In this episode, we welcome Lead Principal Technologist Hari Kannan to cut through the noise and tackle some of the biggest myths surrounding AI data management and the revolutionary FlashBlade//EXA platform. With GPU shipments now outstripping CPUs, the foundation of modern AI is shifting, and legacy storage architectures are struggling to keep up. Hari dives into the implications of this massive GPU consumption, setting the stage for why a new approach is desperately needed for companies driving serious AI initiatives.

Hari dismantles three critical myths that hold IT leaders back. First, he discusses how traditional storage is ill-equipped for modern AI's millions of small, concurrent files, where metadata performance is the true bottleneck—a problem FlashBlade//EXA solves with its metadata-data separation and single namespace. Second, he addresses the outdated notion that high-performance AI is file-only, highlighting FlashBlade//EXA's unified, uncompromising delivery of both file and object storage at exabyte scale and peak efficiency. Finally, Hari explains that GPUs are only as good as the data they consume, countering the belief that only raw horsepower matters. FlashBlade//EXA addresses this by delivering reliable, scalable throughput, efficient DirectFlash Modules up to 300 TB, and the metadata performance required to keep expensive GPUs fully utilized and models training faster.

Join us as we explore the blind spots in current AI data strategies during our "Hot Takes" segment and recount a favorite FlashBlade success story. Hari closes with a compelling summary of how Pure Storage's complete portfolio is perfectly suited to provide the complementary data management essential for scaling AI. Tune in to discover why FlashBlade//EXA is the non-compromise, exabyte-scale solution built to keep your AI infrastructure running at its full potential.

For more information, visit: https://www.pure.ai/flashblade-exa.html

Check out the new Pure Storage digital customer community to join the conversation with peers and Pure experts: 
https://purecommunity.purestorage.com/

00:00 Intro and Welcome
04:30 Primer on FlashBlade
11:32 Stat of the Episode on GPU Shipments
13:25 What is FlashBlade//EXA
18:58 Myth #1: Traditional Storage Challenges for AI Data
22:01 Myth #2: AI Workloads are not just File-based
26:42: Myth #3: AI Needs more than just GPUs
31:35 Hot Takes Segment

Tackling Myths Around AI Data and FlashBlade//EXA

b4d-bygone®2026™            
ⓒ𝓻Ø𝓒ㄖＤᶤ𝕝𝐄 Ť𝓔卂ᖇ𝓈𝐒ˢ🚱

ajalife - dednumberx_x#

In this episode we explain climate-controlled storage — what it is, who needs it, and how to choose the right facility. We also cover common mistakes people make when storing valuables and give practical packing tips. https://www.locksmartclimatestorage.com/

Keeping Your Belongings Safe: Why Climate-Controlled Storage Matters

We walk through how to choose a secure self-storage facility, what features matter most, and how to avoid surprise fees. Stay tuned to learn what questions to ask and why security should be your top priority — with a look at one facility as a case study.https://www.roundrocksecurestorage.com/

Storage Smart: Choosing the Right Secure Facility

In this episode, we explore how to choose a highly secure self-storage facility, what “security” really means in the storage world, and how a facility like Athens Secure Storage & Parking keeps your items safe. We’ll also go over what features to look for, and share practical tips to protect your belongings — plus a checklist you can use when touring any storage facility.https://www.athenssecurestorage.com/

Secure Units Athens

In this quick episode, we take a fast look at secure and convenient storage solutions in Royse City. From drive-up units to RV and boat storage, learn what makes Royse City Secure Storage a smart choice for protecting your belongings. Check out their website here: https://www.roysecitysecurestorage.com/

Explore Storage Options in Royse City

In this episode, we sit down with Solution Architect Robert Alvarez to discuss the technology behind Pure Key-Value Accelerator (KVA) and its role in accelerating AI inference. Pure KVA is a protocol-agnostic, key-value caching solution that, when combined with FlashBlade data storage, dramatically improves GPU efficiency and consistency in AI environments. Robert—whose background includes time as a Santa Clara University professor, NASA Solution Architect, and work at CERN—explains how this innovation is essential for serving an entire fleet of AI workloads, including modern agentic or chatbot interfaces.

Robert dives into the massive growth of the AI Inference market, driven by the need for near real-time processing and low-latency AI applications. This trend makes the need for a solution like Pure KVA critical. He details how KVA removes the bottleneck of GPU memory and shares compelling benchmark results: up to twenty times faster inference with NFS and six times faster with S3, all over standard Ethernet. These performance gains are key to helping enterprises scale more efficiently and reduce overall GPU costs.

