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Storage — Storage Topic Cluster

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Storage

Technical guides on enterprise storage architecture, AI storage systems, NVMe, object storage, backup storage, and storage networking for data centers.

11 Resources in This Cluster

Frequently Asked Questions

What storage does AI training require?

AI training requires high-throughput parallel storage that can feed GPUs without creating I/O bottlenecks. An 8-GPU H100 cluster requires 200–400 GB/s of sustained read throughput during training. Parallel file systems (GPFS/Spectrum Scale, Lustre, WEKA) or NVMe-oF fabrics are required. Standard NAS or SAN systems cannot sustain the throughput needed for large-scale AI training.

What is the difference between block, file, and object storage?

Block storage presents raw storage volumes to servers (like a hard drive), used for databases and VMs requiring low latency. File storage organizes data in a hierarchical directory structure, used for shared file access and NAS. Object storage stores data as objects with metadata and a unique identifier, used for unstructured data, AI datasets, and backup at massive scale. Each type has different performance, cost, and scalability characteristics.

Key Terms

NVMe-oF (NVMe over Fabrics)

A protocol that extends NVMe storage access over network fabrics (RDMA, Fibre Channel, or TCP), providing near-local NVMe performance over a network.

Object Storage

A storage architecture that manages data as objects (data + metadata + unique ID) rather than files or blocks, designed for massive scale and unstructured data.

Parallel File System

A distributed file system that stores data across multiple storage nodes simultaneously, providing high aggregate throughput for HPC and AI workloads.

Buyer\'s Guide

Questions to ask when evaluating storage solutions.

What is the sustained throughput of the storage system under AI training workloads?

Why it matters: Peak throughput specs are meaningless for AI training. Sustained throughput under concurrent read workloads from multiple GPU nodes determines whether the storage system will bottleneck training.

Red flag: Vendors who only provide peak IOPS without sustained throughput benchmarks.

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