Panasas Delivers Uncompromised Performance and Security with PanFS 9, a Next-Generation Portable Storage Platform

New release offers customers multiple layers of security with zero performance impacts or price increases, meeting the intensive requirements of contemporary HPC and AI/ML workloads

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Panasas^® today announced the availability of its next-generation PanFS® portable parallel file system, a major release delivering customers performance enhancements, optimizations, and a multi-layer security foundation. These advancements are designed to meet the demanding requirements of today’s HPC and AI/ML workloads while safeguarding sensitive and confidential data, and providing the underpinnings needed to deploy a secure multi-tenancy environment.

PanFS version 9 expands the ActiveStor® Ultra storage platform capabilities, adding substantial layers of security including hardware-based encryption at rest with zero performance degradation or cost impact, as well as file labeling support for Security-Enhanced Linux (SELinux), a set of Linux kernel security modifications that sets constraints on how files are accessed.

At the physical data layer, PanFS 9 establishes NIST-approved encryption at rest data protection with AES 256-bit hardware-based encryption on self-encrypting drives, and features automatic cryptographic erasure the instant a drive is removed without authorization. At the file access layer, PanFS 9 implements a comprehensive level of access control, storing SELinux context information as per-file security labels for use by SELinux and multi-level security policies.

Encryption at rest is fully managed and data encryption keys are generated by PanFS 9 for all new and deployed removeable ActiveStor Ultra drives. That is, all installed ActiveStor Ultra units have been future-proofed and can be enabled with a simple PanFS 9 upgrade. For robust, mature key management, Panasas teamed with industry-leading security providers like Thales to deliver field-hardened compatible and well-tested key management solution options.

PanFS 9 also delivers additional hardening of the Dynamic Data Acceleration (DDA) technology introduced last year for intelligent mixed HPC and AI/ML workload processing. Already having set a new standard for hybrid HPC storage by doubling performance over competitive solutions, PanFS 9 with DDA includes performance optimizations and enhancements to the software stacks on both the storage and metadata nodes. Additionally, PanFS 9 provides significant increased metadata performance for DirectFlow, NFS, and SMB protocols.

“We architected our latest PanFS parallel file system specifically with an eye on the growing performance and security requirements customers encounter from diverse and exponentially expanding HPC and AI/ML workloads,” said Brian Reed, VP Products and Alliances. “Together with scalability, performance, reliability, and ease of management, we’ve identified security and protecting our customer’s data as a pillar of the PanFS architecture. The most effective way to provide comprehensive data security is to deploy a multi-layer foundational approach including increased access control through SELinux support and hardware-based encryption at rest with a trusted key management system. To that end, we’re pleased to be working with an industry leader in key management like Thales, along with security ecosystem partners including Micron, Seagate, and Supermicro to deliver a comprehensive, interoperable, and performant solution.”

About Panasas

Panasas delivers high-performance computing (HPC) data storage solutions that support industry and research innovation around the world. Whether it’s building the next jetliner, winning a Formula One race, creating mind-bending visual effects, curing disease, or modeling climate change, the world’s leading companies trust Panasas to support their most innovative HPC projects. For more information, visit www.panasas.com.

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