Beyond the technical deep dive, the episode explores the origin of the KVA idea, the unique Pure IP that enables it, and future integrations like Dynamo and the partnership with Comet for LLM observability. In the popular “Hot Takes” segment, Robert offers his perspective on blind spots IT leaders might have in managing AI data and shares advice for his younger self on the future of the data management space. 

To learn more about Pure KVA, visit purestorage.com/launch.

Check out the new Pure Storage digital customer community to join the conversation with peers and Pure experts: 
https://purecommunity.purestorage.com/

00:00 Intro and Welcome
02:21 Background on Our Guest
06:57 Stat of the Episode on AI Inferencing Spend
09:10 Why AI Inference is Difficult at Scale
11:00 How KV Cache Acceleration Works
14:50 Key Partnerships Using KVA
20:28 Hot Takes Segment


Accelerating Enterprise AI Inference with Pure KVA

This podcast discusses a First-Tier Tribunal Tax Chamber decision resolving an appeal by Len Lothian Holdings Limited, a self-storage operator, against excise duty and penalty assessments issued by HMRC. The case centered on the seizure of non-UK duty paid tobacco and cigarettes from a storage unit that was found to have been accessed and controlled by an unidentified individual known as Kami. The primary legal issue was whether the storage company legally "held" the illicit goods under the Excise Duty (Holding, Movement and Duty Point) Regulations 2010, triggering tax liability and penalties under Schedule 41 of the Finance Act 2008. Reviewing relevant precedent, the Tribunal concluded that Kami, who used his own padlock and retained effective physical possession, was the holder of the goods, not Len Lothian. Consequently, the Tribunal determined that the self-storage company was not liable for the excise duty or the penalty, and the appeal was allowed.

Len Lothian Holdings Limited v HMRC [2025] UKFTT 1254 (TC)

This episode delves into the current standings of global oil reserves, highlighting the top countries based on proven oil reserves as reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration in 2023. With Venezuela leading the pack, we explore the figures behind each nation's reserves and discuss the implications for global energy markets.

Global Facts Podcast Description

Data sovereignty is a hot topic of the year, driven by the massive proliferation of data, the rise of multinational hyperscalers, and the increasing use of AI. The Pure Report podcast welcomes Pure Field CTO for EMEA, Patrick Smith, to define this critical concept—data being subject to the laws and governance of the country in which it is created or stored—and to explain why enterprises must now focus not just on location, but on who manages, accesses, and controls their data. We discuss how a confluence of circumstances, including recent cloud provider outages, has highlighted the interconnected world and the risks inherent in where data resides, propelling this issue to the forefront for IT leaders globally.

Patrick dives into the three prevailing factors driving the need for a data sovereignty strategy: increasing data sensitivity and regulation (like GDPR), the massive growth and reliance on public cloud environments, and unpredictable geopolitical issues that create risk. He shares key findings from the recent University of Sydney survey, revealing a heightened sense of urgency: 100% of respondents are reconsidering their data’s location due to sovereignty concerns, and 78% are actively adopting strategies for sovereign capabilities. We also break down the strategic options available, ranging from doing nothing or too much (and accepting the risk) to the preferred middle-ground approach of a thorough risk assessment to guide placement decisions.

Our conversation shifts to actionable steps, with Patrick emphasizing that good data governance is the essential underpinning for any successful sovereignty strategy. We explore the necessity of a hybrid multi-cloud architecture that embeds sovereign capabilities, allowing organizations to run the right application in the right location based on its risk profile and move it easily if regulation changes. Finally, Patrick explains how Pure’s Enterprise Data Cloud—focused on simplicity, automation, and industry-leading energy efficiency—directly intersects with and helps solve the challenges of delivering sovereign capabilities, leading to the crucial, easy win: understand the domain, track regulation, and above all, don't ignore the changing data landscape.

To read the report about Data Sovereignty, visit https://www.purestorage.com/resources/type-a/data-sovereignty-a-new-era.html

Check out the new Pure Storage digital customer community to join the conversation with peers and Pure experts: 
https://purecommunity.purestorage.com/

00:00 Intro and Welcome
02:17 A Day in the Life of a Field CTO
05:15 Defining Data Sovereignty
08:22 Trends around Data Sovereignty
11:36 Results from a User Survey on Data Sovereignty
16:25 Options for Managing Data Sovereignty
19:24 Getting Started with Data Sovereignty Actions
23:40 Evaluating Sovereign Data Providers
26:10 How Pure’s Enterprise Data Cloud Helps

Data Sovereignty: A New Era

Bringing you direct access to Pure Storage thought leaders, technology experts, alliance partners, customer insights, and our latest product news.

New tracks tagged #Storage