Nutanix & Pure Storage unveil integrated AI-ready stack

Nutanix and Pure Storage have launched an integrated virtualisation stack that connects Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure with Pure Storage FlashArray as shared storage.

The joint solution targets enterprises that want alternatives to incumbent virtualisation licensing and architecture models. It focuses on mission-critical applications and emerging AI workloads.

Under the design, each Nutanix virtual machine runs on an individual FlashArray volume. This creates per-VM granularity for storage operations. Customers can assign snapshots, quality-of-service limits, and protection policies at virtual disk level.

The companies said this layout isolates data services between virtual machines. It avoids configuration changes on one workload affecting neighbouring workloads on the same array.

The integration is available through the Nutanix Prism management plane. Administrators can carry out Day 1 deployment tasks and Day 2 operations in a single interface.

Prism presents VM-level storage snapshots and policy management. It adds automation and monitoring for Nutanix clusters that use FlashArray as external storage.

Virtualisation shift

The launch comes during a period of change in the server virtualisation market. Licence price rises and concerns over vendor lock-in are prompting some customers to reassess their platform choices.

Nutanix positions its AHV hypervisor as a built-in option on the Nutanix Cloud Platform. AHV removes the need for third-party hypervisor licences. It runs on the same infrastructure stack as other Nutanix services.

Nutanix Flow provides microsegmentation and virtual networking on the platform. It applies policies at the virtual machine level for east-west traffic inside the data centre. The company said this structure supports compliance-focused network designs.

Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure supports on-premise deployments. Nutanix Cloud Clusters extend the same software stack into public clouds. Organisations can run hybrid environments with a common management layer.

FlashArray integration

Pure Storage FlashArray sits under the Nutanix stack as block storage. The array uses a modular NVMe architecture. It separates compute and storage and aims for sub-millisecond latency on mixed workloads.

FlashArray has always-on global data reduction, including compression and deduplication. The vendor said this can reduce the amount of physical hardware needed for a given dataset.

Pure cites six-nines availability for FlashArray, including during in-place upgrades. The system scales with DirectFlash modules of up to 150TB per drive today, with 300TB modules announced.

The roadmap includes extended replication features for Nutanix environments. Today the platform supports asynchronous replication. Pure plans further support for ActiveDR and ActiveCluster for continuous availability and disaster recovery.

FlashArray forms part of the broader Pure Storage Platform. The platform provides block, file, and object services under a single management framework. It runs under Pure's Evergreen subscription model, which brings non-disruptive controller and media upgrades during the life of the array.

Enterprise demand

Legacy Health is among the early adopters of the combined approach. The US healthcare provider runs the Epic electronic health record system on Nutanix with Pure Storage.

"Proving that Epic's ODB for customers our size would run successfully on Nutanix was a colossal accomplishment. In tandem with Nutanix and Epic, we not only proved that Nutanix can handle the load, but it was a legitimate alternative to well-established incumbents as well as Cloud offerings. And for a regional healthcare provider, we've had an opportunity to lead with future-looking technology partners while honoring financial stewardship of our hospital system," said Jon Edwards, IT Director, Legacy Health.

Curtis Stoecklin, Manager of IT Services at Legacy Health, underlined the technical deployment.

"We were the first to run ODB on Nutanix with Pure Storage over NVME over TCP," said Stoecklin.

Cloud and managed services provider Expedient also plans to use the joint architecture for customer workloads.

"This is the partnership the industry has been waiting for - two companies with an unwavering commitment to performance, availability, and user experience from day one. This solution will allow Expedient to deliver a guaranteed outcome to our clients along with maximum flexibility, including the ability to leverage their existing investments while modernising their infrastructure," said Anthony Jackman, Chief Innovation Officer, Expedient.

Alternative stack

The Nutanix-Pure Storage combination gives customers a full-stack virtual infrastructure path that does not depend on legacy virtualisation platforms. Nutanix software supplies hypervisor, management, and networking. Pure Storage supplies external shared storage under an ongoing subscription model.

The companies are targeting organisations that run large fleets of virtual machines today and plan AI or data-intensive projects. They expect those customers to expand the joint platform as future workloads emerge.