Flashblade & Ansible collection
Hello community, We are facing some issues with our FlashBlade when provisioning policies with Ansible. We have updated all the components (py-pure-client and the collection), and we are failing on a simple policy deployment. - name: Test purestorage.flashblade.purefb_policy: name: "filesystem_export_policy" enabled: True policy_type: "nfs" at: True client: "mynfsexport.flashblade.local" secure: True security: "sys" permission: "rw" access: "no-squash" fb_url: "{{ fb_host }}" api_token: "{{ fb_api_token }}" The complete stack trace is : The full traceback is: Traceback (most recent call last): File "/home/user/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1778656887.1852276-3067455-48057529014464/AnsiballZ_purefb_policy.py", line 107, in <module> _ansiballz_main() File "/home/user/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1778656887.1852276-3067455-48057529014464/AnsiballZ_purefb_policy.py", line 99, in _ansiballz_main invoke_module(zipped_mod, temp_path, ANSIBALLZ_PARAMS) File "/home/user/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1778656887.1852276-3067455-48057529014464/AnsiballZ_purefb_policy.py", line 47, in invoke_module runpy.run_module(mod_name='ansible_collections.purestorage.flashblade.plugins.modules.purefb_policy', init_globals=dict(_module_fqn='ansible_collections.purestorage.flashblade.plugins.modules.purefb_policy', _modlib_path=modlib_path), File "<frozen runpy>", line 226, in run_module File "<frozen runpy>", line 98, in _run_module_code File "<frozen runpy>", line 88, in _run_code File "/opt/tmp/tmp/ansible_purestorage.flashblade.purefb_policy_payload_xaietsz7/ansible_purestorage.flashblade.purefb_policy_payload.zip/ansible_collections/purestorage/flashblade/plugins/modules/purefb_policy.py", line 4233, in <module> File "/opt/tmp/tmp/ansible_purestorage.flashblade.purefb_policy_payload_xaietsz7/ansible_purestorage.flashblade.purefb_policy_payload.zip/ansible_collections/purestorage/flashblade/plugins/modules/purefb_policy.py", line 4008, in main File "/opt/tmp/tmp/ansible_purestorage.flashblade.purefb_policy_payload_xaietsz7/ansible_purestorage.flashblade.purefb_policy_payload.zip/ansible_collections/purestorage/flashblade/plugins/modules/purefb_policy.py", line 2392, in update_nfs_policy AttributeError: 'ErrorResponse' object has no attribute 'items' fatal: [localhost]: FAILED! => { "changed": false, "module_stderr": "Traceback (most recent call last):\n File \"/home/user/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1778656887.1852276-3067455-48057529014464/AnsiballZ_purefb_policy.py\", line 107, in <module>\n _ansiballz_main()\n File \"/home/user/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1778656887.1852276-3067455-48057529014464/AnsiballZ_purefb_policy.py\", line 99, in _ansiballz_main\n invoke_module(zipped_mod, temp_path, ANSIBALLZ_PARAMS)\n File \"/home/user/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1778656887.1852276-3067455-48057529014464/AnsiballZ_purefb_policy.py\", line 47, in invoke_module\n runpy.run_module(mod_name='ansible_collections.purestorage.flashblade.plugins.modules.purefb_policy', init_globals=dict(_module_fqn='ansible_collections.purestorage.flashblade.plugins.modules.purefb_policy', _modlib_path=modlib_path),\n File \"<frozen runpy>\", line 226, in run_module\n File \"<frozen runpy>\", line 98, in _run_module_code\n File \"<frozen runpy>\", line 88, in _run_code\n File \"/opt/tmp/tmp/ansible_purestorage.flashblade.purefb_policy_payload_xaietsz7/ansible_purestorage.flashblade.purefb_policy_payload.zip/ansible_collections/purestorage/flashblade/plugins/modules/purefb_policy.py\", line 4233, in <module>\n File \"/opt/tmp/tmp/ansible_purestorage.flashblade.purefb_policy_payload_xaietsz7/ansible_purestorage.flashblade.purefb_policy_payload.zip/ansible_collections/purestorage/flashblade/plugins/modules/purefb_policy.py\", line 4008, in main\n File \"/opt/tmp/tmp/ansible_purestorage.flashblade.purefb_policy_payload_xaietsz7/ansible_purestorage.flashblade.purefb_policy_payload.zip/ansible_collections/purestorage/flashblade/plugins/modules/purefb_policy.py\", line 2392, in update_nfs_policy\nAttributeError: 'ErrorResponse' object has no attribute 'items'\n", "module_stdout": "", "msg": "MODULE FAILURE: No start of json char found\nSee stdout/stderr for the exact error", "rc": 1 } If the policy is already set, the playbook runs perfectly fine. The problem occurs when a new policy is injected. However, we have to install the collection from GitHub. It seems that the artifact built and installed by Ansible Galaxy is not correct. Some commits are not propagated. For example, with the FlashBlade collection 1.24 (installed from Galaxy), we have: >>> from pypureclient.flashblade import ( ... PolicyRuleObjectAccessCondition, ... PolicyRuleObjectAccessPost, ... PolicyRuleObjectAccess, ... NfsExportPolicy, ... NfsExportPolicyRule, ... Policy, ... PolicyPatch, ... PolicyRule, ... SmbSharePolicyRule, ... SmbSharePolicy, ... SmbClientPolicyRule, ... SmbClientPolicy, ... ObjectStoreAccessPolicyPost, ... NetworkAccessPolicy, ... NetworkAccessPolicyRule, ... WormDataPolicy, ... ) Traceback (most recent call last): File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module> File "/home/user/conda/envs/ansible/lib/python3.12/site-packages/pypureclient/flashblade/__init__.py", line 40, in __getattr__ raise ImportError(f'module {__package__} has no attribute {name}') ImportError: module pypureclient.flashblade has no attribute PolicyPatch We have compared the archive from GitHub and there are many differences with the upstream collection code. To help, find my my env package : Package Version ----------------- ----------- annotated-types 0.7.0 ansible-core 2.18.5 bcrypt 5.0.0 certifi 2026.4.22 cffi 2.0.0 cryptography 44.0.0 dnspython 2.8.0 invoke 3.0.3 Jinja2 3.1.4 MarkupSafe 2.1.1 packaging 24.1 paramiko 5.0.0 pip 24.2 py-pure-client 1.88.0 pycparser 2.22 pydantic 2.13.4 pydantic_core 2.46.4 PyJWT 2.12.1 PyNaCl 1.6.2 python-dateutil 2.9.0.post0 PyYAML 6.0.2 resolvelib 1.0.1 setuptools 75.8.2 six 1.17.0 typing_extensions 4.15.0 typing-inspection 0.4.2 urllib3 2.7.0 wheel 0.45.0 And our flashblades are running the Purity//FB 4.6.9. If anyone has a lead to help us get our Ansible back up and running, I thank them in advance. We appreciate your help. MatthAsk Us Everything about Object Storage
💬 Get ready for our February 2026 edition of Ask Us Everything, this Friday, February 20th at 9 AM Pacific. This month is all about Object Storage. If you have a burning question, feel free to ask it here early and we'll add it to the list to answer tomorrow. Or if we can't get it answered live, our Pure Storage experts can follow up here. Karthik Srinivasan, Flashman & dpoorman are the experts answering your questions during the conversation and here on the community. See you this Friday! (Oh, and if you haven't registered yet, there's still time!) Or, check out this self-serve resource: Object Storage Webinar EDIT: Thanks for joining in! If you have additional burning questions and comments, leave them in the comments below for the team!Announcing the General Availability of Purity//FB 4.7.10 LLR
We are happy to announce the general availability of 4.7.10, the first Long-Life Release (LLR) of the 4.6/4.7 line, providing long-term maintenance of the 4.6 feature set with consistency in capabilities, user experience, and interoperability. For more detailed information about bug fixes and security updates included in each release, see the release notes. Highlights The 4.7 LLR adds many new features and improvements for customers upgrading from the 4.5 LLR: AI and high-performance workload acceleration Major gains for AI, HPC, and other demanding unstructured workloads through higher-performance platform options, increased bandwidth, better read/write concurrency, and S3 over RDMA, provide customers faster time to results, better GPU utilization, and more value from large-scale file and object environments. Lower cost at scale with smarter data placement and efficiency Zero Move Tiering for file and object, larger supported system scale, tenant-level performance controls, and DeepReduce for FlashBlade//E help customers scale capacity more efficiently, improve workload density, and reduce total cost of ownership without adding operational complexity. Stronger security and compliance Important security capabilities including NFS over TLS, mutual TLS, FIDO2 and authentication policy support for SSH, object auditing, and proactive Purity patching, helping customers protect data in flight, strengthen access controls, simplify compliance, and respond faster to risk. Multi-tenancy and service delivery Realms, management access policies, secure multi-tenancy for object, local users and groups, and Fusion workload and preset enhancements give customers stronger isolation, simpler delegated administration, and more consistent service delivery across shared environments and dark sites. Improved observability, resilience, and operations On-box observability, richer protocol and connection statistics, Rapid Replica enhancements, larger-scale file data protection, and hardware-based availability improvements make it easier for customers to troubleshoot faster, protect more data at scale, and run mission-critical environments with greater confidence. This release is supported on the following FlashBlade Platforms: FB//S100, FB//S200 (R1, R2), FB//S500 (R1, R2), FB//ZMT, FB//E, FB//EXA Release recommendations Customers looking for long-term maintenance of the complete 4.6 feature set are encouraged to upgrade to the 4.7 LLR. Customers looking for the latest features as soon as they are available should upgrade to the 4.8 FR. Check out our AI Copilot intelligent assistant for deeper insights into release content and recommendations. EOL schedule The 4.6/4.7 release line is planned to reach End-of-Life (EOL) in April 2029. Links and References Purity//FB 4.7 Release Notes Everpure Product Lifecycle and Support Policies Overview Purity//FB Release and End-of-Life Schedule Purity//FB Release Guidelines FlashBlade Hardware and End-of-Support FlashBlade Capacity and Feature Limits Pure1 Manage AI Copilot
