DirectFlash technology to support next-generation High-Luminosity LHC workloads and accelerate data-driven discovery
Pure Storage has entered a multi-year partnership with CERN openlab to evaluate the performance and sustainability benefits of flash storage for High Performance Computing (HPC) workloads. The collaboration is aimed at modernizing data infrastructure supporting the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world’s most powerful particle accelerator.
CERN’s high-energy physics experiments generate massive volumes of data that must be captured, stored, and accessed efficiently. Legacy hard-disk systems are becoming increasingly inadequate, creating bottlenecks that impede scientific progress. By integrating Pure Storage’s DirectFlash technology, the project aims to dramatically improve storage performance, density, and energy efficiency.
“Together with CERN openlab, we are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in high-energy physics data storage.” – Rob Lee, CTO, Pure Storage
“We expect this partnership will deliver key breakthroughs in how data from scientific experiments is managed,” said Luca Mascetti, Storage CTO, CERN openlab. “It could significantly boost the performance of our distributed storage systems while demonstrating flash’s broader applicability for research institutions worldwide.”
The collaboration will explore exabyte-scale flash architecture for Grid Computing and HPC workloads, optimizing both software and hardware layers to meet the demands of the upcoming High-Luminosity LHC era. Pure Storage’s unified platform is expected to help CERN scale performance while minimizing energy consumption in line with its sustainability goals.
With this initiative, Pure Storage and CERN openlab are setting the stage for a new wave of high-speed, sustainable, and scalable scientific data infrastructure.
