Process large amounts of data with SanDisk InfiniFlash
Building multi-petabyte flash technology with software-defined storage integration

Western Digital announced that SoftBank Corp has adopted the SanDisk® InfiniFlash™ all-flash storage platform for its software-defined storage solutions.

SoftBank had previously been running traditional in-house storage systems that combined hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs) for specific applications. With this announcement, SoftBank is now able to install software on general-purpose servers by utilizing the SanDisk InfiniFlash platform as a core storage engine for real-time data transaction applications to build a new software-defined multi-petabyte system in-house.

Through this, SoftBank can achieve high efficiency by integrating the operation of complex systems, resolving issues of isolation, and eliminating vendor-specific tasks. This new system handles rapidly increasing data with high scalability and density, and has made it possible to reduce the number of racks in data centers by 75% and power consumption by up to 83% compared to traditional dedicated storage.

SoftBank selected the SanDisk InfiniFlash platform considering compatibility with various software-defined storage solutions and costs through the proof-of-concept (POC) process. This system is built by PS Solutions Corp., a leading provider of IT solutions and IT outsourcing.

The SanDisk InfiniFlash platform provides up to 512TB of capacity on a single 3U platform. Combining the cost-effectiveness of HDD-based storage with the performance of flash memory storage, it supports sizes ranging from mid-range to large-scale expansion. By combining it with software-defined storage at a cost of less than $1 per gigabyte without compression or deduplication, it delivers the scale and performance of flash technology previously impossible, bringing significant innovation to the traditional dedicated storage market.

The SanDisk InfiniFlash platform can connect to up to eight servers, providing reliability and high flash efficiency while allowing computing and storage space to be added individually. This allows companies to significantly save on capital expenditures and operating costs for data centers.

75% reduction in data center rack count, up to 83% reduction in power consumption

Yasuyuki Kato, Director of System Infrastructure at SoftBank’s IT System Infrastructure Division, stated, “SoftBank was seeking ways to leverage flash technology in its new in-house platform to optimize the cost and efficiency of data center operations, and to this end, we decided to adopt the SanDisk InfiniFlash platform.” He added, “Based on SanDisk’s extensive experience and know-how in flash development and production, the InfiniFlash platform—the first ultra-high-capacity flash storage platform released for data centers—offers high-speed I/O performance and higher density compared to existing flash-based platforms. It offers the advantage of ensuring scalability for data processing ranging from several petabytes to hundreds of petabytes without requiring a large footprint for data center construction. In line with our IT strategy aimed at supporting higher business growth, SoftBank has established a highly competitive IT system ranging from big data to enterprise systems.”

"We are pleased that SoftBank has adopted the SanDisk InfiniFlash platform," said Gary Lyng, Executive Vice President of Western Digital's Data Center Systems business unit. "As artificial intelligence begins to be introduced into devices and the era of the Internet of Things fully arrives, handling massive amounts of data being generated on a scale greater than ever before is becoming an essential element." “We are pleased to support SoftBank’s business growth by delivering higher value through SanDisk’s flash technology for high-speed processing of large volumes of data. Through a portfolio of platforms and systems that expand the scope of industry-leading flash and disk technologies, Western Digital’s customers will be able to optimally control and process data in IT environments where data volume, speed, variety, and value are increasing,” they explained.