Simplifying Observability: Native OpenTelemetry in Purity
As enterprises modernize and accelerate their infrastructure through automation, blind spots become more expensive. When systems move faster, teams need telemetry that’s reliable, portable, and easy to integrate across a heterogeneous stack. Pure Storage’s Enterprise Data Cloud vision reflects that shift: infrastructure that delivers cloud-like simplicity and speed while preserving the control, security, and performance enterprises expect. Fusion supports this by standardizing and scaling self-service workflows, turning storage into an on-demand platform. But faster operations require a stronger feedback loop. As automation increases, teams need confidence that systems remain healthy and predictable. That’s why consolidated observability is foundational. Instead of running separate monitoring tools per layer, organizations are centralizing telemetry into a single observability platform that can correlate signals end-to-end; from the end user’s experience (e.g. browser or mobile app), through the network and application code, all the way down to infrastructure like servers, databases, containers, and storage. This consolidation reduces redundant tools and fragmented dashboards while giving teams the correlated insights they need to resolve incidents faster and make better decisions. The Siloed Vendor Problem Yet achieving this unified vision has proven challenging. Traditional infrastructure vendors have long provided proprietary monitoring tools designed exclusively for their own products. A storage vendor offers one monitoring interface, the compute vendor another, and the network vendor yet another. Each tool uses different data formats, separate dashboards, and incompatible alerting mechanisms. For organizations running heterogeneous environments (which is nearly all of them), this creates an untenable situation. IT teams must context-switch between multiple tools, correlate data manually across platforms, and maintain expertise in numerous vendor-specific interfaces. When an application performance issue arises, determining whether the root cause lies in storage latency, network congestion, or compute resource exhaustion becomes an exercise in detective work across disconnected systems. The promise of consolidated observability cannot be realized with vendor-specific, siloed monitoring tools. A different approach is needed. The Open Standard Solution This challenge has driven the industry toward open, vendor-agnostic standards that enable telemetry interoperability. OpenMetrics emerged as one such standard, providing a common data model for exposing metrics (counters, gauges, and histograms) in a format that any observability platform can consume. By standardizing metric exposition, OpenMetrics reduced vendor lock-in and became foundational to Prometheus-based monitoring at scale. However, standardizing the format of metrics is only one part of what organizations need to make consolidated observability work in practice. Enterprises also need consistency in how telemetry is named, described, transported, and exported, so that infrastructure data can flow cleanly across heterogeneous environments without bespoke integrations. Enter OpenTelemetry, which expands on the same vendor-neutral principles to create a comprehensive observability framework. In other words, it helps ensure telemetry isn’t just emitted in a readable format, but is also structured and delivered in a way that remains portable across vendors and backends. Think of it as establishing the equivalent of a USB standard for telemetry data: any "device" (an application or infrastructure component) can plug into any "peripheral" (an observability platform) without requiring proprietary connectors. The primary benefit is profound: freedom from vendor lock-in. Organizations can choose best-of-breed observability platforms based on capabilities and cost rather than being constrained by what their infrastructure vendors support. The External Agent Bottleneck OpenTelemetry and OpenMetrics have made consolidated observability technically feasible, but most storage vendors have adopted these standards through what can only be described as a "bolt-on" approach. This forces customers to manage a complex chain of external agents, sidecars, or dedicated VMs, just to get telemetry from their platforms visualized onto their dashboards. This presents a problem that’s two-fold: Operational Overhead: Instead of simply consuming data, IT teams are burdened with sizing, patching, and troubleshooting the