It's a first for the podcast as we bring the Pure Report Unplugged to the Las Vegas Strip and record live on location in front of an audience at Pure Accelerate 2024.  New locale, same format and co-hosts JD Wallace and Andrew Miller as we navigate thru the highlights of the week at Pure's customer and partner event.  Up top, we hit on our favorite moments of Accelerate - behind the scenes of the Coz demo showcase, JD running FlashDrive demo labs, and Andrew hitting on 150 TB DFMs and Pure Fusion.  Plus much more around the exciting new announcements across fleet management, digital experience (DX). For more information on what went down at Pure Accelerate and to find an upcoming event near you: https://www.purestorage.com/accelerate.html

Unplugged: Live at Accelerate 2024

We finish off our 15 Architectural Decisions series with a special guest - VP of Product Management and early Pure employee Chadd Kenney joins to discuss the origin story of Pure Storage's 15 Architectural Decisions. Chadd will take us back to the early Pure startup days, revealing the drivers behind documenting these crucial decisions. We'll explore his favorite decisions, hear stories that solidified them, and discover how this foundational work continues to influence Pure Storage today around the Enterprise Data Cloud and the Pure Platform.

Series Overview: Pure Storage’s foundational approach to product engineering is guided by 15 architectural decisions that were established at the company’s inception and have shaped both the technical and user experience across its product lines. These architectural choices were not made arbitrarily—they stem from a deliberate focus on simplicity, efficiency, and scalability, ensuring Pure could deliver storage solutions that break away from legacy complexity and enable continuous innovation without compromise. This series will guide viewers through all of the 15 principles, helping you understand why certain choices were made, how they impact your operations, and how they compare to other industry features and products.

15 Architectural Decisions Series: The Origin Story with Chadd Kenney

This episode of the Pure Report podcast welcomes back Jon Owings, a long-time Puritan and expert in Kubernetes and data management, to demystify the rapidly evolving world of containerization and AI. We dive deep  into why over 96% of enterprises are adopting Kubernetes, exploring the latest trends like containers as VM alternatives and the advantages of Kubernetes deployments in AI environments. We also shed light on the crucial role of Platform Engineering, helping listeners understand who these professionals are and what they do.

Jon shares insights from his work with Portworx, revealing where they're seeing the most success and why their offering stands out from the competition. Get ready for some "Hot Takes" in a rapid-fire segment covering overlooked industry shifts and even a favorite customer "screwup" story with a successful resolution. Tune in for practical advice on adopting Kubernetes and don't miss the inaugural "Storage Confessions" segment, where Jon shares a memorable challenge and its resolution.


Portworx Revealed: Container Storage Solutions for Kubernetes and AI

Looking for help navigating the changing environment around your VMware investment? What considerations do you need to make relative to staying on VMware versus moving to another solution? We have answers and guidance - check out this episode for an insightful discussion with David Stevens, Field Solution Architect, as we delve into the evolving landscape of virtualization. Despite recent changes from Broadcom, VMware still commands a significant market share, and David unpacks why. We explore the various paths VMware customers are taking today, from sticking with their current setup to exploring hypervisor alternatives, migrating to the cloud, or even transitioning to containers. This episode offers valuable anecdotes and practical insights for anyone navigating the complexities of modern IT infrastructure.

Hear how Pure Storage is strategically positioned to assist organizations through these transitions, highlighting our deep integrations with VMware for over a decade and how investments in Azure VMware Solution provide a cost effective cloud alternative. David also shares his "hot takes" on industry trends, a memorable "screwup" story, and crucial advice for the future of data management. Tune in to gain actionable takeaways on charting the right course for your VMware situation and beyond.

Changing Lanes - What's Driving Virtualization Today?

Welcome to a special launch series of the Pure Report podcast! Join us as we take a deep dive into Pure Storage's Intelligent Control Plane (ICP), a set of groundbreaking innovations redefining IT operations and enabling users to realize the Enterprise Data Cloud. We're thrilled to host Chadd Kenney, VP of Product Management, who helps us unpack how the ICP tackles data silos, operational complexity, and productivity bottlenecks, transforming hundreds of systems into what feels like one virtual cloud of data with Pure Fusion. Discover how Fusion Presets streamline policy-driven deployments, how intelligence extends to modern apps with Portworx native integration, and the exciting possibilities of AI-Copilot and Data Intelligence.

