Nimbus Data introduced FlashMax as its next-generation multiprotocol all-flash platform for modern data centers. Positioned as a successor to the company’s FlashRack line, FlashMax combines PCIe-based expansion, rack-level resiliency, and next-generation data reduction while presenting block, file, and object services within a single namespace.
Thomas Isakovich, founder and CEO of Nimbus Data, says traditional enterprise storage has become overly complex, increasing costs and reducing efficiency. He explains that Nimbus Data’s FlashMax product changes the technical design (architecture) and the business model of enterprise storage, providing a flash-based data platform focused on simplicity, easy scalability, and long-term cost efficiency (durable economic advantage).
FlashMax consolidates major storage protocols into a single system and flexible capacity pool. This includes NVMe-over-Fabrics (TCP and RoCEv2), Fibre Channel, iSCSI, NFS, SMB, and S3. By allowing block, file, and object storage to coexist in one namespace, the platform can reduce data silos and simplify capacity expansion without requiring separate arrays for different access methods. Connectivity scales up to 400GbE and supports 64G Fibre Channel, targeting performance-driven environments such as virtualization, containers, databases, analytics, and data warehousing, digital media workflows, and large unstructured data repositories.
FlashMax applies hardware-accelerated block-level deduplication and compression to reduce raw capacity requirements and associated rack space and power demands. Nimbus Data also emphasized the use of industry-standard NVMe SSDs rather than proprietary flash modules, positioning the platform as a way to avoid lock-in while improving capacity affordability and supply availability.
| System | F500 | F700 | F900 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base SSDs / Raw Capacity | 24 x SSDs (up to 3 PB) | 24 x SSDs (up to 3 PB) | 24 x SSDs (up to 3 PB) |
| Max SSDs / Raw Capacity (w/Expansion) | 48 x SSDs (up to 6 PB) | 120 x SSDs (up to 15 PB) | 168 x SSDs (up to 21 PB) |
| Dual IOCs | Integrated in Base | Integrated in Base | External 2 x 2U |
| Connectivity | |||
| Network Ports (max per IOC) | 3 x 100G Ethernet, or 6 x 25G Ethernet, or 4 x 32G Fibre Channel |
4 x 400G Ethernet, or 8 x 200G Ethernet, or 16 x 64G Fibre Channel | 4 x 400G Ethernet, or 8 x 200G Ethernet, or 16 x 64G Fibre Channel |
| Built-in Ports (per IOC) | 2 x 10GbE SFP+ | 2 x 10GBASE-T | 2 x 10GBASE-T |
| Expansion Chassis Support | Optional, up to 1 x E240 | Optional, up to 4 x E240 | Standard, up to 6 x E240 |
| Performance | |||
| Throughput | Up to 30 GBps | Up to 100 GBps | Up to 100 GBps |
| Latency | As low as 100 µsec | As low as 80 µsec | As low as 80 µsec |
| IOps | Up to 2.2M (4 KiB) | Up to 6.8M (4 KiB) | Up to 6.8M (4 KiB) |
| Expansion & Features | |||
| Expansion Architecture | DirectLinkTM PCIe expansion cards and FlashMax E240 PCIe expansion chassis | ||
| Key Features | Redundant PCIe IOCs, dual power/cooling modules, 24 x SSDs, 2U, -500 W | ||
| Protocol Support | NVMe-oF (TCP and RoCEv2), iSCSI, Fibre Channel, NFS, SMB, S3, AFP, FTP, TFTP | ||
| Storage IO Controller (IOC) | Dual active/passive IOCs with patented architecture (US Patent 9,268,501) | ||
| Management Ports (per IOC) | GbE Mgmt, BMC, Console, USB | ||
| Redundant Hot-swap Components | IOCs, SSDs, power supplies, and cooling fans | ||
| Dimensions | |||
| Base System Rack Space | 2U – 4U | 2U – 10U | 6U – 16U |
| Base System Depth | 21.2 in or 539 mm | 34.4 in or 874 mm | 21.2 in or 539 mm |
| Base System Weight (maximum) | 71.6 lbs or 32.5 kg | 88.7 lbs or 40.2 kg | 48.8 lbs or 22.1 kg |
| Power | |||
| Voltage | 100 – 240 VAC | 200 – 240 VAC | 100 – 240 VAC |
| Frequency | 48 – 62 Hz | 48 – 62 Hz | 48 – 62 Hz |
| Base System Power Consumption | -600 W (900 W max) | -1100 W (2000 W max) | -1400 W (2200 W max) |
| Environmental & Compliance | |||
| Ambient Temperature | Operating: 5 to 40 °C, Non-operating: -20 to 60 °C | ||
| Relative Humidity | Operating: 10% to 80%, Non-operating: 8% to 95% (non-condensing) | ||
| Altitude | Operating: -50 to 3000 m, Non-operating: -100 to 12,192 m | ||
| Shock & Vibration | Operational Shock: 5G for 11ms, 1/2 sine wave pulse Operational Vibration: 0.15G at 5-500 Hz Non-operational Shock: 10G for 11ms, 1/2 sine wave pulse Non-operational Vibration: 0.5G for 5-500 Hz |
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| Agency Approvals | CE Mark, EN55022/EN61000 Class A, FCC Class A, Canadian IECS-003, VCCI Class A, ISO 9002 manufacturing | ||
| Warranty & Support | Up to 10-year comprehensive, including 24×7×365 support, rapid parts replacement, with optional media retention | ||
DirectLink PCIe Expansion for High-Density Scale-Up
FlashMax introduces DirectLink, a native PCIe interconnect architecture that attaches expansion capacity directly to dual controllers via dedicated PCIe bandwidth. Nimbus Data positioned this approach as an alternative to legacy expansion shelf designs that rely on expanders and daisy-chained topologies, which can introduce oversubscription and stacking latency. With DirectLink, the company states FlashMax can scale beyond 20PB raw capacity and up to 100PB effective capacity through data reduction, with additional scale potential as SSD densities increase. Overall, FlashMax is positioned as a mass-capacity alternative to scale-out storage that reduces reliance on additional storage nodes and cluster fabrics, and reduces capacity overhead often associated with erasure coding.
Write-Through Architecture and Rack-Level Resiliency
FlashMax is built on a patented parallel write-through architecture intended to avoid controller-to-controller cache mirroring. Writes commit directly to flash rather than DRAM, which Nimbus Data positions as a way to improve resiliency by reducing cache-related complexity and eliminating destaging steps. The platform also supports rack-level failure resilience within a single system, with a single FlashMax deployment spanning multiple racks and remaining operational even in the event of a total rack failure. Built-in synchronous mirroring spans racks while presenting a single redundant namespace, delivering high availability without deploying duplicate arrays.
Enterprise Data Services with Per-System Licensing
FlashMax systems are centrally managed with Omni, Nimbus Data’s monitoring, telemetry, and API-driven automation platform. Nimbus Data lists a full set of enterprise services, including immutable snapshots, remote replication, end-to-end checksums, RAID protection, hardware encryption, and ransomware protection. The company also highlighted per-system software packaging, with features included rather than licensed per terabyte, positioning the model as a way to avoid capacity-based feature costs and maintain predictable economics as deployments scale.
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