WHAT IS HIGH PERFORMANCE STORAGE SYSTEM?
Enabling Growth and Performance
INCREMENTAL SCALABILITY
Based on storage needs and deployment schedules, HPSS scales incrementally by adding computer, network and storage resources. A single HPSS namespace can scale from petabytes to exabytes of data, from millions to billions of files, and from a few file-creates per second to thousands per second.
AVAILABILITY & DURABILITY
HPSS offers high availability and long-term data protection. Db2 allows for fast failure recovery while autonomous transactions ensure metadata integrity. Software file checksum validation and logical block protection ensure data accuracy while HPSS RAIT offers low-cost data redundancy.
PERFORMANCE & EFFICIENCY
HPSS maximizes performance of hardware for long term storage. A single scalable namespace simplifies management and maximizes the sharing of resources. Moving large files in parallel and collocating related files improves transfer rates. Organizing the order of reads and writes reduces access latencies. Policies and automation allows for transparency.
DELIVERY & SUPPORT
HPSS is delivered and supported as an IBM service offering. IBM delivers a detailed solution architecture, verification of solution components, installation and configuration of HPSS software, and test results to show production readiness.
Who developed HPSS?
HPSS is the result of over three decades of collaboration among five Department of Energy laboratories and IBM, with significant contributions by universities and other laboratories worldwide.
Best of class for tape!
HPSS is considered best of class for tape because of our efficient use of tape hardware and media. That efficiency provided by HPSS means you will need fewer tape drives, and you will enjoy faster data transfers.
Not licensed by capacity!
Since HPSS is delivered and supported as an IBM service offering, the licensing cost is the same regardless of your data amount. Whether you manage 2 petabytes or 2 exabytes, the annual support fee for HPSS will remain the same, even as your hardware footprint and data management needs grows.
MEET WITH HPSS AT THESE INDUSTRY EVENTS
WHAT’S NEW?
HPSS 11.3 Release
HPSS 11.3.0 was released on September 30, 2025 and introduces nine new features and numerous minor updates.
HPSS 11.2 Release
HPSS 11.2.0 was released on February 13, 2025 and introduces four new features and numerous minor updates.
HPSS Data Capacity and File Count Leaders
December 2024: The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) is the data capacity leader with over 1.2 exabytes of data (1,202 petabytes) in a single instance of HPSS. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is the file count leader with almost 3.8 billion files spanning two HPSS instances. One HPSS has over 1.9 billion files and the other HPSS has over 1.8 billion files.
HPSS 11.1 Release
HPSS 11.1.0 was released on August 9, 2024 and introduces seven new features and numerous minor updates.
To an Exabyte and beyond!
IS HPSS RIGHT FOR YOU?
Two of the top three fastest supercomputers on the planet rely on HPSS for long-term storage (top500.org).
A single instance of HPSS can support the ingestion and simultaneous recall of petabytes per day. If you currently store all your data on spinning disk, and you have growing storage needs that currently exceed five petabytes or your current tape solution is delivering abysmal tape performance, an HPSS best of class tape storage solution from IBM may help lower your storage costs. HPSS can transfer files to tape faster and recall files from tape more efficiently so fewer tape drives are needed to meet storage requirements. Simply stated, extreme-scale capacity or extreme-scale file-count requirements are NOT the only reason customers use HPSS!
WHO LEVERAGES HPSS?