In this episode, Chadd will share insights on how these innovations continue Pure Storage's core hallmark of simplicity in operations, delivering Evergreen architecture at a fleet-wide level. We'll explore how the ICP empowers operators with real-time awareness and workflow orchestration, as demonstrated at Accelerate in Las Vegas and New York, enabling full-stack, application-level outcomes. Plus, Chadd offers his "hot takes" on industry trends, common misconceptions about infrastructure automation, and the evolving role of the IT operator in the next five years. Tune in to understand how the Intelligent Control Plane and Pure Fusion are setting a new standard for data management.


H2 Launch Series: Unpacking the Intelligent Control Plane

October is Cybersecurity awareness month. Get ready to explore the imperative of cyber resiliency in today's digital landscape, focusing on strategies for robust data infrastructures and shared responsibility to plan and recover from cyber attacks. Join Pure Storage cyber experts Scott Taylor and Jason Walker as they delve into the critical aspects of cyber resilience. Learn best practices around how to prepare your organization for potential threats, respond effectively during an attack, and recover swiftly to maintain business continuity. We explore essential hygiene factors, the role of SIEM technology, and the importance of a layered resilience strategy, including insights from key alliance partners like Varonis and Superna.

We also cover ways that Pure Storage empowers users to withstand cyberattacks and accelerate both cyber and disaster recovery. Hear best practices on how to protect data from ransomware and cyber threats through high-performance, layered resilience, robust data security and immutability, and seamless security integrations. Scott and Jason  also tackle common myths and misconceptions about cyber resilience, providing actionable advice to help IT leaders identify and address blind spots. Tune in for hot takes on industry trends and a "Storage Confessions" segment where listeners can share their own screw-up stories.

The Cyber Guys: How to Prepare, Respond, and Recover to Keep Your Business Running

Welcome to episode 2 of our special launch series of the Pure Report podcast!  In this episode, Chadd Kenney joins again to help us dive into the critical foundation of the Enterprise Data Cloud: the Unified Data Plane. We start with a discussion on why a truly unified data plane is essential for organizations today, managing everything from archive to AI workloads.

Chadd shares insights into the latest innovations across the FlashArray family, including the new FlashArray/XL 190 and FlashArray//ST, enhancements to FlashArray//X and FlashArray//C, and how Pure's platform supports diverse virtualization landscapes and continuing data growth driven by core databases and business workloads.

We then talk about how the virtualization landscape is still in flux, and many customers are evaluating their options. The good news is that Pure's platform is designed to support them, whether they choose to continue with VMware, transition to a new hypervisor like Nutanix, or modernize with containers. Additionally, we delve into new innovations within Pure Storage Cloud, including the Azure Native integration, which rounds out the portfolio and provides comprehensive support across the board.

We also touch on the new Pure KVA integration with NVIDIA Dynamo, Purity Deep Reduce, and how Pure's Evergreen architecture ensures customers can leverage all our Unified Data Plane announcements  without disruption. Don't miss Chadd's "Hot Takes" on future data drivers and common data infrastructure mistakes.

H2 Launch Series: One Platform, All Workloads - The Power of Pure's Unified Data Plane

The Pure Report welcomes Anthony Nocentino, Sr. Principal Field Solution Architect, to delve into the future of databases and data management. This episode looks at the explosive growth of relational databases and the impact of SQL Server 2025, Oracle 23ai, and AI-driven demands. We explore how Pure Storage is not just keeping pace with database growth but actively simplifying management, scaling, and protection, moving beyond foundational support to offer operational freedom for DBAs and infrastructure teams.

Anthony tackles the pressing challenges faced by database environments today, including fragmented storage infrastructure, manual provisioning, and the complexities of compliance, disaster recovery, and hybrid cloud strategies. Anthony sheds light on how these issues contribute to real-world burnout among DBAs and infra team members. The discussion will also cover the evolving roles of these professionals as they increasingly become platform performance engineers, cloud strategists, and data ops troubleshooters in a world of multiple database engines and unpredictable resource needs driven by AI workloads.

Hear about how Pure's vision for the Enterprise Data Cloud connects to database operations, including key announcements from our Accelerate Vegas and NYC events. We dive into how Pure Fusion with workflow templates and Pure1 offers intelligent, AI-powered workload and resource management, automated policy-based provisioning, and a unified single control plane across on-prem, cloud, and hybrid environments. The episode also explores the implications for enterprise-ready storage with the FlashArray platform family, showcasing how products like FA//XL, FA//X, FA//C, and FA//ST simplify workload expansion and provide significant performance benefits. Finally, we'll get Anthony's "Hot Takes" on critical DBA tasks, dream fixes for database environments, and common myths he'd like to debunk, all while looking forward to Pure's presence at Oracle AI World.

