance specs of FlashBlade?
FlashBlade delivers microsecond latency and up to 1.5 terabytes per second of throughput. It uses PCIe and NVMe flash storage, with each blade providing about 1 GB per second. A full 75-blade configuration can reach 75 GBps throughput.
How does FlashBlade scale in terms of capacity?
FlashBlade offers about 500 TB usable capacity per chassis, scaling to 2.5 petabytes in four rack units. You can add blades without service interruption, supporting up to five chassis and 75 blades managed through Pure1 software.
What management software does FlashBlade use?
FlashBlade uses Pure1 management software, which lets administrators oversee up to five chassis and 75 blades through a single pane of glass. It simplifies configuration, monitoring, and scaling without service interruption.
What storage protocols does FlashBlade support?
FlashBlade supports standard storage protocols including NFS, SMB, and HTTP, with built-in thin provisioning and compression. It lacks native Fibre Channel block access, relying on these protocols for connectivity.
How does FlashBlade pricing compare to competitors?
FlashBlade uses a capacity-based pricing model with no public list prices. Industry sources indicate it is premium-priced relative to NetApp AFF A-Series and Dell PowerStore, making it less accessible for budget-constrained buyers.
Alternatives
How FlashBlade compares
Direct head-to-head against 3 competitors. Picked by 7wData.
FlashBlade
- Pricing
- Capacity-based pricing model; no public list prices, but industry sources indicate it is premium-priced relative to NetApp AFF A-Series and Dell PowerStore.
- Target
- Pure Storage FlashBlade is a unified fast file and object storage platform designed for high-performance clustered systems, data mining, and real-time data processing.
- Strength
- Very easy to use with a clean interface and reliable platform, as reported by users on Reddit and FedTech Magazine.
- Watch for
- High price compared to competitors like NetApp AFF A-Series and Dell PowerStore, making it less accessible for budget-constrained buyers.
Dell PowerScale
- Pricing
- Custom/Contact sales
- Target
- Large-scale file workloads, hybrid cloud
- Deployment
- On-prem, hybrid
- Strength
- Linear scalability with 8M IOPS, sub-1ms latency
- Watch for
- Complex pricing tiers for scale-out
Cloudian HyperStore
- Pricing
- $0.006/GB/month (object)
- Target
- S3-compatible object storage
- Deployment
- On-prem, multi-cloud
- Strength
- 100% native S3 API compliance
- Watch for
- Performance drops with HDD-based nodes
Huawei OceanStor Pacific
- Pricing
- Custom/Contact sales
- Target
- Multi-protocol archives, HPC
- Deployment
- On-prem only
- Strength
- Multi-site replication, 75% backup time reduction
- Watch for
- Geopolitical sourcing concerns
User reviews
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Sources
Reporting on this tool draws on these publicly available sources.