monitoring infrastructure itself. New Failure Modes: If an agent crashes or becomes misconfigured, visibility into critical infrastructure disappears precisely when it's needed most. Teams find themselves monitoring their monitoring infrastructure; a meta-problem that defeats the original purpose. The Native Integration Imperative In the Pure Storage platform, observability is a first-class capability instead of an afterthought. Thus, Pure Storage has taken a different path: an OpenTelemetry collector embedded into Purity OS. Instead of asking customers to deploy and maintain external agents, exporters, or intermediary infrastructure, Pure Storage platforms will now expose telemetry in standardized OpenTelemetry format as an intrinsic platform capability. The result is sending storage telemetry directly into any OpenTelemetry-compatible Observability platform-of-choice (eg., Datadog, Dynatrace, Splunk, Grafana, etc.). Fig. Numbers represent the sequence of steps in the workflow Pure Storage’s commitment has always been simplicity. Native OpenTelemetry in Purity OS extends that principle to observability: less integration friction, fewer moving parts, and more time spent acting on insight instead of maintaining the pipeline. More information on the native integration of OpenTelemetry Collector within Purity//FB can be found here. Purity//FA to follow soon.General Availability of Purity//FB 4.5.6
We are excited to announce the general availability of Purity//FB 4.5.6 Purity 4.5.6 Release Highlights Introducing Purity//FB 4.5.6, designed to simplify managing a fleet of systems, optimize geographically distributed workflows, and expand the environments that can deploy FlashBlade. Key highlights include: Fusion for FlashBlade: Support for FlashBlade is available now on Pure Fusion, enabling FlashBlade to create, or join a fleet of arrays, simplifying deployments, scaling, and management of data across both FlashArrays and FlashBlades. Pure Fusion now also delivers a single consistent interface for deploying file and object workloads. Rapid Replicas: The remote fetching and caching capability enables file data to be distributed efficiently and allows collaborative development across multiple Data centers, remote sites or, increasingly, workloads in the cloud. QoS ceiling for File System: Purity//FB adds support for creating custom QoS policies defining ceiling limits for IOPS and bandwidth per filesystem. Storage administrators can leverage QoS ceiling to ensure predictable performance and mitigate resource contention. Legal Hold support for File System: Allows users to apply legal hold on files, folders and sub-folders. Once applied the file/folder can’t be deleted by the user until the legal hold is removed. This capability supports compliance for enterprises in regulated industries by providing mandatory legal hold capabilities for files and folders. 18.6TB QLC DFM Support for S100: provides lower entry-point (130TB raw) for customers to experience the power and goodness of FlashBlade//S and also provides heterogeneous expansion capability on //S100 systems with 18.6TB and 37.5TB DFMs. FlashBlade//S500 with NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD: Purity//FB 4.5.6 introduces the integration of FlashBlade with NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD to provide a high-performance, scalable solution for AI and other high-performance computing applications. Object Secure Token Service: Secure Token Services helps FlashBlade to integrate with Single Sign ON (SSO) architectures (Federated Identity models). It simplifies management of user and group access to FlashBlade resources like buckets and objects. Increased Object Account and Bucket Scale: Scalability in FlashBlade Object storage is enhanced with the latest release. FlashBlade will be able to support up to 30K replication relations and up to 5K remote credentials while setting up replication. Object Active-Active Replication: Beginning with Purity//FB 4.5.6, Active-Active Replication between multi-site writable buckets is now Generally Available. No qualification document or approval for setting up replication is needed. However, active-active replication of classic buckets still requires PM approval. Please contact your Pure Storage Representative for assessment and approval for classic buckets. We recommend using multi-site writable buckets for all scenarios including single site deployments. Capacity Consolidation on FB//S & FB//E: provides support for upgrading smaller capacity DFMs to larger capacity DFMs in FlashBlade//S and FlashBlade//E systems. TLS Policy and Ciphers: TLS Policy allows customers to create and maintain custom TLS policies & Ciphers for FlashBlade network interfaces. TLS policy helps centralize management and controls for all inbound network traffic. The policy helps narrow down attack surface and vulnerability exploitation for transports over the network. Updates