Future-ready storage with hybrid and multi-cloud architectures

Data storage demands are growing at an unprecedented rate, fueled by the rapid adoption of hybrid and multi-cloud strategies, the proliferation of edge computing, and the explosion of data-intensive applications like AI and IoT. As organizations navigate this complex landscape, IT leaders face mounting pressure to future-proof their storage infrastructures while balancing scalability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.

 
The key to success lies in designing storage architectures that are flexible and adaptable to the unique demands of hybrid and multi-cloud environments. By leveraging disaggregated infrastructure and advanced storage technologies, businesses can achieve the performance, agility, and scalability needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving IT ecosystem.

 

Hybrid and multi-cloud: Why flexibility matters

In today’s hybrid and multi-cloud world, businesses manage data across on-premises systems, private clouds, and public cloud services. This distributed approach introduces new complexities, requiring storage solutions that can operate seamlessly across diverse environments.
 
Disaggregated infrastructure has emerged as a transformative solution, enabling organizations to decouple compute, storage, and networking resources into flexible, shared pools. By disaggregating these resources, IT managers can allocate them dynamically, reducing inefficiencies and improving scalability while responding to changing business needs.
 
For example, in a hybrid setup, disaggregated infrastructure allows organizations to extend storage resources on demand, enabling seamless integration of on-premises systems with public cloud services. This ensures that data is stored, accessed, and analyzed in the most optimal location based on performance and cost requirements.
 

Rethinking traditional storage approaches

Traditional approaches to scaling storage, such as adding more servers, are rarely sustainable in the era of hybrid and multi-cloud. These methods often lead to overprovisioning, underutilization, and increased operational costs.
 
By contrast, disaggregation eliminates the need to replace entire servers to increase storage capacity, reducing waste and extending the lifecycle of existing infrastructure. For instance, instead of retiring drives prematurely during server upgrades, disaggregated storage strategies ensure every resource is used to its full potential.

 

Orchestration: The key to unlocking flexibility

The benefits of disaggregated infrastructure are amplified by software-defined storage (SDS), which acts as the orchestration layer for managing storage resources across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. SDS automates the allocation and reallocation of storage resources, ensuring that data is delivered where and when it’s needed most.
 
In hybrid environments, SDS allows organizations to manage storage resources dynamically, seamlessly moving workloads between private and public clouds or scaling storage to accommodate bursts in demand. This level of control ensures efficient utilization of resources while maintaining performance and cost-effectiveness.

 

Innovations powering future-ready storage

Hybrid and multi-cloud architectures demand advanced storage technologies that deliver both performance and scalability. Innovations such as NVMe over Fabrics (NVMe-oF™) have revolutionized storage connectivity by enabling ultra-fast, low-latency access to SSDs over network fabrics. This technology is particularly valuable in hybrid setups, where high-speed data transfer between on-premises and cloud environments is critical. Western Digital’s OpenFlex Data24 storage platform extends the high performance of NVMe flash over a high-performance Ethernet fabric to deliver similar performance to locally attached NVMe SSDs with up to 1474TB in 2U.
 
Other emerging technologies, such as energy-efficient flash-enhanced HDDs, provide the capacity and performance needed to manage massive data volumes in hybrid and multi-cloud deployments. Western Digital’s Ultrastar HDD family combines field-proven design with the latest innovations in capacities up to 32TB. These advancements ensure that storage solutions can keep pace with the growing demands of modern applications while reducing energy consumption and operational costs.
 
Key elements of next-generation disaggregated storage and SDS systems are Western Digital’s Ultrastar Data60 and Ultrastar Data102 hybrid storage platforms. With up to 1.92PB and 3.26PB respectively, the JBODs come in a compact and efficient 4U form factor for dense, sharable storage.

 

Adapting to a future of constant change

The rapid pace of technological innovation shows no signs of slowing, and businesses must adopt storage solutions that can adapt to change. Disaggregated infrastructure and hybrid storage architectures offer the flexibility needed to scale with evolving workloads, integrate emerging technologies, and meet the demands of new applications and datasets.
By embracing these solutions, organizations can create future-ready storage infrastructures that balance performance, scalability, and cost, ensuring long-term success in a competitive and data-driven world.
 

Building a scalable, flexible future

The hybrid and multi-cloud era requires a reimagining of storage infrastructure. By leveraging disaggregated infrastructure, SDS, and cutting-edge storage technologies, businesses can achieve unmatched scalability, improved efficiency, and seamless adaptability across diverse environments.
 
Future-ready storage is no longer a vision—it’s a necessity. For IT leaders, investing in scalable and flexible storage solutions is the key to staying ahead in an ever-changing technology landscape.
 
Stefan Mandl is Vice President, Sales & Marketing for APJC Region, at Western Digital