VAST data is putting its AI storage and processing kit in Equinix colos and running its software on Cisco’s UCS servers as it broadens its routes to market.
The company has an existing deal with Cisco concerning Cisco’s Nexus 9000 Ethernet switches used in HyperFabric AI clusters. VAST has certified Cisco Nexus Ethernet-based switches for validated designs with its storage. Cisco customers can monitor and correlate storage performance and latency using VAST’s APIs, feeding network and storage telemetry into the Nexus HyperFabric.
Now Cisco plans to offer the VAST Data Platform software natively on select UCS servers as an integrated system via its global sales team and channel partners. Cisco and VAST say “this full-stack enterprise AI solution simplifies the design, deployment, and management of AI infrastructure for Generative AI, RAG-based inferencing, and fine-tuning AI workloads.”
John Mao, VP, Technology Alliances at VAST, stated: “This tight integration and joint selling motion between VAST and Cisco will help to accelerate enterprise AI adoption by providing end-to-end visibility of compute, networking, storage and data management – allowing organizations to seamlessly build and scale their AI operations.
Jeremy Foster, SVP and GM of Cisco Compute, claimed the VAST-Cisco partnership would “massively simplify the overall operation of AI-ready data centers, enabling customers to reduce time, resources and costs required by delivering an integrated stack of the next-generation of storage, compute and networking.”
Cisco UCS servers with VAST Data software and Cisco’s Nexus HyperFabric AI will be available in the first half of 2025.
Equinix and VAST
Equinix has an existing set of 236 International Business Exchange (IBX) globally-distributed co-location centres providing compute, storage and networking gear from suppliers such as Dell, NetApp, PureStorage and Seagate (Lyve Cloud). Some of these are made available to customers at 26 IBX locations through its Equinix Metal as-a-service business model.
It’s now going to provide VAST’s Data Platform for Nvidia DGX systems, including SuperPOD, and the Nvidia AI Enterprise platform in IBX colos as well. VAST and Equinix says this “leverages and supports Nvidia accelerated computing with the VAST Data Platform to deliver a parallel file and object storage system that is ideal for model training and distribution – speeding AI adoption and time to market.”
Renen Hallak, Founder and CEO of VAST Data, stated: “By combining supercomputing services with VAST’s AI-native offering for scalable and secure data services deployed in Equinix data centers, we’re setting a new standard in delivering high-performance, scalable, simple and sustainable accelerated computing infrastructure.”
Jon Lin, EVP and GM, Data Center Services at Equinix, said: “Equinix is helping customers access the benefits of AI by providing a fully managed global platform in close proximity to their data through private, high-bandwidth interconnections to cloud providers.”