to Zero Move Tiering (ZMT): FlashBlade//ZMT system adds support for 1,2,3 and 4 DFM per blade configs in 1S:1E offering. New SKUs offer low starting capacity points for Hot storage class and large Cold archival storage. This indirectly improves TCO for customers with predictable performance and cost efficiency. ABE Support for File System: Access-based Enumeration (ABE) allows administrators to hide objects (files and folders) from users who don’t have permissions (Read or List) on a network shared folder in order to access them. MMC Support for File System: Administrators can now go into Microsoft Management Console (MMC) to list open inaccessible files and choose to close them. The full list of new features and enhancements can be found in the Purity//FB 4.5.6 Release Notes.
Ask Us Everything Recap: Making Purity Upgrades Simple
At our recent Ask Us Everything session, we put a spotlight on something every storage admin has an opinion about: software upgrades. Traditionally, storage upgrades have been dreaded — late nights, service windows, and the fear of downtime. But as attendees quickly learned, Pure Storage Purity upgrades are designed to be a very different experience. Our panel of Pure Storage experts included our host Don Poorman, Technical Evangelist, and special guests Sean Kennedy and Rob Quast, Principal Technologists. Here are the questions that sparked the most conversation, and the insights our panel shared. “Are Purity upgrades really non-disruptive?” This one came up right away, and for good reason. Many admins have scars from upgrade events at other vendors. Pure experts emphasized that non-disruptive upgrades (NDUs) are the default. With thousands performed in the field — even for mission-critical applications — upgrades run safely in the background. Customers don’t need to schedule middle-of-the-night windows just to stay current. “Do I need to wait for a major release?” Attendees wanted to know how often they should upgrade, and whether “dot-zero” releases are safe. The advice: don’t wait too long. With Pure’s long-life releases (like Purity 6.9), you can stay current without chasing every new feature release. And because Purity upgrades are included in your Evergreen subscription, you’re not paying extra to get value — you just need to install the latest version. Session attendees found this slide helpful, illustrating the different kinds of Purity releases. “How do self-service upgrades work?” Admins were curious about how much they can do themselves versus involving Pure Storage support. The good news: self-service upgrades are straightforward through Pure1, but you’re never on your own. Pure Technical Services knows that you're running an upgrade, and if an issue arises you’re automatically moved to the front of the queue. If you want a co-pilot, then of course Pure Storage support can walk you through it live. Either way, the process is fast, repeatable, and built for confidence. Upgrading your Purity version has never been easier, now that Self Service Upgrades lets you modernize on your schedule. “Why should I upgrade regularly?” This is where the conversation shifted from fear to excitement. Staying current doesn’t just keep systems secure — it unlocks new capabilities like: Pure Fusion™: a unified, fleet-wide control plane for storage. FlashArray™ Files: modern file services, delivered from the same trusted platform. Ongoing performance, security, and automation enhancements that come with every release. One attendee summed it up perfectly: “Upgrading isn’t about fixing problems — it’s about getting new toys.” The Takeaway The biggest lesson from this session? Purity upgrades aren’t something to fear — they’re something to look forward to. They’re included with your Evergreen subscription, they don’t disrupt your environment, and they unlock powerful features that make storage easier to manage. So if you’ve been putting off your next upgrade, take a fresh look. Chances are, Fusion, Files, or another feature you’ve been waiting for is already there — you just need to turn it on. 👉 Want to keep the conversation going? Join the discussion in the Pure Community and share your own upgrade tips and stories. Be sure to join our next Ask Us Everything session, and catch up with past sessions here!Pure Storage FlashBlade//S 100 Now Veeam Ready. Because Backups Deserve Better
