Accelerate Breakout Replay: What’s New in SQL Server 2025: AI, Performance, and Pure Storage Optimization
Explore SQL Server 2025’s AI, vector search, REST support, and see how Pure Storage boosts performance for modern database workloads. Speaker: Anthony Nocentino https://www.purestorage.com/video/webinars/whats-new-in-sql-server-2025/6375342106112.htmlDatabase Performance Unleashed: Where AI and Enterprise Meet
August 12 | Register Now! 11:00AM PT • 2:00PM ET This month, host Andrew Miller invites SQL DBA and Microsoft MVP Anthony Nocentino (Senior Principal Field Solutions Architect at Pure Storage) to the virtual breakroom for the third time. We’ll cover: The AI Shift into enterprise databases - Something many didn’t expect but makes sense once you dig into the reasons RAG architectures and relational databases - Exploring AI-ready, secure, and high-performance features Vector indexing in SQL Server 2025 and Oracle 23 AI - Real world reasons to use SQL Server (for instance) as a Vector Datastore FlashArray™ performance testing and data - So much performance for all workloads and especially databases. We’ll also share the results of recent performance testing from Pure Storage and its newest, fastest ever FlashArray - FlashArray//XL™ 170 R5 As always, we’ll keep it educational while exploring how Pure Storage offers capabilities and products that benefit you. The team will stay on after the webinar to answer any questions. LIVE RAFFLE: One lucky attendee will win a Coffee Lover Set (approx. value $132.16). See Terms and Conditions.Virtualization Anonymous - Pittsburgh PUG
Welcome to Our 2nd Pure User Group (PUG) Discussion on Server Virtualization! We’re excited to bring our community together again for our second PUG session focused on server virtualization — a topic that's constantly evolving and critical to modern infrastructure. This is part of our ongoing effort to host these discussions every six months, continuing as long as there's interest from our user community. Whether you joined us for the first session or you're new to the group, we’re glad to have you here. Let’s learn, share, and grow together — and as always, your feedback helps shape future PUG topics! Event Details This will be a customer driven and customer focused discussion to hear from people like you related to the experiences and journey you have been on as we all seek the recovery we need to build a virtualization strategy for the future. Pure Storage and Expedient will provide experts and guidance to take that first step with you. After our presentation, we invite you to join us for happy hour and appetizers at the Federal Galley located here. Prizes will be provided to help encourage open collaboration. Space is extremely limited for this event. Sign up now to grab your spot to this exciting event. Registration https://info.purestorage.com/2025-Q3AMS-COMREDTFSPUGPittsburghLP_01---Registration-Page.html Parking Enter the Parking garage on level 2 off of S Commons, Take the east or west stairs to the Plaza Level, Exit the plaza level by the information desk to the outdoor plaza, walk towards the Federal Galley, The conference center entrance is located to the left of the Federal Galley. (follow Pure Storage Signage) Agenda 2:00PM Check In 2:30PM - 4:30PM Presentation 4:30PM - Giveaway Raffle (Pirate Tickets, Pure Swag, Autographed Pirate Baseballs) 5:00PM - 6:30PM Happy Hour with Pure
Winning Data Platform Strategies for Modern Oracle Workloads
August 7 | Register Now! Oracle environments support a growing mix of transactional, analytical, and AI-driven workloads. It’s putting the pressure on infrastructure and application teams to deliver on this massive potential. Join our experts as they explore proven data platform strategies that help you modernize Oracle environments with higher performance per footprint, simplified operations, and greater cost efficiency. Learn how to: Eliminate performance bottlenecks. Reduce backup and recovery times while protecting critical data. Simplify and automate storage operations with an intelligent control plane. Register Now!Accelerate Breakout Replay: Accelerate Enterprise AI with Your SQL and Oracle Operational Databases
Demystify AI for storage pros: explore RAG, embeddings, and vector indexing in SQL Server 2025 and Oracle 23ai. Speakers: Anthony Nocentino & Ryan Arsenault https://www.purestorage.com/video/webinars/accelerate-enterprise-ai-sql-oracle/6375340112112.html
Boston PUG - August 21, 2025
Hey there Connecticut PUG members. I wanted to let you all know there is a Boston PUG event taking place August 21, 2025 at Trillium - Fort Point in the Seaport. If you have time to spare to hang with Pure and other like-minded, beer-loving individuals then please drive up to hang out with us. You can find more about the event at the link below: Boston PUG information link I hope some of you are interested in driving up for the afternoon. We will host a PUG in Connecticut in the near future. Stay tuned...Boston Pure User Group (PUG) at Trillium - Fort Point!
