FAQ: 45Drives and LINBIT Partnership for High-Availability Open Storage Solutions

What is the main purpose of the partnership between 45Drives and LINBIT?

The partnership aims to deliver fully integrated, high-availability server solutions by combining 45Drives’ open hardware and support model with LINBIT’s software-defined storage stack for demanding environments.

Why is this partnership significant for businesses and organizations?

It brings highly available clustered storage to more users without the traditional cost and complexity barriers of closed, proprietary systems, offering freedom from vendor lock-in and complete transparency.

What specific technologies from LINBIT are being integrated into 45Drives’ solutions?

The partnership integrates LINBIT’s DRBD for real-time block-level replication between nodes and LINSTOR for automated storage provisioning in clustered environments, supporting bare metal, virtual machines, and Kubernetes-native deployments.

Who are the key leaders involved in this partnership?

Dr. Doug Milburn, President of 45Drives, and Philipp Reisner, CEO of LINBIT (who originally developed DRBD as his master’s thesis in 1999), are the key leaders driving this collaboration.

What are the main benefits that customers will receive from this partnership?

Customers gain access to high-availability clustered storage architectures, certified integration of LINBIT software with 45Drives hardware, resilient data protection through synchronous replication, scalable deployments across various environments, and freedom from vendor lock-in.

When was this partnership announced?

The partnership was announced on August 25, 2025, as indicated in the press release content.

What types of deployment environments are supported by these integrated solutions?

The solutions support bare metal, virtualized, and containerized environments, including Kubernetes-native deployments, providing flexibility for various infrastructure needs.

How does this partnership align with the companies’ broader missions?

It aligns with both companies’ commitment to making open hardware, open software, and open thinking the foundation of modern enterprise IT, offering an alternative to closed systems that prioritize margin over transparency.

What kind of support does LINBIT provide to its customers?

LINBIT provides global customers with 24x7x365 support and a 1-hour emergency SLA, ensuring reliable assistance for production-grade deployments.