Good news: Pure Storage has expanded our presence in the Veeam Ready database with two brand-new validations! 🎉 In addition to our existing platforms that already have Veeam Ready validations, FlashBlade//S 100 is now officially validated for both Repository and Object with Immutability use cases, solidifying our position as a trusted, high-performance platform for cyber resilience. But what does that actually mean? And why should you care? Let’s break it down. Why Use Object for Backups? Backups used to be simple, you’d write them to tape or a local disk and hope for the best. But today’s environments are more complex, distributed, and under constant threat from ransomware. That’s where object storage steps in. Here’s why object storage is becoming the go-to for modern backup: Scalability: Object storage can handle petabytes of data like a champ. Need more capacity? Just add more objects, no forklift upgrades needed. Simplicity: Flat namespace, no file hierarchies, and built-in metadata = less complexity for your team. Immutability: This is the big one. With S3 Object Lock features, your backups become tamper-proof, which is exactly what you need when ransomware comes knocking. So, if you’re backing up with Veeam Data Platform and you’re not using object storage, it might be time for a rethink. Enter: FlashBlade//S 100 Now, let’s talk about the star of the show: FlashBlade//S 100. This isn’t just any storage system. It’s unified fast file and object storage on an all-flash platform. That means it’s built to handle file workloads and the massive throughput of object-based backup and recovery, all from the same system at the same time. Here’s what sets it apart: 🚀 Performance: All-flash speed coupled with Pure’s ultra-fast object protocol mean backups complete faster and, as those backup datasets grow ever larger, that speed becomes essential for meeting tight recovery time objectives (RTOs). Traditional disk just can’t keep up when seconds count. 🧩 Unified access: File and object protocols on the same box? Yes, please. 🧱 Immutability built in: Ransomware can’t touch what it can’t change. FlashBlade//S supports object lock natively. 🔒 Enterprise security: End-to-end encryption, multi-tenancy, and API-driven operations come standard. 📈 Simple to scale: Whether you’re starting small or scaling up for multi-petabyte archives, FlashBlade’s scale out architecture lets you grow and non-disruptive upgrades from FlashBlade//S100 to FlashBlade//S200 or FlashBlade//S500, ensure continued investment protection and scalability It’s not just storage. It’s a future-ready data platform for backup, recovery, and beyond. So...What Is the Veeam Ready Program? The Veeam Ready Program is a qualification process designed to help Veeam’s technology partners (like us!) prove that their solutions actually work with Veeam Backup & Replication™. Think of it as Veeam’s stamp of approval. A way to separate the real-deal backup solutions from the “trust us, it works” crowd. Pure Storage already had Veeam ready validations but the new FB//S100 is designed for entry-level enterprise use cases. These new validations give customers the confidence that no matter what size their workloads are, whether it’s tens of Terabytes in a remote/branch office or multiple petabytes in the datacentre, Pure and Veeam have a solution that’s already been validated. ✅ Veeam Ready - Repository 🔗View Listing (Veeam Ready - Repository Certification) FlashBlade//S 100 passed Veeam’s tests as a primary backup repository. It’s fast, reliable, and perfect for ingest-heavy workloads, synthetic fulls, and instant recoveries. ✅ Veeam Ready - Object with Immutability 🔗View Listing (Veeam Ready - Object with Immutability Certification) This certifies FlashBlade//S as a Veeam-compatible object target, complete with immutability support. Use it for long-term retention and ensure your data is locked down and protected. Ready to Modernize Your Backups? Whether you’re dealing with backup sprawl, tightening your ransomware defenses, or just tired of slow recoveries, the Veeam + Pure Storage combo is ready for you. ✔️ Veeam Ready ✔️ Flash performance ✔️ Object immutability ✔️ Future-proof architecture What’s not to love? Let’s build something better. For your backups and your business.Pure Storage Delivers Critical Cyber Outcomes
“We don’t have storage problems. We have outcome problems.” - Pure customer in a recent cyber briefing No matter what we are buying, what we are buying is a desired outcome. If you buy a car, you are buying some sort of outcome or multiple outcomes. Point A to Point B, comfort, dependability, seat heaters, or if you are like me, a real, live Florida Man, seat coolers! The same is true when solving for cyber outcomes, and often overlooked is a storage foundation to drive cyber resilience. A strong storage foundation improves data security, resilience and recovery. With these characteristics, organizations can recover in hours vs. days. Here are some top cyber resilience outcomes Pure Storage is delivering. Native, Layered Resilience Fast Analytics Rapid Restore Enhanced Visibility We will tackle all of these in this blog space (multi-part post alert!), but let’s start with the native, layered resilience Pure provides customers. Layered Resilience refers to a comprehensive approach to ensuring data protection and recovery through multiple layers of security and redundancy. This architecture is designed to provide robust protection against data loss, corruption, and cyber