THE STORNADO F2

2U, 32 Bay All-Flash U.3 NVMe SATA SAS Server
Transfer Speeds of up to 55 GB/s and 8,000,000 IOPS.
Designed for Open-Source Software

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Stornado F2: High Performance, All-Flash Server for the Enterprise

Legacy Storage Vendors

Enterprise-grade reliability
High-density storage
Single-PO purchasing
Proprietary lock-in
Contract renewal uncertainty

Offshore DIY Options

Lower initial cost
Open-source flexibility
Unknown build quality
Minimal support
Requires specialized knowledge
Project risks

45Drives Advantage

Enterprise-grade reliability
Tightly Integrated hardware & software
Comprehensive support
Zero vendor lock-in
Manufactured and serviced in North America

The standalone server market offers a range of viable options, each with its own pros and cons. Legacy storage vendors deliver enterprise-grade reliability and high-density storage, bundled with single-PO purchasing for hardware, service, and more. However, their proprietary nature locks customers in, limiting flexibility and introducing uncertainty at contract renewal time.

On the other end of the spectrum, offshore-built hardware options are inexpensive but come with unknown build quality and are typically sold as hardware-only with minimal support. While they can form the foundation for DIY solutions using open-source software — offering cost-effective, flexible setups with the long-term security of an open-source license — in the enterprise market, this often brings unacceptable project risks and demands maintaining specialized knowledge.

45Drives offers the best of both worlds, a one stop shop for tightly integrated hardware, software, and support, while providing the performance, flexibility, and zero lock-in that enterprises need. The Stornado F2 showcases this approach, This all-flash server features 32 NVMe drive bays and a Tri-Mode backplane that supports U.3 NVMe, SATA, or SAS drives. Benchmarking at 55 GB/s and 8 million IOPS, it delivers the ultra-high-speed performance demanded by latency- sensitive applications. For U.3 NVMe deployments, it stands as the industry-leading hardware solution.

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Non-Proprietary

Free from Vendor Lock-In

Linux

Pre-Installed

Powerful CPU

Up to 64 Cores and 128 Threads Running at Up to 3.1 GHz

Up to 1.53TB ECC DDR5 Memory

Massive Memory Support for Mission-Critical Applications

Toolless & Caddieless

Drive Access

243.2TBs

Max Raw SSD Capacity

Direct Wire Architecture

Direct Connection Between Drive and System

Tri-Mode Backplane

Supports U.3 NVMe, SATA, or SAS Drives

Mitigate Risk with 45Drives Hardware

45Drives provides open hardware, helping organizations avoid vendor lock-in and maintain control over their infrastructure. This approach reduces long-term risks and allows for greater flexibility as needs change.

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Direct-Wired Architecture

45Drives servers feature Direct-Wire Architecture, providing a direct connection between each drive and the system. This design eliminates intermediary hardware like expanders, resulting in lower latency, fewer points of failure, and improved performance.

Toolless and Caddieless Drive Access

Our toolless, caddieless drive access makes swapping drives fast and easy. Just slide bare drives directly into the bay—no tools, screws, or caddies required. This design reduces downtime, simplifies maintenance, and eliminates unnecessary parts, so you can focus on performance, not hardware hassles.

CPU Options

Configure your Stornado F2 with powerful AMD or Intel processors to match your performance requirements

8224P (24 cores @ 2.55GHz / 48 Threads)
8324P (32 cores @2.65GHz / 64 Threads)
8534P (64 cores @2.3GHz / 128 Threads)

Single or Dual Gold 6430 (32 cores @2.1GHz / 64 Threads)

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Enterprise Storage Drives

If your operations depend on reliable data storage or you can't afford the risk of drive failures, enterprise hard drives and solid-state drives are worth considering. Designed from the ground up for long-term durability and consistent performance under heavy workloads, they offer a level of reliability that consumer-grade drives often can't match.

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Stornado F2 Warranty Options

45Drives delivers tightly integrated storage and virtualization systems, purpose-built with enterprise-grade electronics for high-capacity and high-workload environments. Each system is engineered for exceptional performance, durability, and reliability.

Every server includes a 1-year standard warranty covering parts, electronics, and workmanship (excluding custom units), along with dedicated hardware support. Extended warranties are available for 3 or 5 years from the date of purchase.

