Storage Innovations Revealed: Western Digital Debuts Three AI-Powered Storage Solutions at Computex 2025
Western Digital, a leading player in the data storage industry, has announced several new advancements at Computex 2025. Among the highlights are the expansion of the Open Composable Compatibility Lab (OCCL) and the launch of the OpenFlex Data24 4100 and Ultrastar Data102 3000 ORv3.
Optimizing Supply Chains with OCCL 2.0
The Open Composable Compatibility Lab (OCCL) 2.0 plays a crucial role in optimizing supply chains and streamlining simulation and interoperability. This real-world testbed, located in Colorado Springs, simulates realistic workloads to offer insights into system compatibility, interoperability, energy efficiency, and performance optimization across composable infrastructure stacks.
OCCL 2.0 introduces several new features, including detailed solution architecture guidance for disaggregated storage deployments, best practice recommendations to optimize composable infrastructure, enhanced SSD benchmarking capabilities, and a knowledge-sharing center that promotes insights and collaboration around composable infrastructure technologies.
These features collectively improve the ability of hardware and software vendors to ensure interoperability and optimize performance, which in turn streamlines supply chain decisions and simulation efforts for complex data center and cloud environments.
The OpenFlex Data24 4100: A Cloud-Ready Ethernet-Attached Array
Western Digital also showcased the OpenFlex Data24 4100, an Ethernet-attached array designed for cloud-based environments. This new product does away with dual-port redundancy in favor of single-port SSDs, providing a more streamlined and cost-effective solution for data center and cloud storage needs.
The Ultrastar Data102 3000 ORv3: Power Efficiency, Compatibility, and More
In addition to the OpenFlex Data24 4100, Western Digital released the Ultrastar Data102 ORv3 JBOD. This 102-bay JBOD, built to the Open Rack v3 spec from the Open Compute Project, offers improved power efficiency, airflow, and compatibility for the latest SSDs. The Ultrastar Data102 3000 ORv3 also meets FIPS 140-3 Level 3 and TAA security standards.
Embracing AI and ML for Disaggregated and Software-Defined Storage
Western Digital is fully embracing artificial intelligence and machine learning for disaggregated and software-defined storage and data centers. The company's innovations, including OCCL 2.0, are setting the pace for what modern, disaggregated, and software-defined data centers can achieve.
By qualifying drives across multiple vendors, including DapuStor, KIOXIA, Phison, Sandisk, and ScaleFlux, Western Digital is shifting toward SSD supply-chain flexibility. This allows vendors to avoid being pinned to a single NAND source during periods of shortages and cost increases.
References
[1] Western Digital. (2025). Press Release: Western Digital Unveils Open Composable Compatibility Lab (OCCL) 2.0 to Optimize Supply Chains and Streamline Simulation and Interoperability
[2] Western Digital. (2025). Press Release: Western Digital Showcases Latest Advances in Disaggregated and Software-Defined Storage at Computex 2025
The Open Composable Compatibility Lab (OCCL) 2.0, a technological advancement revealed at Computex 2025, plays a pivotal role in optimizing supply chains and streamlining simulation and interoperability by simulating realistic workloads and offering insights into system compatibility, interoperability, energy efficiency, and performance optimization across composable infrastructure stacks.
Western Digital's OpenFlex Data24 4100, unveiled at Computex 2025, is a cloud-ready Ethernet-attached array designed for cost-effective data center and cloud storage needs, offering a more streamlined solution through single-port SSDs.
