Digital Storage Can Assist Or Foil AI
Data Center
In this article we will look at some resent announcerments on digital storage and its use in AI training and inference. But first, an example of digital storage technology used to save humanity.
Data Storage Saves the Day
Digital archiving startup SPhotonix's 5D memory crystal was an important element in the plot of the latest Mission Impossible movie. The 360TB memory crystal was used to stop a rogue AI from destroying the world. In practice, SPhotonix stores data using a FemtoEtch nano-etching technology on a 5-inch glass substrate. Note that I am an advisor for SPhotonix.
SPhotonix 5D Memory Cystal
Digital storage technologies have been used in many movies and TV shows over the years, such as the StorageTek Tape library used in the 1994 Film 'Clear and Present Danger.'
Hybrid AI Data Centers
In practice data centers are generally using SSDs as primary storage in data centers, including for AI training applications. SSDs provide fast storage for refreshing data on the high bandwidth memory located close to the GPUs that directly support data processing. However, the cost for storing data on SSDs in data centers is about 6X higher than storing it on HDDs.
This leads data centers to use HDDs for storing colder but useful data in a hierarchical storage environment. Data is moved back and forth from various storage technologies to optimize the balance of cost versus performance. Ultimately archived information in data centers that is not frequently used is kept on magnetic tape cartridges or optical storage.
Vdura, formerly veteran storage company, Panasas, recently announced a white paper on digital storage for AI workloads and announced changes in their hybrid SSD and HDD storage offering to support HPC and AI workloads. The company is now offering QLC NAND flash SSDs combined with high-capacity HDDs with their global namespace parallel file system combined with object storage, offering multi-level erasure coding and fast key value storage. The image below shows the layout of this hybrid SSD and HDD storage system.
Vdura Global Namespace Storage
The Vdura Data Platform V11.2 includes a preview of V-ScaleFlow that enables data movement across QLC flash and high-capacity hard drives. This allows resource utilization, maximizes system throughput and provides efficient AI-scale workloads. In particular the company is using Phison Pascari 128TB QLC NVMe SSD with 30+TB HDDs to reduce flash capacity requirements by over 50% and lowing power consumption. Overall total cost of ownership is said to be reduced by up to 60%.
The Vdura white paper goes into details on data storage and memory utilization in an AI application. The figure below shows an AI data pipeline which should have the storage system enable minimum GPU downtime.
AI Data Pipeline
The table below goes into detail on read, write, performance and data size requirements for various elements in an AI workload. These various elements can require from GBs to PBs of digital storage with various performance requirements. This favors a combination of storage technologies to support different elements in this workload.
Element Characteristics in an AI Workflow
The below image shows a sample storage node that can provide all-flash or hybrid SSD and HDD storage to support AI and HPC workloads with a global namespace and a common control and data plane.
Vdura Storage Node
Digital storage technology saved the world from a rogue AI in the latest Mission Impossible Movie. Combining SSDs and HDDs can enable modern AI workloads that optimize cost and performance.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
19 hours ago
- New York Post
This $199 Windows 11 Pro license is only $15 through tomorrow
Discover startups, services, products and more from our partner StackCommerce. New York Post edits this content, and may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you buy through our links. TL;DR: You have one day left to score Microsoft Windows 11 Pro for only $14.97 (reg. $199) through June 29. We could all use a summer refresh — even our dusty old electronics. Give an old PC an upgrade with this Microsoft Windows 11 Pro license. But you're going to have to act fast — it's only on sale for $14.97 (reg. $199) through tomorrow. Skip shelling out for a brand new computer. For just $15, you can modernize an older device with this Windows 11 Pro license. This new operating system was made with the modern professional in mind, so you can take advantage of plenty of perks created to streamline your workflow. Advertisement Enjoy a seamless interface, snap layouts, improved voice typing, and a more powerful search experience with Windows 11 Pro. This license also gives you access to Microsoft Teams, Azure HD, Hyper-V, and Windows Sandbox. And when you want to take a break, DirectX 12 can take your gaming experience to the next level. Want to travel lighter? Windows 11 Pro supports touchscreen functionality, so you can leave the mouse and keyboard behind. And if you've got a question, just ask Copilot, your very own AI-powered assistant right on your desktop. Windows 11 Pro prioritizes your cybersecurity, featuring advanced security measures such as biometric logins, encrypted authentication, and enhanced antivirus features. Be quick to secure a Microsoft Windows 11 Pro license for only $14.97 (reg. $199) through June 29. StackSocial prices subject to change.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Yahoo
Is META Stock a Buy, Sell, or Hold as Meta Platforms Launches New v-JEPA 2 AI Model?
