IT in Manufacturing


New family of fault-tolerant computing platforms

January 2024 IT in Manufacturing

Stratus Technologies, a global leader in simple, protected and autonomous edge computing platforms, has launched its Stratus ztC Endurance platform, a new family of fault-tolerant computing platforms for next-generation sustainable operations. The platform introduces intelligent, predictive fault tolerance that delivers seven nines (99.99999%) availability and performance gains through latest-generation technology components, including 4th generation Intel Xeon scalable processors. The ztC Endurance platform builds on Stratus’ unique combination of built-in software and hardware, proactive health monitoring, and serviceability to run mission-critical applications without downtime or data loss.

“This new ztC Endurance platform is the culmination of 42 years of innovation in fault tolerance by Stratus – it raises the bar for system availability for our customers across every industry,” said Dave Laurello, president of Intelligent Platform Solutions, SGH. “Our new family of compute platforms continues our unmatched availability and ease of use, with 99.99999% availability, a modernised system architecture, and the performance to support our customers’ growth. With the ztC Endurance platform, we’re delivering a new technology curve for reliability that will empower organisations to embark on their digital journeys well into the future.”

“The ztC Endurance platform is the result of years of planning, development and testing,” said Dara Ambrose, vice president of products and solutions for Intelligent Platform Solutions, SGH. “The platform design is based on the analysis of more than 100 million hours of computing runtime across thousands of customers. With this new

ztC Endurance platform, we’ve delivered a fault-tolerant solution that eliminates compromises in performance, cost, serviceability and manageability when deploying and maintaining application availability.”

In today’s digital-first, data-driven world, OT and IT teams require solutions that meet teams’ efforts to enhance operational efficiency, improve system security, and ultimately drive business growth. OT leaders are investing in automation to manage complex processes, while IT leaders are seeking modern technology that is easily serviceable and cost-efficient. OT and IT teams demand reliable and secure solutions designed for today and tomorrow. Industry research forecasts that edge IT workloads will grow up to 28% through 2026 as a result of this market demand.

Benefits

Stratus’ ztC Endurance portfolio furthers Stratus’ proven approach for eliminating system downtime and data loss (including in-flight data) through built-in fault tolerance that is transparent to standard operating systems and hosted applications. It does not require additional scripting or modification, and provides proactive health monitoring. This powerful combination enables OT and IT teams to run mission-critical applications and complex software stacks without needing to be server experts.

The new Stratus ztC Endurance platforms deliver innovation in five key areas of performance:

• Predictive: The ztC Endurance platform introduces intelligent, predictive fault tolerance through the Stratus Automated Uptime Layer with Smart Exchange process, which tracks and targets a wider range of failure points than other standalone hyperconverged solutions, and automatically takes corrective actions to address and resolve issues before they impact operations.

• Protected: The platform ensures data integrity and protects against loss of in-flight application data, with 99.99999% application system availability and embedded hardware and software security features, along with the ability to run third-party cybersecurity applications to protect IT and OT assets.

• Manageable: As an open system, the platform simplifies manageability, with remote monitoring capabilities and management APIs that are interoperable with existing IT tools and systems familiar to IT teams. Additionally, the ztC Endurance platform and its fault-tolerant architecture support standard, off-the-shelf operating systems, without requiring modifications.

• Serviceable: ztC Endurance architecture is redundant and modular, and features four pairs of customer replaceable units (CRUs): compute, I/O, power supply unit and storage. These are hot-swappable by OT or IT, without specialised expertise or tools required, to continuously deliver uptime and efficient operation.

• Performance: This release incorporates the latest technology, notably 4th generation Intel Xeon Scalable Sapphire Rapids processors, high speed NVMe, and resilient, high-performance DDR5 memory. This results in new levels of performance, matched with the fault tolerance required to consolidate mission-critical applications, while running complex software stacks and advanced applications.

Stratus’ ztC Endurance Platform is available in three models to meet customer needs, from shop floors and remote offices to regional and large data centres and plants:

• ztC Endurance Model 7100: designed for large data centres and larger plants.

• ztC Endurance Model 5100: designed for remote offices and medium plants.

• ztC Endurance Model 3100: designed for shop floor locations and smaller plants.




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