By Vincent Hsu, Vice President, IBM Fellow, CTO, IBM Storage and Sandeep Patil, Distinguished Engineer, CTO – ISDL (Storage), IBM India
The AI revolution has propelled enterprises into an era where data is not just an asset, but a strategic differentiator. Whether it’s AI-driven fraud detection in banking or predictive maintenance in manufacturing, enterprises rely on massive datasets to power their operations. This explosion of data brings a parallel challenge—how do enterprises efficiently store, manage, and scale their data infrastructure?
Enter open-source software-defined storage (SDS), with Ceph leading the charge. Flexible, scalable, and cost-effective—it ticks all the boxes. But here’s the critical question:
- Should you go the open-source route and manage it yourself?
- Or is it better to opt for enterprise support and let the experts handle it?
Before we dive in, let’s set the stage with a reality check. The Linux Foundation’s study, “Measuring the Economic Value of Open Source,” reveals the top reasons that drive open-source adoption:
- Cost savings
- Faster development speed
- Open standards and interoperability
Nearly two-thirds of organisations say the benefits outweigh the costs, with half noting an improving cost-benefit ratio over the past five years. The takeaway? Open-source software not only reduces costs but accelerates innovation and integrates seamlessly within IT ecosystems.
Ceph embodies these advantages, offering a unified storage platform that supports block, file, and object storage—allowing applications to consume storage in the format that best fits their needs.
Why Ceph? Understanding the Technology Behind Open-Source SDS
Ceph, an open-source distributed SDS, was built for scalability and fault tolerance. It’s designed to run on industry-standard hardware and meets the needs of modern, data-driven enterprises:
- Block Storage – Ideal for databases, virtual machines, and performance-sensitive applications that need block protocol interfaces
- File Storage – Suited for traditional file based applications, content management systems, and shared storage environments that require file protocol interfaces
- Object Storage – Perfect for huge AI data store, analytics, and cloud-native applications that need scalable, resilient storage with REST interfaces
This flexibility means enterprises can standardise on a single SDS solution, avoiding multiple storage systems for different workloads.
Beyond its technical prowess, Ceph’s open-source foundation ensures transparency, rapid innovation, and community-driven enhancements—but not all organisations have the in-house expertise or resources to manage it effectively. This brings us to a critical decision point: community vs. enterprise support.
Open-Source SDS: A DIY Approach with Big Payoffs
Open-source SDS solutions, like Ceph, have earned their stripes in the world of scalable, modern storage. They offer:
- Freedom from vendor lock-in – No more being tied to proprietary hardware. You call the shots on what infrastructure works best.
- Multi-protocol support – Whether your applications need block, file, or object storage, Ceph plays well with all three—ensuring data flows the way your workloads demand.
- Scale without limits – Data growth keeping you up at night? Ceph’s horizontal scaling ensures you’re future-proof.
- A thriving community – Open-source projects thrive on innovation, and Ceph is no exception. You’re not alone—you’ve got a global network of contributors driving continuous improvement.
Sounds ideal, right? But there’s more to consider before diving in.
When Open-Source SDS Works Like a Charm
Open-source SDS isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s a powerful tool but it works best in specific scenarios:
- You Want Full Control Over Your Infrastructure
If your organisation prioritises hardware independence and deployment flexibility, open-source SDS gives you the keys to the kingdom. Whether you’re optimising for cost, performance, or specific compliance needs, you make the rules.
- Cost Savings Matter—And You Have the Right Team
If budget constraints are a concern and you have an experienced IT team ready to roll up their sleeves, open-source SDS can be a financial game-changer. But keep in mind—it’s not just about cutting licensing costs; you’ll need skilled site reliability engineers (SREs) who understand distributed storage inside and out – which most of the time can be a challenge.
- Your Workloads Are Diverse and Growing Fast
If your AI, analytics, or cloud applications require a unified storage platform that can handle different data types (block, file, and object) seamlessly, Ceph is designed to adapt and scale.
- You Want Transparency and Community-Driven Innovation
If visibility into your storage architecture is critical, open-source SDS gives you full access to the code—no black boxes or hidden surprises. Plus, with a vibrant developer community, new features and security patches come fast.
However, even the best open-source solutions have their limits. That’s where enterprise support comes in.
When Enterprise Open-source SDS Becomes a No-Brainer
While open-source Ceph is powerful, not every organisation has the resources or expertise to manage it at scale. This is where enterprise SDS shines, ensuring that organisations can leverage it without the operational risks. Here’s when enterprise SDS becomes the smarter investment:
- Your Workloads Are Mission-Critical
If you’re running business-critical like those in finance or healthcare, where downtime costs millions, you need more than just community support—you need guarantees. enterprise-supported SDS offers guarantees, 24/7 support, and tools to meet strict Service Level Agreements (SLAs). Enterprise SDS also offer value addition via key unique functionalities along with their SDS offerings (like observability and AIOps capabilities) that are required for enterprises, which are not available in open source.
- Your IT Team Has Enough on Its Plate
Ceph is robust but complex. Not every organisation has SREs who are storage experts—and that’s okay. Managing large-scale SDS deployments isn’t for the faint of heart. If your team lacks deep expertise in distributed storage, an enterprise-supported SDS can provide automation, guided deployments, and ongoing management tools.
- You Have Regulatory and Compliance Requirements
Industries like finance, telecom, and healthcare operate in highly regulated environments. If audits and compliance certifications are part of your world, enterprise-supported SDS solutions come with pre-validated security features and compliance frameworks.
- You Want Predictable, Long-Term Support
While open-source communities fuel innovation, they don’t offer guaranteed stability. If long-term roadmaps, security updates, and dedicated support matter to your business, enterprise SDS is the way to go.
So, What’s the Right Choice?
Open-source SDS is no longer just an alternative to proprietary storage; it’s a strategic enabler for enterprises navigating AI, cloud, and digital transformation. Ceph’s scalability, adaptability, and ability to handle diverse workloads make it a top choice for modern IT environments.
The decision isn’t about open-source vs. enterprise support; it’s about what fits your business best:
- If your team is technically savvy, values flexibility and the business is willing to invest in hiring deep skills for storage management, open-source SDS might be the way to go.
- If reliability, compliance, expert support are your top priorities, and you are running mission critical/enterprise level workloads then enterprise-backed open-source SDS is the smart choice.
The good news? Ceph offers you both options—the power of open-source with the flexibility to scale into enterprise-grade support when needed.
The AI era is redefining how enterprises manage data. The question isn’t whether open-source SDS is the future—it’s how your organisation will harness it.
So, where do you stand?