As the artificial intelligence (AI) race accelerates toward advanced machine intelligence (AMI), tech giants are pushing boundaries to create agents that can reason more like humans. A key piece of this puzzle is physical reasoning, essential for AI systems to navigate and act within the real world. Meta Platforms (META) has stepped into this frontier with the launch earlier in June of its Meta Video Joint Embedding Predictive Architecture 2 (V-JEPA 2), a powerful video-based world model that helps machines anticipate how the physical world behaves. Unlike language-only models, V-JEPA 2 learns from video data to predict object dynamics and human interactions using latent-space simulation. It allows robots to 'think before they act,' performing tasks like picking up and placing objects in unfamiliar environments. Ditch Big Tech and Buy These 3 Popular Stocks in 2025 Instead Dear Nvidia Stock Fans, Watch This Event Today Closely Can Broadcom Stock Hit $400 in 2025? Tired of missing midday reversals? The FREE Barchart Brief newsletter keeps you in the know. Sign up now! Meta's bold move also includes new benchmarks to accelerate physical reasoning research, plus, a reported $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI, signaling CEO Mark Zuckerberg's intent to anchor AI deeply into Meta's ecosystem. But does this push into physical AI make META stock a buy, or should investors wait on the sidelines? Meta Platforms (META) has grown from a college social network into a global tech powerhouse, redefining how billions of people communicate. The California-based tech titan now oversees a sprawling digital empire, anchored by social media giants such as Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, and is charging ahead into the future with ambitious bets in AI, augmented reality, and the metaverse. What began with a newsfeed has evolved into a full-scale push to shape how humans and machines interact in the next era of connectivity. That future-facing focus seems to be paying off. Meta's shares have surged more than 700% over the past decade. In 2025, META has so far delivered a standout 21% YTD gain, and over the past year, the stock has skyrocketed 38.8%, handily beating not just some of its tech peers, which flinched under pressure, but also the S&P 500 Index's ($SPX) returns. The surge was fueled by rising ad revenues, deeper AI integration, and investor faith in its metaverse roadmap. Meta's Q1 2025 earnings report, released on April 30, came out swinging, crushing expectations and fueling a 4.2% jump in the stock the very next day. Revenue climbed 16% year over year to $42.3 billion, beating Wall Street's estimate of $41.4 billion. But the real knockout punch came from EPS, soaring 37% to $6.43, 23.2% higher than forecasts. Meta's ad engine is still humming, with impressions up 5% and the average price per ad jumping 10%. User growth remains rock solid too, as, in March, daily active users across the company's app family reached 3.4 billion, up 6% year-over-year. Meta tightened the screws on costs and it paid off. Its operating income surged 27% to $17.56 billion, lifting margins to 41%. Plus, with $70.2 billion in cash and marketable securities and just $28.8 billion in long-term debt, Meta heads deeper into 2025 with a strong balance sheet and momentum on its side. CEO Mark Zuckerberg highlighted AI as the driving force behind the company's renewed energy, particularly Meta AI and its growing line of smart glasses. Meta AI has already hit nearly 1 billion monthly users. But the real story may be what's next. Looking ahead, management anticipates Q2 revenue to be between $42.5 billion and $45.5 billion, signaling continued strength. Plus, with capex now projected to be between $64 billion and $72 billion for 2025, Meta is going full throttle into AI infrastructure and next-gen computing. Analysts monitoring the social media company project its revenue for Q2 to be around $44.5 billion, and EPS for the quarter is anticipated to rise by 11.4% year over year to $5.75. Looking further ahead to fiscal 2025, the bottom line is expected to climb to $25.25 per share, up 5.8% annually. AI-driven robotics and autonomous systems are reshaping industries - from logistics to consumer tech - with speed and adaptability becoming the new gold standard. Meta's V-JEPA 2 steps into this evolving space as a potentially disruptive force. What truly elevates V-JEPA 2, however, is Meta's decision to open-source the framework. By releasing code, benchmarks, and training data, Meta is fostering a collaborative ecosystem, one that could fuel innovation far beyond its own walls. Yet this openness is a double-edged sword. It lowers barriers for startups but also gives its competitors access to refine their systems faster. For Meta, the model is a strategic leap, but long-term success depends on how well it is integrated, scaled, and monetized. Meta's