NetApp has announced the launch of the next generation of EF Series storage systems, designed to power workloads that require higher performance at scale. The introduction of the EF50 and EF80 models enables enterprises and neoclouds to respond to the growing demands of AI, high-performance computing (HPC), and transactional databases, as well as emerging use cases such as sovereign AI clouds or artificial intelligence-driven industrial manufacturing.
“Data is the key component to generating business value, as it supports workloads that require high performance, such as AI or databases,” says Jaime Balañá, technical director of NetApp in Iberia. “As organizations manage increasing volumes of data and more demanding applications, they need storage solutions that deliver speed, scalability and efficiency without adding complexity.”
NetApp offers a complete storage portfolio that covers all stages of the AI data flow, from collection and preparation to use in generative AI models that generate valuable insights. With the new EF Series storage systems, designed for extreme performance, “we enable customers to deploy and scale high-performance, low-latency workloads quickly and efficiently, while also reducing data center footprint and operating costs,” says Balañá.
Benefits for neoclouds and other sectors
Combined with high-performance parallel file systems such as Luster or BeeGFS, the new EF50 and EF80 systems optimize storage performance to accelerate HPC simulations and keep GPUs at full capacity using high-performance temporary workspaces. This helps organizations derive greater value from their data and a sustainable competitive advantage.
From neocloud providers focused on AI innovation to movie studios managing large media libraries, multiple industries will benefit from this high-performance storage, which not only stands out for its scalability, but also for its strong security capabilities to protect sensitive information and prevent data loss.
The new EF Series storage systems deliver over 110 GBps of read and 55 GBps of write performance, a 250% improvement over previous generations. With a power efficiency of 63.7 GBps per kW and up to 1.5 PB of storage in just 2U, they guarantee reliable performance with high density and a competitive cost.
With this new generation of storage, organizations can:
- Achieve high performance in data-intensive workloads, scaling capacity without compromising efficiency or latency.
- Balance budget and performance to make faster, more informed decisions.
- Simplify management through affordable block storage solutions, with streamlined deployment and expert support.
“As we move into the era of artificial intelligence, many companies need to maximize performance to extract the most value from their data,” explains Clayton Vipond, senior solutions architect at CDW. “The NetApp EF Series delivers the performance and storage capacity needed to scale critical workloads that transform data into results.”
NetApp offers a complete storage portfolio that covers all stages of the AI data flow
For his part, Sumeet Arora, product manager at Teradata, says: “EF Series systems provide the storage performance necessary to support our most demanding loads. With these improvements, we hope to reduce infrastructure complexity and advance our AI and data modernization initiatives.”
Simon Robinson, principal analyst at Omdia, adds: “By offering a high-performance storage system compatible with parallel file systems such as Luster and BeeGFS, NetApp strengthens its position in emerging sectors such as neocloud. AI workloads require unprecedented levels of performance, and this new generation of storage answers those needs in both training and inference.”
Reliability, safety and durability
The EF Series draws on decades of NetApp experience in storage solutions, with more than one million installations attesting to its reliability and durability.
Designed with a disaggregated approach, the NetApp data platform separates storage, services and control, enabling businesses to modernize faster, scale efficiently and innovate without limitations.
At the core of this proposition is the NetApp data platform, a unified, intelligent enterprise storage foundation that connects, protects and activates data across multicloud environments. Based on NetApp ONTAP and augmented with automation using AI Data Engine and AFX, it provides observability, resiliency, and intelligence at scale.