Databases!!! - Redefining Data Management for Infra & DBA Teams

Welcome to episode 3 of our special launch series of the Pure Report podcast.  In this episode, we dive deep into the critical topic of cyber resilience with Scott Taylor, Director of the Cyber Resilience Field Solutions Architects Team at Pure Storage.  We discuss why traditional, siloed security approaches are failing in the face of escalating cyber threats. From there, we explore the real-world impact of cyberattacks, from significant financial costs and reputational damage to the often-overlooked human toll on IT and security teams.

Watch and listen as Scott unpacks Pure Storage's innovative approach to cyber resilience, built on principles of Built-in Security, Connected Threat Detection, and Dynamic Response and Recovery. Discover how Pure's "as-a-service" offerings are changing the game, providing optionality and flexibility to react to rapidly changing environments. We delve into our recent launch announcements, including deep integrations with CrowdStrike and Superna, transforming storage from a passive target into an active defender. Plus, get insights into Pure's new Real-Time Malware Scanning directly at the storage layer and the expanded Veeam partnership for simplified backup and recovery delivered as service.

This episode is a must-listen for IT and security professionals looking to move from a reactive to a proactive security posture. Scott shares his "hot takes" on overlooked aspects of cyber recovery, essential cultural shifts for IT organizations, and how AI is influencing the ongoing battle between attackers and defenders. Learn how to secure your data, minimize downtime, and build a truly cyber resilient enterprise in the era of the Enterprise Data Cloud.

H2 Launch Series: Cyber Resilience Innovations

The Pure Report welcomes Shawn Rosemarin, VP R&D, Customer Engineering at Pure Storage, to explore the critical topic of workflow optimization in today's IT landscape. Shawn shares his unique perspective on how the industry is moving beyond a product-centric view to embrace a platform mindset, emphasizing the profound impact this shift has on people and processes. Drawing on decades of experience, he highlights how true value is derived when technology actively evolves the way companies operate, making life better for IT professionals and streamlining essential business functions.

Our conversation dives deep into the "death by a thousand cuts" phenomenon, where seemingly minor inefficiencies in IT workflows accumulate into major productivity drains and significant risks. Shawn breaks down key areas such as provisioning and resource allocation, performance management and monitoring, and refresh cycles, illustrating how traditional approaches often lead to wasted time, increased costs, and security vulnerabilities. He uses compelling analogies, from ride-hailing apps to airplane checklists, to underscore the need for automated, consistent, and intelligent solutions that simplify complex tasks and minimize human error.

We ultimately arrive at a discussion around an autonomous operating environment, where human ingenuity is augmented by machine intelligence to proactively identify and resolve issues, reduce risk, and accelerate time to market. Thought the episode we link to how Pure’s platform approach, including innovations like Pure 1 and Evergreen//One, is transforming the way customers manage their data estate, enabling centralized policy controls, self-service upgrades, and seamless cloud integration. 

The Platform Mindset: Driving Workflow Efficiency in the Data Center

In our latest episode, we sit down with Ken Hui, Field Solutions Architect, to discuss his journey at Pure Storage and the evolving landscape of data management. Ken shares his unique perspective on Pure Storage's culture, highlighting the emphasis on collaboration and innovation. The conversation delves into the critical role of unstructured data in today's AI-driven world, exploring how enterprises can strategically manage and protect their ever-growing data assets without falling prey to common pitfalls.

Ken, a seasoned veteran in the storage and cloud space, offers valuable advice on approaching new technologies, stressing the importance of starting with the desired end-state and aligning technology with people and processes. He also revisits his early career frustrations with file storage, explaining how Pure Storage's advancements, particularly with FlashBlade and FlashArray, have transformed the experience, making data management simpler and more efficient. The discussion touches on the power of continuous innovation, self-service upgrades, and the multi-tenancy capabilities that empower customers.

Our episode concludes with Ken's "hot take" on industry trends, where he champions object storage as a scalable solution for large-scale data workloads, especially in the AI and analytics space. He also shares a memorable "oops" moment from his career and offers crucial advice for IT professionals: learn programming to effectively leverage automation and APIs in the future of data management. 

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


From File Frustration to Flash Freedom: How a Technologist Learned to Love File at Pure Storage

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Unplugged: Live at Accelerate 2024

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