ambition to dominate AI just got Wall Street's nod. Recently, Bank of America hiked its price target to $765, citing easing macroeconomic worries and expanding valuations. Buzz around Meta's roughly $14.3 billion Scale AI investment only adds fuel, signaling Zuckerberg's intent is to lead the AI race, not follow. Wall Street has got its foot on the gas for Meta. The stock holds a 'Strong Buy' consensus, signaling full-speed-ahead confidence in its trajectory. Of the 54 analysts offering recommendations, 45 are giving it a solid 'Strong Buy,' three advise a 'Moderate Buy,' four suggest a 'Hold,' and only two advocate a 'Strong Sell.' META's average analyst price target of $711,88 implies modest 2.4% potential upside. However, the Street-high price target of $935 suggests that the stock can still rally as much as 32% from here. On the date of publication, Sristi Suman Jayaswal did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Forbes
21 hours ago
- Forbes
Where Craft Meets Art: A Whisky Of Distinction From Dalmore
The Dalmore Luminary Series No 3 2025 Edition Photo, courtesy The Dalmore Distillery The Dalmore, one of Scotland's most iconic and innovative whisky distilleries, has launched the third edition in its Luminary series. Below is a brief overview of the series, along with a description and tasting notes for the 2025 edition. The Dalmore's Luminary Series is an inspired collaboration between the worlds of fine whisky and innovative design. Created in partnership with V&A Dundee, Scotland's premier design museum, the Series celebrates the fusion of architectural vision and inspired whisky-making. Each edition pairs a Dalmore whisky expert with a leader from the creative arts, showcasing the shared values of legacy, craftsmanship, and forward-thinking innovation. The Dalmore Luminary No. 3, 2025 Edition, continues this tradition through a remarkable collaboration between The Dalmore's Master Whisky Maker, Gregg Glass, his predecessor Richard Paterson, and leading designer and architectural artist Ben Dobbins, co-founder of London-based architecture studio TAKT. Together, they created a whisky and packaging that 'reflects both a reverence for tradition and a bold, modern expression of time, balance, and transformation.' This edition follows two earlier collaborations: firstly, with Kengo Kuma and Maurizio Mucciola, designers of the landmark V&A Dundee, and last year with Melodie Leung, a renowned designer and Director at Zaha Hadid Associates, whose portfolio includes The Henderson Building in Hong Kong. Ben Dobbins' architectural work is renowned for exploring 'the fusion of natural beauty with the utility of materials.' He worked closely with Glass to craft a whisky that reflects the same principles expressed in his physical work. This idea reflects Glass's approach to whisky making. According to the company 'from initial maturation in American White Oak ex-Bourbon barrels, Luminary No. 3 has been finished in a bold combination of seven cask types, including both vintage and aged Calvados, rare Matusalem Sherry, rare Apostoles Sherry, select red wine casks from Bordeaux and Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and fully matured American White Oak.' The Dalmore Luminary Series No3 2025 Edition Photo, courtesy The Dalmore Distillery This Dalmore expression is limited to 20,000 bottles worldwide. The whisky is rich and aromatic on the nose, featuring layered, complex aromas of honey, orchard fruit notes of fresh apple and pear, dried dark fruit, candied citrus zest, vanilla, cinnamon, sandalwood, and delicate floral notes of rose petals. It's creamy and flavorful on the palate, with a viscous, oily texture and a pronounced mouth weight. It showcases flavors of caramel, candied orange, licorice, fig, raisin, almond cookie, and marzipan. The pronounced influences of the assorted casks are highlighted by notes of gingerbread, wood spice, roasted chestnut, and vanilla, adding depth and complexity. The finish is long and complex, with lingering notes of baking spices, dark chocolate, and a hint of oak smoke. The Dalmore Luminary No. 3 is more than just a luxury single malt; it's a Whisky of Distinction, a tribute to the evolving dialogue between two disciplines rooted in patience, precision, and inspiration. With only 20,000 bottles available worldwide, it offers collectors and whisky lovers a chance to experience a whisky that is both a drink, a design story, and a work of art. Please visit the Dalmore website for availability and purchasing information. The recommended list price is $400. More From Forbes Forbes Whisky Of Distinction: Longmorn's 30 Year-Old Scotch Whisky Caps A Remarkable Trilogy By Joseph V Micallef Forbes Whisky Of Distinction: The Incredible Glen Grant Glasshouse Collection By Joseph V Micallef Forbes Whisky Of Distinction: Gordon & MacPhail, Mr George Legacy 1954 Glen Grant By Joseph V Micallef
