Some users have to manage such a huge volume of data that sending it over the internet simply isn't an option. However, transporting hard drives safely is a much more complex task than we imagine. The folks at Western Digital seem to have recognized this problem and offer the market a very particular solution: WD Ultrastar Transporter, a portable 2U NAS that can store up to 368 terabytes of information on NVMe drives, backed by a 12-core Intel Xeon processor and 128 GB of RAM.
The famous "first photo" of the black hole at the center of galaxy M87 demanded so much data (approximately 5 petabytes) that those responsible had to use almost half a ton of hard drives for storage and transport. In other words, no network can transfer that information in a reasonable time, but Western Digital offers its customers a new solution so that moving it doesn't become such a headache. It's the Ultrastar Transporter, a portable NAS with 368 terabytes of capacity.
WD Ultrastar Transporter: 368 TB to Store Whatever You Want
Official information tells us about a NAS with a rackable 2U form factor, 368 TB of Enterprise-class solid-state storage, two 2 TB NVMe SN740 drives configured in RAID1 and assigned a boot role, a Intel Xeon 4310 (12C/24T) at 2.1 GHz, 128 GB of registered DDR4 RAM, an 80 Plus Titanium 1,300-watt power supply, dual QSFP112 ports at 200 gigabits, two 10-gigabit ports, seven PCI Express 4.0 slots (4 x16 and 3 x8), TPM 2.0, two USB 3.0 ports, a serial port, and VGA output.
All this in less than 15 kilograms, and it includes a wheeled case to simplify transport. Western Digital also mentions the Ultrastar Transporter's compliance with the US Trade Agreement Act (TAA), which allows the product to be commercialized through specific government channels. A rather subtle way of suggesting it's not a product intended for the end user (in fact, there's not even an official price on its page).
Personally, I'd like to add that the three-year warranty raises some doubts (it would have to be double for an enterprise product), but the Ultrastar Transporter remains interesting because it sets a certain "starting point" for high-capacity solid-state storage.
Official site: Click here