Simplify IT, Empower Data - Over a Pint at Trillium - Fort Point Join us August 21, 2025, and connect, learn, and engage with your fellow IT pros for an afternoon filled with exciting announcements from the recent Pure//Accelerate event and our vision for the Enterprise Data Cloud, as well as an engaging discussion on modern virtualization and a demo of Fusion. Fusion is a fully integrated platform that federates multiple arrays—such as FlashArray and FlashBlade—into a unified fleet, enabling centralized, cloud-like management, streamlined resource provisioning, and enhanced visibility across multi-array environments. Rob Quast, Principal Technologist from Pure Storage will be presenting on the above topics with additional input from other Pure technologists. The complete agenda is below. Please register if you plan on attending at the following link: Register Here Agenda 2:00 PM - Welcome & Cheers Light intro by host & Pure representatives. Local brew served!! 2:15 PM - Accelerate Highlights: What You Missed (or Want More Of) A high-level recap of key announcements: Fusion, Evergreen One, FlashBlade//SR2 2:45 PM - Enterprise Data Cloud: The Vision and The Why Why it matters: cutting complexity, controlling cost, and scaling for AI 3:15 PM - Fusion in Action: Simplifying Storage with Intelligence Live demo or use-case storytelling around automation, presets, and governance 3:45 PM - Break & Bites Grab a drink, mingle, enjoy local food 4:15 PM - Rethinking Virtualization in 2025 What’s next after VMware? Discuss Pure + Nutanix, KubeVirt, Azure/AWS paths 4:45 PM - Ask Me Anything (AMA) Panel Interactive Q&A with Pure team + customer guest if available 5:15 PM - Cheers & Networking Open networking, brewery tour optional We look forward to seeing you!Boston Pure User Group (PUG) at Trillium - Fort Point!
Simplify IT, Empower Data - Over a Pint at Trillium - Fort Point Join us August 21 2025, and connect, learn, and engage with your fellow IT pros for an afternoon filled with exciting announcements from the recent Pure//Accelerate event and our vision for the Enterprise Data Cloud, as well as an engaging discussion on modern virtualization and a demo of Fusion. Fusion is a fully integrated platform that federates multiple arrays—such as FlashArray and FlashBlade—into a unified fleet, enabling centralized, cloud-like management, streamlined resource provisioning, and enhanced visibility across multi-array environments. Rob Quast, Principal Technologist from Pure Storage will be presenting on the above topics with additional input from other Pure technologists. The complete agenda is below. Please register if you plan on attending: Register Here Agenda 2:00 PM - Welcome & Cheers Light intro by host & Pure representatives. Local brew served!! 2:15 PM - Accelerate Highlights: What You Missed (or Want More Of) A high-level recap of key announcements: Fusion, Evergreen One, FlashBlade//SR2 2:45 PM - Enterprise Data Cloud: The Vision and The Why Why it matters: cutting complexity, controlling cost, and scaling for AI 3:15 PM - Fusion in Action: Simplifying Storage with Intelligence Live demo or use-case storytelling around automation, presets, and governance 3:45 PM - Break & Bites Grab a drink, mingle, enjoy local food 4:15 PM - Rethinking Virtualization in 2025 What’s next after VMware? Discuss Pure + Nutanix, KubeVirt, Azure/AWS paths 4:45 PM - Ask Me Anything (AMA) Panel Interactive Q&A with Pure team + customer guest if available 5:15 PM - Cheers & Networking Open networking, brewery tour optional We look forward to seeing you!Tips for High Availability SQL Server Environments with ActiveCluster
Tip 1: Use Synchronous Replication for Zero RPO/RTO Why it matters: ActiveCluster mirrors every write across two FlashArrays before acknowledging the operation to the host. This ensures zero Recovery Point Objective (RPO) and zero Recovery Time Objective (RTO), which are critical for maintaining business continuity in SQL Server environments. Best Practice: Keep inter-site latency below 5 ms for optimal performance. While the system tolerates up to 11 ms, staying under 5 ms minimizes write latencies and transactional slowdowns. Tip 2: Group Related Volumes with Stretched Pods Why it matters: Stretched pods ensure all volumes within them are synchronously replicated