Panasas hardware components are perfectly tuned to work together and deliver outstanding performance from the Panasas ActiveScale Operating Environment. This allows seamless installation and management, as well as accelerated time to results with near linear scaling in performance and capacity.

Panasas StorageBlade modules are the hardware foundation of the system. StorageBlade modules contain all application and user data, handling 90% of file system activity. As a result, the Panasas Storage Cluster delivers near linear scaling of performance with increases in capacity. StorageBlade modules are configured with DirectorBlade modules to meet the demands of each specific application environment.

The StorageBlade XC module that comes standard with the Panasas ActiveStor 5000 Storage Cluster features an enhanced memory architecture and cache is boosted by a factor of four to 2 GB per blade. This delivers up to ten times improvement in random I/O over standard StorageBlade modules.

Panasas DirectorBlade modules uniquely orchestrate file system activity while leaving the data path free to optimize application throughput (with DirectFLOW). This design helps speed data transfers and facilitates better scalability of the storage cluster. In addition, DirectorBlade modules virtualize data objects across the range of StorageBlade modules enabling the system to be viewed as a single, easily managed namespace. DirectorBlade modules will automatically cluster together to support highly scalable storage networks.

The Panasas System Shelf and integrated Gigabit Ethernet Switch Blade provide an enterprise-class foundation optimized for simple scalability and reliability. Up to eleven StorageBlade modules and DirectorBlade modules can be mixed and matched within a single shelf. The 16-port Gigabit Ethernet Switch Blade optimizes I/O scalability by providing line-rate switching between the blades and the data center switches.