Qumulo and Cisco collaborate to store enterprise data for AI
In today's data-driven world, the ability to efficiently manage and analyze vast amounts of information is crucial for businesses aiming to leverage artificial intelligence (AI). A recent partnership between Qumulo and Cisco aims to revolutionize how enterprise data is stored and accessed, unlocking new capabilities for AI systems. This collaboration promises to streamline data management processes and enhance operational efficiency across various industries.
Understanding the Qumulo and Cisco Partnership
Qumulo, known for its innovative scale-out file storage solutions, has teamed up with Cisco to deploy its Unified Data Platform on Cisco's Unified Computing System (UCS) servers. This collaboration integrates Splunk's powerful observability tools, enabling real-time analysis and management of machine-generated data.
The partnership is designed to consolidate vast amounts of unstructured data, estimated in petabytes to exabytes, into a unified and globally consistent network-attached namespace. This integration aims to eliminate years of stranded data, allowing AI systems to access critical information instantly for improved decision-making and model accuracy.
Features of the Unified Data Platform
The Qumulo Data Platform provides several key features that enhance data management:
- Unified Storage: Combines file and object storage into a single platform.
- Global Namespace: Offers a consistent view of data regardless of its location, whether on-premises or in the cloud.
- Cloud Compatibility: Supports deployments in major cloud environments including AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and Oracle.
- Real-time Data Streaming: Natively streams OpenTelemetry data into Splunk Observability Cloud, enhancing visibility and troubleshooting capabilities.
Enhancing AI Capabilities with Qumulo and Cisco
Brandon Whitelaw, Qumulo's Senior Vice President of Product, emphasized the partnership's potential to transform data operations in complex environments. By facilitating AI reasoning across extensive datasets, Qumulo and Cisco are creating a modern data platform that addresses the longstanding issue of the "data gap." This gap often hinders organizations from fully utilizing their data assets.
Key workloads that benefit from this partnership include:
- Medical imaging
- Signals intelligence
- Autonomous driving telemetry
- Life sciences research
- Geospatial mapping and imagery
- Video surveillance
- Enterprise document management
The focus of the AI applications within this framework is primarily on inferencing rather than training, allowing organizations to derive insights from existing data without the need for extensive retraining of models.
The Role of Splunk in the Data Ecosystem
Cisco's acquisition of Splunk adds another layer of functionality to this partnership. Splunk specializes in software that collects, analyzes, and visualizes machine-generated data from various sources, including servers, networks, cloud services, and applications. This functionality is crucial for organizations looking to gain actionable insights from their data streams.
With the integration of Splunk into Qumulo's ecosystem, users can expect:
- Enhanced anomaly detection and troubleshooting capabilities.
- Stronger resilience against potential data threats.
- Improved situational awareness through real-time data visibility.
By utilizing these tools, organizations can respond more quickly to issues, ensuring operational continuity and data integrity.
Current Implementation and Future Directions
At present, the Qumulo and Cisco partnership focuses on on-premises solutions, differentiating itself from other converged infrastructure deals Cisco has established with companies like NetApp and Pure Storage. These deals typically involve integrated hardware and software solutions designed for broader cloud deployments.
The Qumulo Unified Data Platform is now available on Cisco's global price list and is accessible through its worldwide channel network. This availability marks a significant step toward mainstream adoption of integrated data solutions, with plans for future support for cloud-native deployments across public cloud platforms.
For organizations interested in exploring this offering, a comprehensive solution brief on the Unified Data Platform can be downloaded here.
Conclusion: A New Era for Data Management
The partnership between Qumulo and Cisco represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of enterprise data management. By focusing on the seamless integration of data storage and observability, this collaboration not only enhances the efficiency of data operations but also paves the way for more sophisticated AI applications. As organizations increasingly rely on data-driven insights, the ability to manage and analyze vast amounts of information will be more critical than ever, making solutions like the Qumulo Unified Data Platform indispensable.
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