# Simplyblock — Full Content Index

> Simplyblock is an enterprise-grade, software-defined distributed block storage platform for Kubernetes, private cloud, and hybrid environments. It delivers NVMe performance over standard networks using NVMe/TCP and NVMe/RoCEv2, with performance-optimized erasure coding, thin provisioning, multi-tenancy, and 24/7 enterprise support. Founded in Germany in 2022, in production with enterprises including chess.com and Grupa WP.

## Products

- [Simplyblock Platform Overview](https://simplyblock.io/): Enterprise distributed block storage built on SPDK with NVMe/TCP and NVMe/RoCEv2 transport. Delivers thin provisioning, performance-optimized erasure coding (up to 80% usable capacity), multi-tenancy, QoS, instant copy-on-write snapshots and clones. Supports hyper-converged, disaggregated, and hybrid deployment models. Runs on standard commodity servers and on DPU hardware for offloaded storage networking. Benchmark: 4x Ceph performance with 25% of the hardware.
- [Pricing](https://simplyblock.io/pricing/): Enterprise pricing with a free self-operated tier, a managed BYOC option, and fully custom Enterprise agreements with dedicated SLAs and 24/7 support. Contact sales for current pricing.
- [Persistent Storage for Kubernetes](https://simplyblock.io/solutions/persistent-storage-for-kubernetes/): MAUS (Modular, Adaptive, Unified, Shared-Everything) architecture using NVMe over Fabrics. Supports dynamic provisioning, multi-tenancy, QoS, snapshots, clones, and volume expansion via native Kubernetes APIs. Deployable as hyper-converged, disaggregated, or hybrid across bare metal and virtualized environments. Includes self-optimizing engine and zero-downtime cluster upgrades.
- [Block Storage](https://simplyblock.io/block-storage/): NVMe-optimized shared block storage with costs up to 5x lower per TB than traditional SAN, linear performance scaling as capacity increases, and multi-tenancy support for Kubernetes, private cloud, and edge deployments.
- [Kubernetes Storage](https://simplyblock.io/kubernetes-storage/): Architecture-focused resource for Kubernetes platform teams. CSI-native persistent storage, NVMe/TCP and NVMe/RoCEv2 performance, snapshots and clones, flexible deployment models across OpenShift, Rancher, Talos, vanilla Kubernetes, and KubeVirt.
- [Hybrid Cloud Storage](https://simplyblock.io/hybrid-storage/): Unified software-defined storage across on-premises, private cloud, and public cloud environments. Supports VMware, OpenStack, and bare metal with linear scalability and a single management plane.
- [Simplyblock + Talos Bundle](https://simplyblock.io/solutions/simplyblock-talos-virtualization-bundle/): Joint platform combining Talos Linux (immutable, API-driven Kubernetes) with simplyblock's NVMe/TCP persistent storage. Targets platform teams, service providers, and enterprises needing secure Kubernetes infrastructure with stateful workload support and reduced operational complexity.
- [Simplyblock + Rancher Bundle](https://simplyblock.io/solutions/simplyblock-rancher-virtualization-bundle/): Managed Kubernetes platform combining Rancher by SUSE multi-cluster operations with simplyblock persistent storage. Targets platform engineering teams and service providers needing production-ready stateful workloads, databases, and backup workflows across multiple Kubernetes clusters.
- [Vela — Serverless Postgres](https://vela.run/): Serverless PostgreSQL platform built on simplyblock storage. Provides instant database branching, fully isolated development and staging environments, and a cloud-like developer experience on private infrastructure. Extends simplyblock's copy-on-write storage primitives to the database layer.
- [Blockchain Infrastructure](https://simplyblock.io/blockchain-infrastructure/): Storage solutions for blockchain node infrastructure with high-throughput, low-latency block storage.