1-Year Standard

Parts, electronics, and workmanship coverage

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3-Year Extended

Additional 2 years of protection

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5-Year Extended

Maximum long-term protection

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Storage Clustering with the Stornado F2

Clustering links your servers to create a unified namespace managed from a single interface, allowing easy scalability for users. Your data remains accessible through redundant storage across the cluster, ensuring availability even during planned or unplanned downtime. We provide these clustering solutions using Ceph, open-source software designed for scalable and highly available storage. The features of Ceph are complemented by the speed of the Stornado F16 storage server, purpose-built to deliver high-speed, reliable access to data. The Stornado F16 pairs seamlessly with SSDs to optimize throughput and responsiveness. SATA SSDs leverage flash technology to outperform traditional HDDs, reducing transfer times and latency. For even greater performance, NVMe drives take advantage of the PCIe interface to establish direct, high-speed connections to the CPU. This significantly boosts data throughput and reduces latency, making them ideal for high-demand environments such as big data analytics and real-time applications. With the Stornado F16 at the core, these clusters maintain peak performance by minimizing bottlenecks in both data access and processing.

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ZFS on Linux

At 45Drives, we focus on giving our customers greater control, stability, and long-term reliability in their data storage systems. ZFS aligns with this as an enterprise-grade file system and volume manager that ensures data integrity, enables redundancy, and includes advanced features like snapshots and self-healing. Unlike traditional RAID systems, which can come with limitations, potential risks, and proprietary constraints, ZFS offers a modern, resilient, and open alternative. We make it easy to adopt ZFS and offer the guidance needed to make the most of its features.

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Houston User Interface for Server Management

Managing storage infrastructure can be challenging, especially without extensive command-line experience. Setup complexity, risk of errors, and time-consuming tasks often make the process frustrating and inefficient. Users typically choose between command-line tools, which offer power and flexibility but require a steep learning curve, or GUI tools, which are easier to use but lack integration with hardware and workflows. Imagine a solution that combines both... Enter Houston UI: a powerful storage administration system that blends the simplicity of a graphical interface with the control of command-line operations. Fully integrated with 45Drives servers, it lets you monitor and manage your storage through one intuitive dashboard—making storage management easy and efficient.

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SnapShield: The Last Line of Defense Against Ransomware

For organizations with mission-critical data, ransomware attacks can be devastating, threatening your operations and bringing them to a screeching halt. To protect against these attacks, organizations often implement 'status quo' security measures such as firewalls, endpoint protection, network monitoring, and backups. While these tools protect against many forms of ransomware, they do not make you immune to attacks. Once ransomware slips past these defenses, the damage can rapidly escalate. SnapShield enhances protection by adding an extra layer of security beyond the status quo. Utilizing real-time behavioral analysis, it functions as a "ransomware-activated fuse". If it detects ransomware, SnapShield will sever the connection between the infected client and the storage server, like a fuse, while other clients continue to work as normal. This proactive defense helps contain ransomware threats, preventing their spread and reducing downtime.

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SnapShield: The Last Line of Defense Against Ransomware

The Industry's Best Support

45Drives is your single point of accountability for open-source solutions, proudly supported from both the United States and Canada. Our North American-based team provides end-to-end expertise in hardware, software, networking, and application interfaces. We offer a wide range of support packages—from basic hardware troubleshooting to fully managed, white-glove service with 24/7 emergency response. Whether you're in the planning phase, deep into deployment, or maintaining operations long term, our dual-country support presence ensures your success every step of the way.

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45Drives Compliances

45Drives provides quality, security, and accessibility by ensuring compliance with key standards: TAA, NDAA, DISA STIG, Section 508, ISO 9001, and CMMC 2.0 Level 2. With these certifications, we meet international trade agreements, national security measures, stringent cybersecurity guidelines, and high-quality management standards.

TAA

Trade Agreements Act

Compliant

NDAA

National Defense Authorization Act

Compliant

DISA STIG

Defense Information Systems Agency STIG

Compliant

Section 508

Section 508 Accessibility

Compliant

ISO 9001

ISO 9001 Quality Management

Compliant

CMMC 2.0 Level 2

Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification

Compliant

Why Compliance Matters

These compliance standards ensure that our products meet the highest levels of security, quality, and accessibility required by government agencies and enterprise organizations. Our commitment to these standards demonstrates our dedication to providing reliable, secure, and accessible storage and virtualization solutions.