threats, ensuring business continuity and rapid recovery in the event of a disaster. Why is layered resilience important? Different data needs different protection. My photo collection, while important to me, doesn’t require the same level of protection as critical application data needed to keep the company running. Layered resilience indicates that there needs to be different layers of resilience and recovery. Super critical data needs super critical recovery. We are referring to the applications that are the life-blood of organizations, order processing, patient services or trading applications. These may only account for 5% of your data, but drive 95% of the revenue. Many organizations protect these with high availability which provides excellent resilience against disasters and system outages. But for malicious events, such as ransomware, protection is needed to ensure that recoverable data is available if an attack corrupts or destroys the production data. Scheduled snapshots can protect that data from the time the data is born. Little baby data. Protect the baby! Pure Snapshots are a critical feature, providing efficient, zero-footprint copies of data that can be quickly created and restored, ensuring data protection and business continuity. Pure snapshots are optimized for data reduction, ensuring minimal space consumption. This is achieved through global data reduction technologies that compress and deduplicate data, making snapshots space-efficient. They are designed to be simple and flexible, with zero performance overhead and the ability to create tens of thousands of snapshots instantly. They are also integrated with Pure1 (part of our Enhanced Visibility discussion) for enhanced visibility, management and security, reducing the need for complex orchestration and manual intervention. Snapshots can be used to create new volumes with full capabilities, allowing for mounting, reading, writing, and further snapshotting without dependencies on one another. This flexibility supports various use cases, including point-in-time restores and data recovery. In events that require clean recovery, and secure recovery at that, it would be much more desirable to leverage snapshots for recovery, where you could scan and determine cleanliness and safeness, often in parallel efforts and the reset time for going to an earlier period of time is a matter of seconds rather than days. But not even these amazing local snapshots are enough. What if your local site is rendered unavailable for some reason? Do you have control of your data to be able to recover in that scenario? Replicating those local snapshots to a second site could enable more flexibility in recovery. We have had customers leverage our High Availability solution (ActiveCluster) across sites and then engage snapshots and asynchronous replication to a third site as a part of their recovery plan. Data that requires extended retention and granularity is typically handled by a data control plane application that will stream a backup copy to a repository. This is usually a last line of defense in case of an event, as the recovery time objective is longer when considering a streaming recovery of 50%, 75%, or 100% of a data center. Still, this is a layer of resiliency that a comprehensive plan should account for. And if these repositories are on Pure Storage, these also can be protected by SafeMode methodologies and other security measures such as Object Lock API, Freeze Locked Objects, and WORM compliance. And most importantly, this last line of defense can be supercharged for recovery by the predictable, performant platform Pure provides. Some outcomes of this layer of resilience involves Isolated Recovery Environments to incorporate even security and create those Clean Rooms to isolate recovery to ensure you will not re-introduce the event origin back into production. In these solutions, the speed benefits that Pure provides is critical to making these designs a reality. Of course, the final frontier is the archive layer. This is a part of the plan that usually falls into compliance SLA, where data is required to be maintained for longer periods of time. Still, more and more, there are performance and warm data requirements for even these data sets, where AI and other queries can benefit from even the oldest of data. One never knows what layer of resilience is required for any single event. Having the best possible resilience enables any company to recover, and recover quickly, from an attack. But native resilience is just one of the outcomes we deliver. Come back to read how we are delivering fast analytics outcomes in an environment that seeks to discover anomalies as fast as possible. Exit Question: How resilient is your data today? Jason Walker is a technical strategy director for cyber related areas at Pure Storage and a real, live, Florida Man. No animals or humans were injured in the creation of this post.
