Dell Technologies introduces enhancements to private cloud infra

Dell Technologies has announced new advancements in its private cloud infrastructure portfolio, aimed at helping organisations manage both traditional and modern workloads with increased efficiency, scalability, and security.

Many IT departments continue to face challenges in supporting diverse workloads while contending with rising operational costs, evolving virtualisation requirements, and concerns over vendor lock-in. As a result, organisations are increasingly adopting disaggregated private cloud environments that offer greater flexibility and control. These systems typically combine virtualisation-optimised compute, storage, and cyber resilience capabilities.

Dell Private Cloud is now delivered through the Dell Automation Platform, which offers both on-premises and software-as-a-service (SaaS) deployment options. This platform enables organisations to automate, scale, and manage private cloud infrastructure using their preferred cloud operating system stack alongside Dell’s modular infrastructure components, including PowerStore, PowerFlex, and PowerMax. AI-driven automation supports infrastructure monitoring and management.

The integration of Dell NativeEdge into the Dell Automation Platform extends full-stack capabilities to edge and distributed environments. This development is designed to simplify operational complexity while enhancing security across both cloud and edge deployments.

Dell has also introduced updates across its storage portfolio, focusing on performance improvements, operational simplification, and cyber resilience to support the evolving needs of private cloud environments.

Dell PowerStore:Expanded capabilities and integration

Dell PowerStore now includes support for QLC flash storage and will soon integrate with the Nutanix Cloud Platform. This integration aims to give customers greater flexibility in how they deploy and manage virtualised infrastructure.

The PowerStore 5200Q delivers improved cost-efficiency and scalability by offering high-capacity performance through the use of QLC flash technology. It supports flexible scale-up capabilities of up to 25 petabytes per cluster and allows for seamless workload optimisation through integration with existing PowerStore clusters.

In terms of security and resiliency, the system includes several enhancements such as built-in anomaly detection, single sign-on (SSO), biometric authentication, support for HashiCorp key management, and replication over fibre channel. These features are designed to strengthen data protection and ensure business continuity.

Additionally, AI-powered diagnostics are enabled through the Smart Support Auto-Heal functionality, which automates system health checks and issue resolution. This capability can significantly reduce remediation times, by up to 90%,contributing to more efficient operations and improved system reliability.

Dell PowerFlex: Software-defined storage with scalable efficiency

Dell PowerFlex is a software-defined block storage solution designed for large-scale environments and modern workloads. The latest PowerFlex Ultra release introduces the Scalable Availability Engine (SAE), which simplifies workload management while improving storage efficiency and resiliency.

Key features of PowerFlex include a modern storage architecture built on the Scalable Availability Engine (SAE), which uses a native block, fully distributed, and erasure-coded design. This architecture is intended to improve efficiency, resilience, and scalability in software-defined data centres.

In terms of storage efficiency, PowerFlex can achieve up to 80% efficiency, with a reported reduction of more than 50% in physical storage footprint, enabling organisations to store more data using less space and power.

The system also delivers high availability, offering up to "10x9s" of data availability. It is designed to tolerate the simultaneous failure of two nodes without compromising data integrity, helping ensure continuous operation in large-scale deployments.

Dell PowerMax: Mission-critical performance with advanced automation

Dell PowerMax continues to offer enterprise-grade performance and security for mission-critical workloads. Recent updates include software enhancements that improve performance by up to 25%, simplify automation, and strengthen security protocols.

Key updates toDell PowerMax include enhanced automation, with features such as one-click software updates completed in under six seconds, zero-touch installations, and a reported 66% reduction in the number of steps required to change replication modes. These improvements are designed to streamline operations and reduce administrative overhead.

The system now includes support for QLC drives, with the PowerMax 2500 offering scalable capacity from 122 TB to 8.8 PB per array. This supports high-density, capacity-intensive workloads while maintaining flexibility in deployment.

In terms of security, enhancements include Single Sign-On (SSO) integration with Microsoft Entra ID and encrypted email alerts. These features are aimed at strengthening data protection and helping organisations meet regulatory compliance and cybersecurity standards.

Dell PowerProtect: Strengthening cyber resilience

The Dell PowerProtect range continues to support data protection and cyber resilience across traditional, virtual, cloud-native, and containerised workloads. New appliance and software updates are designed to reduce exposure to cyber threats and enable rapid recovery.

Two new solutions introduced under the Dell PowerProtect portfolio are designed to enhance data protection and cyber resilience. The PowerProtect Data Domain DD3410 is a compact appliance suited for smaller environments or remote offices, offering scalable capacity from 8 to 32 TB. It delivers high data reduction efficiency and integrates seamlessly with Dell PowerStore and PowerMax systems, while supporting a broad range of backup software and ecosystem partners.

The second offering, the PowerProtect Data Manager Appliance, is a software-defined solution that provides centralised management and enterprise-grade data protection. It includes advanced features such as anomaly detection, data immutability, and integrity verification, helping organisations ensure business continuity and resilience in the face of cyber threats and disruptions.

Venkat Sitaram, Senior Director and Country Head, Infrastructure Solutions Group, Dell Technologies India, commented that Indian enterprises are increasingly in need of secure, energy-efficient, and scalable private cloud infrastructure to support their digital and AI-driven growth strategies.

Travis Vigil, Senior Vice President of ISG Product Management at Dell Technologies, noted that the latest updates aim to support both current IT requirements and future operational demands by offering secure and efficient private cloud solutions.

Thomas Cornely, Senior Vice President of Product Management at Nutanix, highlighted that the forthcoming integration of Nutanix Cloud Platform with Dell PowerStore will give organisations more flexibility in designing virtualised environments based on their specific needs.

Simon Robinson, Principal Analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group (now part of Omdia), remarked that organisations face increasing pressure to manage both legacy and modern applications efficiently. According to Robinson, Dell’s latest advancements in storage and cyber resilience provide a flexible foundation for private cloud infrastructure that supports operational efficiency, scalability, and security.