as a unit, maintaining data consistency and simplifying management. This is crucial for SQL Server deployments where data, log, and tempdb volumes need to failover together. Best practice: Place all volumes related to a single SQL Server instance into the same pod. Use separate pods only for unrelated SQL Server instances or non-database workloads that have different replication, performance, or management requirements. Tip 3: Use Uniform Host Access with SCSI ALUA Optimization Why it matters: Uniform host access allows each SQL Server node to see both arrays. Combined with SCSI ALUA (Asymmetric Logical Unit Access), this setup enables the host to prefer the local array, improving latency while maintaining redundancy. Best practice: Use the Preferred Array setting in FlashArray for each host to route I/O to the closest array. This avoids redundant round-trips across WAN links, especially in multi-site or metro-cluster topologies. Install the correct MPIO drivers, validate paths, and use load-balancing policies like Round Robin or Least Queue Depth. Tip 4: Test Failover with a regular cadence Why it matters: ActiveCluster is designed for transparent failover, but you shouldn’t assume it just works. Testing failover with a regular schedule validates the full stack, from storage to SQL Server clustering and exposes misconfigurations before they cause downtime. Best practice: Simulate array failure by disconnecting one side and verifying that SQL Server remains online via the surviving array. Monitor replication and quorum health using Pure1, and ensure Windows Server Failover Clustering (WSFC) responds correctly. Tip 5: Use ActiveCluster for Seamless Storage Migration Why it matters: Storage migrations are inevitable for lifecycle refreshes, performance upgrades, or datacenter moves. ActiveCluster lets you replicate and migrate SQL Server databases with zero downtime. Best practice: Follow a 6-step phased migration: 1. Assess and plan 2. Set up environment 3. Configure ActiveCluster 4. Test replication and failover 5. Migrate by removing paths from source array 6. Validate with DBCC CHECKDB and application testing This ensures a smooth handover with no data loss or service interruption. Tip 6: Align with VMware for Virtualized SQL Server Deployments Why it matters: Many SQL Server instances run on VMware. Using ActiveCluster with vSphere VMFS or vVols brings granular control, high availability, and site-aware storage policies. Best practice: Deploy SQL Server on vVols for tighter storage integration, or use VMFS when simplicity is preferred. Stretch datastores across sites with ActiveCluster for seamless VM failover and workload mobility. Tip 7: Avoid Unsupported Topologies Why it matters: ActiveCluster is designed for two-site, synchronous setups. Misusing it across unsupported configurations like hybrid cloud sync or mixing non-uniform host access with SQL Server FCI can break failover logic and introduce data risks. Best practice: Do not use ActiveCluster between cloud and on-prem FlashArrays. Avoid non-uniform host access in SQL Server Failover Cluster Instances. Failover will not be coordinated. Instead, use ActiveDR™ or asynchronous replication for cloud or multi-site DR scenarios. Next Steps Pure Storage ActiveCluster simplifies high availability for SQL Server without extra licensing or complex configuration. If you want to go deeper, check out this whitepaper on FlashArray ActiveCluster for more details.Pure//Launch Event: Next-gen FlashArray//XL - Unmatched Performance Density
Join us for this exclusive launch event to discover how Pure Storage is redefining power, scale, and simplicity. What to expect: In-depth look at the superior performance density and capabilities of the next generation of FlashArray//XL Customer fireside chat on practical outcomes and lessons learned Industry-focused panel offering sector-specific insights Live Q&A session to talk topics like hardware, high performance and vector databases, electronic health records, and virtualization consolidation Whether you're growing your Pure Storage environment or exploring your future, enterprise-grade storage platform, don’t miss this opportunity to see what’s possible. July 23, 2025 | 11:00 AM PT • 2:00 PM ET July 23, 2025 | 11:00 AM CEST July 23, 2025 | 1:00 PM SGT Register Now!
