VAST Data: The AI Operating System for Unified Data Management
Quick Summary
- Unified AI data platform
- Breaks storage tiering
- Robust data security
- Scalable all-flash performance
- Designed for AI/ML/HPC
VAST Data is a privately owned data storage company, recognized as a key supplier for many AI data centers. It specializes in delivering storage solutions optimized for demanding artificial intelligence workloads, including deep learning. Evolving from its Universal Storage origins, VAST Data now offers the AI Operating System, a comprehensive global data platform. This innovative system aims to unify storage, database, and compute resources, empowering intelligent agents to store, process, communicate, and act on data. The core mission is to eliminate inefficient storage tiers, providing a streamlined and high-performance foundation for real-time analytics, high-performance computing (HPC), and AI applications.
- π Building a Foundation for Next-Gen Data Environments
- π Accessing Your VAST Data Support Hub
- β Unpacking the VAST AI Operating System Capabilities
- β οΈ Resolving Challenges with Your VAST Data Implementation
- π Fortifying Your Data with VAST Protection Mechanisms
- π§ Official Help Desk Contacts
- β Key Insights into VAST Data Solutions
Building a Foundation for Next-Gen Data Environments
- VAST Data is engineered for organizations tackling modern data challenges, particularly those with Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and High-Performance Computing (HPC) workloads at any scale.
- It is ideally suited for managing large volumes of performance-hungry, unstructured data.
- The platform supports environments requiring petabyte to exabyte scale, providing a scalable and efficient data infrastructure.
- Businesses looking to move beyond complex, multi-tiered storage architectures and leverage the full potential of all-flash performance will find VAST Data beneficial.
Accessing Your VAST Data Support Hub
- To begin, customers can request necessary login credentials for the support portal by emailing [email protected].
- Once credentials are obtained, VAST Data's comprehensive support services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
- You can access the support hub through multiple digital channels, including the dedicated web portal at https://support.vastdata.com/.
- Additionally, direct support is accessible via the Slack channel at https://vastsupport.slack.com/, and through an Uplink portal specific to your customer identifier: https://<CUSTOMER_UNIQUE_IDENTIFIER>.cloud.vastdata.com.
Unpacking the VAST AI Operating System Capabilities
- VAST AI Operating System: A global data platform that unifies storage, database, and compute, enabling intelligent agents to store, think, communicate, and act.
- DASE Architecture: (Disaggregated Shared-Everything) This innovative architecture separates compute nodes (CNodes) from all-flash data storage nodes (DNodes), allowing independent scaling and high-speed access to the entire global dataset over NVMe-oF fabric.
- Universal Storage: A single-tier, all-flash system designed to provide flash performance with economics comparable to disk, eliminating complex storage tiers and ensuring real-time data access.
- FIPS Cryptography: Utilizes the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-3 Level 1 accredited OpenSSL Cryptographic Module, ensuring high standards for cryptographic operations.
- Advanced Data Reduction: Employs heavy data reduction techniques, optimizing storage efficiency while serving vast, unstructured datasets rapidly.
- VAST DataStore: A scalable storage architecture specifically designed for unstructured data, effectively eliminating traditional data tiering challenges.
- VAST DataBase: Processes data in microscopic 32KB chunks, delivering 5β20 times faster selective query performance and up to 100 times acceleration for single-key queries.
- VAST Native Query Engine: Brings analytical processing directly to where your data resides, supporting over 50 new statistical and aggregation functions for complex analysis and machine learning feature preparation.
- VAST Native Compute: Integrates managed Kubernetes directly into the AI Operating System, allowing containerized applications and AI pipelines to run adjacent to their data for reduced latency.
- DataEnclave: A confidential computing capability that enables organizations to run third-party AI models on their data without exposing sensitive intellectual property, extending protection to data in processing.
Resolving Challenges with Your VAST Data Implementation
β οΈ Experiencing an Urgent System Issue
Cause: A severe problem is preventing critical business functions, such as data access.
Solution: We understand that critical interruptions can be extremely stressful. For urgent issues, the VAST Data support team guarantees an initial response within 30 minutes (local time), 24/7. Your support ticket will be assigned an 'Urgent' severity level, triggering immediate action from a dedicated support engineer who will work to resolve the issue, escalate to engineering if necessary, or provide a workaround. Engage with us through our web portal, Slack, email, or phone for the fastest assistance.
β οΈ Encountering a High-Severity Performance or Stability Issue
Cause: Your job functions are degraded or severely limited, though not completely halted.
Solution: When performance issues or stability concerns impact your operations, the VAST Data support team will classify your ticket as 'High' severity. You can expect a response from a support engineer within 2 to 4 local hours. Our team is committed to helping resolve the issue, providing necessary guidance, and escalating to engineering if required to restore optimal performance.
