EMC has introduced a number of new features, ecosystem integrations, and business programmes for EMC XtremIO all-flash arrays.

The IT storage specialist believes these will offer more scale, capabilities and more support for consolidated, virtualised and performance-hungry workloads.

New XtremIO 3.0 capabilities are said to deliver enterprise data centres with leaps forward in performance, consolidation, and application agility through intelligent always-on, inline data services. These free software upgrades, available for existing XtremIO arrays, improve IT agility and deliver breakthrough user experience and economics, according to EMC.

Some of the new features include:
– New entry-level configuration called the Starter X-Brick. EMC says this offers the full performance and data services of a standard XtremIO array in a low-cost 5TB configuration, with online non-disruptive capacity expansion to a full 10TB X-Brick.
– New, larger scale-out clusters up to six X-Bricks. Ideal for consolidated workloads, XtremIO arrays now support up to six 20TB X-Bricks with 12 active controllers, enabling a 50% IOPS performance increase and 50% more capacity, while maintaining XtremIO’s sub-millisecond latency (orderable this quarter).
– New inline Data at Rest Encryption (D@RE). XtremIO arrays now securely encrypt all data stored on the all-flash array, delivering protection for regulated use cases in sensitive industries such as healthcare, finance, and the government.

CJ Desai, president, EMC Emerging Technology Products Division, said: "XtremIO heralds a new era in storage array design, architected from the ground-up for consistent and predictable random access performance. With the addition of rich new inline data services, the value XtremIO delivers to customers, which vaulted EMC to number one in the all-flash array market a mere six weeks after general availability, is greatly extended.

"With better performance, more capacity, more capabilities, and further integration across the EMC product portfolio, XtremIO is the all-flash array platform of choice, helping end-users redefine what’s possible in their data centres and application environments."

David Vellante, chief research officer at The Wikibon Project, said: "The impact of flash storage will go far beyond performance. 10X performance improvements relative to hard disk are really just table stakes. The disruptive opportunities with flash storage are in delivering a new breed of applications supported by advanced data services that were not even possible on disk. These capabilities will dramatically simplify complex application environments, streamline cumbersome workflows and unlock a step function in new business value."