IBM Storage Fusion

Why IBM Storage Fusion?

Kubernetes solved how applications are run and deliberately left the question of where their data lives to the IT infrastructure underneath. Storage for containers is therefore not a smaller version of storage for virtual machines — the difference shows up on the day a stateful application has to be restored somewhere else.

Kubernetes storage is a complexity challenge. Traditional storage doesn’t understand containers. Data protection for stateful apps missing. Multi-cloud data mobility difficult. OpenShift requires specialized storage.

IBM Storage Fusion is storage platform for OpenShift with complete data services. HCI option - OpenShift-in-a-box. Container-native - understands Kubernetes. Data mobility - move data with applications. Full protection - backup/DR for containers.

How does it work?

Fusion HCI

Simplified deployment:

• OpenShift-in-a-box
• Bare metal or VM
• Integrated compute + storage
• Single management
• TCO reduction

Fusion Software

SDI flexibility:

• Any infrastructure
• Cloud and on-prem
• Consistent API
• Portable applications
• Vendor agnostic

Data Services

Complete platform:

• Persistent volumes
• Data protection
• Data cataloging
• Mobility
• Analytics

Key Features

Container Storage

• CSI native
• Persistent volumes
• Dynamic provisioning
• Storage classes
• Snapshots

Data Protection

• Container backup
• Application-consistent
• Disaster recovery
• Point-in-time recovery
• Cross-cluster

Data Mobility

• Application + data
• Multi-cloud
• Kubernetes native
• Namespace mobility
• Migration tools

Variants

Fusion HCI:

• Hardware + software
• Pre-configured
• OpenShift ready
• Simplified ops
• Best TCO

Fusion Software:

• Software-only
• Any hardware
• Cloud deployable
• Maximum flexibility
• Existing investment

Use Cases

OpenShift Platform:

• Container storage
• DevOps workflows
• CI/CD pipelines
• Microservices

Hybrid Cloud:

• Multi-cloud data
• Workload portability
• Cloud burst
• DR to cloud

Application Modernization:

• Stateful containers
• Database containers
• Legacy migration
• Kubernetes adoption

Specifications

Platforms	OpenShift, Kubernetes
Deployment	HCI, Software, Cloud
Storage	Block, File, Object
Protection	Backup, DR, Snapshots

Who is it for?

• OpenShift platform teams
• Organizations with container-first strategy
• Hybrid/multi-cloud environments
• Application modernization projects

Benefits

For IT: Simplified Kubernetes storage, unified platform, reduced complexity

For DevOps: Self-service storage, automation, GitOps integration

For business: Faster time-to-market, reduced TCO, cloud flexibility

FAQ

What is Fusion HCI? Hardware + software bundle for OpenShift. Ready-to-deploy.

Can I use existing storage? Yes. Fusion Software works with existing infrastructure.

How does data protection work? Application-consistent backup. Kubernetes-native restore.

Does it support AWS/Azure? Yes. Fusion Software on major cloud platforms.

How does data mobility work? Move namespaces with applications between clusters.

What is data cataloging? Metadata indexing. Find and analyze data across clusters.

Does it require OpenShift? Primarily designed for OpenShift. Vanilla K8s support available.

What is the pricing model? Capacity-based or node-based. Subscription available.

How does migration from traditional storage work? Tools included. nFlo offers migration assessment.

What about support? IBM support. nFlo offers OpenShift + Fusion implementation.