β οΈ Needing Remote Diagnostic Support
Cause: Your VAST Data system requires remote diagnostics to identify and resolve an issue.
Solution: To facilitate efficient troubleshooting, VAST Data can provide remote support. If this option is available and agreed upon, customers can grant VAST Data secure login access solely for the purpose of performing diagnostics. Rest assured, VAST Data will not share your login access information with any third party, ensuring your data's privacy during the process.
Fortifying Your Data with VAST Protection Mechanisms
- π Encrypt Data at Rest: Ensure all data stored on the system's SSDs is encrypted using AES-256 with FIPS 140-2 validated libraries, making it unreadable without proper encryption keys.
- π Implement Robust Key Management: Utilize VAST systems to manage encryption keys internally, or integrate with enterprise key managers like Thales CypherTrust using the Key Management Interoperability Protocol (KMIP). Tenant-managed encryption keys are also supported for enhanced control.
- π Secure Data in Flight: Protect data as it transfers between clients and VAST systems with encryption in flight, supporting protocols such as NFS v3 and 4.1 over TLS, NFS 4.1 with Kerberos encryption, and S3 over HTTPS. VAST also implements TLS 1.3 for critical communication.
- π Leverage Client Isolation (VIP): Utilize Virtual IP (VIP) technology to establish client isolation, a vital feature for creating and maintaining secure multi-tenant environments and preventing unauthorized access or data leakage.
- π Enforce Strict Access Control: Integrate with Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) providers like Microsoft's Active Directory, OpenIDAP, and FreeIPA to implement role- and attribute-based access control (ABAC) for system resources.
- π Harden the Operating System: VAST systems apply the DISA STIG for Red Hat 8, using the MAC 1 - Mission Critical Classified profile to all nodes, which includes stringent configuration settings, patch management, and access controls.
- π Utilize FIPS-Validated Cryptography: Benefit from VAST's use of the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-3 Level 1 accredited OpenSSL Cryptographic Module for all kernel-level cryptographic operations.
- π Integrate with Advanced Cybersecurity Platforms: Leverage VAST Data's native support for solutions like CrowdStrike Falcon, integrating advanced cybersecurity protection across your AI infrastructure, enterprise data access, and AI pipelines.
- π Employ Confidential Computing with DataEnclave: For sensitive AI workloads, utilize DataEnclave, which enables the execution of third-party AI models on your data within trusted execution environments, protecting both model weights and enterprise data during processing.
π§ Official Support & Help Center
Email: [email protected] (for general inquiries, 24-hour response) or [email protected] (to request login credentials). Phone: 212-658-1753 (M-F, 7-6 EST) or +1-212-658-1753 for customer support. Web Portal: https://support.vastdata.com/ Slack: https://vastsupport.slack.com/
Key Insights into VAST Data Solutions
Q: What is the VAST AI Operating System?
The VAST AI Operating System is a global data platform that unifies storage, database, and compute into a single system. Its purpose is to empower intelligent agents to store, think, communicate, and act on data. This advanced platform is designed to transform raw data into actionable insights, serving as a foundational infrastructure for AI, Machine Learning, and High-Performance Computing workloads.
Q: How does VAST Data ensure data protection?
VAST Data implements a comprehensive multi-layered security approach. This includes AES-256 encryption for data at rest on SSDs and robust encryption in flight for various protocols like NFS over TLS and S3 over HTTPS. The platform utilizes FIPS 140-3 Level 1 validated cryptography, offers flexible key management options, and enforces client isolation through Virtual IP. Additionally, VAST integrates with LDAP for stringent access control, hardens its operating system with DISA STIG guidelines, and partners with cybersecurity leaders like CrowdStrike for extended protection across AI infrastructure.
Q: What types of data workloads benefit most from VAST Data?
VAST Data is specifically engineered for highly demanding and data-intensive workloads. These include artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), high-performance computing (HPC), and real-time analytics. The platform excels with large, unstructured datasets that require high throughput, low latency, and predictable performance at petabyte to exabyte scales, making it ideal for organizations pushing the boundaries of data-driven innovation.
Wrap Up
The VAST AI Operating System stands as a unified, all-flash data platform meticulously engineered to address the complexities of modern, data-intensive workloads. By intelligently eliminating traditional storage tiers, guaranteeing robust security measures, and providing unparalleled scalability, VAST empowers organizations to fully leverage their data assets. This foundational technology is crucial for driving innovation and facilitating new discoveries in the rapidly evolving AI era, efficiently handling vast amounts of data with precision and protection.