## Use Cases

- [Use Cases Overview](https://simplyblock.io/use-cases/): Twenty+ documented use cases spanning Kubernetes database storage, disaster recovery, DBaaS, VMware migration, cloud cost optimization, and software-defined storage.
- [NVMe/TCP and NVMe/RoCEv2 Storage](https://simplyblock.io/use-cases/nvme-over-tcp-storage/): NVMe over Fabrics on commodity Ethernet (TCP) or RDMA (RoCEv2) networks delivering local-storage-like performance. Covers storage pool scalability across data centers, multipathing for failover, and compatibility with major Linux distributions and Windows Server 2025.
- [Cloud Cost Optimization via Storage Tiering](https://simplyblock.io/use-cases/cloud-cost-optimization-aws-storage-tiering/): Intelligent multi-tier auto-tiering across local NVMe, block storage pools, and object storage. Policy-based tiering engine monitors access patterns and moves data automatically without application changes.
- [Database Performance Optimization](https://simplyblock.io/use-cases/database-performance-optimization/): Storage orchestration for database workloads using NVMe over TCP and advanced erasure coding. Claims 10x improvement in query response times and up to 75% cost reduction versus traditional setups. ClickBench: PostgreSQL queries up to 18x faster, DuckDB cold queries 27x faster.
- [Database as a Service (DBaaS)](https://simplyblock.io/use-cases/databases-as-a-service/): Storage solution for DBaaS providers covering cost reduction via storage tiering and thin provisioning, per-volume encryption, NVMe/TCP performance, Kubernetes integration, and disaster recovery with snapshot capabilities.
- [Database Branching](https://simplyblock.io/use-cases/database-branching/): Instant snapshots and copy-on-write clones for isolated CI/CD environments, serverless-like agility, and faster time-to-market with minimal storage overhead.
- [Disaggregated Storage](https://simplyblock.io/use-cases/disaggregated-storage/): Separates compute and storage for independent scalability using NVMe over Fabrics with SPDK. CSI drivers, improved throughput, and cost optimization through thin provisioning and elastic scaling.
- [Fast Backups and Disaster Recovery](https://simplyblock.io/use-cases/fast-backups-and-disaster-recovery/): Instant copy-on-write snapshots, asynchronous cluster replication across availability zones, and live changelog of write operations in object storage. Near-zero RTO/RPO with lower backup costs through data deduplication.
- [Database on Kubernetes](https://simplyblock.io/use-cases/database-on-kubernetes/): Thin provisioning, automatic tiering, instant cloning, disaster recovery, multi-tenancy, and CSI driver integration for databases on Kubernetes including PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MongoDB.
- [Hyper-Converged Kubernetes Storage](https://simplyblock.io/use-cases/hyperconverged-kubernetes-storage/): NVMe-native hyper-converged storage with CSI integration, distributed erasure coding, and sub-millisecond latency. Eliminates external SAN dependencies. Deployable via Helm chart.
- [Kubernetes Persistent Volume Backups](https://simplyblock.io/use-cases/kubernetes-backup/): Instant snapshots and clones, NVMe/TCP and NVMe/RoCEv2 protocol support, per-volume encryption, erasure coding, and CSI driver integration for Kubernetes backup workflows.
- [Optimizing Kubernetes Costs](https://simplyblock.io/use-cases/optimizing-kubernetes-costs/): Storage cost management through thin provisioning, resource pooling, NVMe over TCP, automatic tiering, and multi-tenancy support for Kubernetes environments.
- [KubeVirt Storage](https://simplyblock.io/use-cases/kubevirt-storage/): High-performance block storage for KubeVirt VMs with access latency as low as 150 microseconds, built-in multi-tenancy and QoS, and up to 90% cost reduction versus traditional storage. Supports lift-and-shift from VMware and hybrid container-VM workloads.
- [Multi-AZ Disaster Recovery](https://simplyblock.io/use-cases/multi-availability-zone-disaster-recovery/): Near-zero RPO through continuous WAL streaming to object storage. Consistent multi-system recovery, cost optimization via storage tiering, and support for enterprise databases and compliance-heavy industries.
- [Storage for Proxmox](https://simplyblock.io/use-cases/proxmox-storage/): NVMe/TCP distributed storage for Proxmox VE with up to 50x more IOPS per CPU core versus Ceph, cost reduction through erasure coding, and no kernel modules required.
- [RPO and RTO Reduction](https://simplyblock.io/use-cases/reduction-of-rpo-rto/): Near-zero RPO measured in milliseconds via asynchronous WAL replication combined with erasure coding and Kubernetes integration.
- [Simplification of Data Management](https://simplyblock.io/use-cases/simplification-of-data-management/): Unified storage orchestration consolidating diverse storage tiers with thin provisioning, snapshot capabilities, disaster recovery, and cost optimization for databases and DevOps workflows on Kubernetes.
- [Software-Defined Storage](https://simplyblock.io/use-cases/software-defined-storage/): Separates storage hardware from management software for improved flexibility and scalability. Granular QoS, dynamic provisioning, and Kubernetes integration in hyper-converged, disaggregated, or hybrid architectures.
- [VMware Migration to Kubernetes](https://simplyblock.io/use-cases/vmware-migration-kubernetes/): Phased workload migration from VMware to OpenShift, Rancher, Talos, or vanilla Kubernetes. Four-layer architecture (Kubernetes, orchestration layer, KubeVirt, simplyblock storage) with NVMe/TCP for persistent VM and stateful application data.

## Supported Environments

- [Kubernetes Storage](https://simplyblock.io/supported-environments/kubernetes-storage/): CSI integration, NVMe over TCP, dynamic provisioning, and storage tiering for demanding Kubernetes workloads including databases and AI/ML pipelines.
- [Red Hat® OpenShift® Storage](https://simplyblock.io/supported-environments/openshift/): Software-defined block storage for OpenShift with low-latency NVMe/TCP and NVMe/RoCEv2, erasure coding, CSI integration, multi-cluster management, and hyper-converged or disaggregated deployment. Targets enterprise stateful applications and databases.
- [Rancher Storage](https://simplyblock.io/supported-environments/rancher-by-suse/): NVMe/TCP persistent storage for Rancher by SUSE using MAUS architecture. Erasure coding for data redundancy, multi-cluster management through centralized Rancher interface, and improved resilience for stateful Kubernetes workloads.
- [Talos Storage](https://simplyblock.io/supported-environments/talos/): Persistent NVMe/TCP storage for Talos Linux immutable Kubernetes clusters. Externalized security design, zone-aware erasure coding, and GitOps-compatible CSI deployment without compromising Talos's declarative operational model.

## Alternatives

- [Alternatives Overview](https://simplyblock.io/alternatives/): Comparison pages positioning simplyblock against competing storage solutions.
- [Alternative to Longhorn](https://simplyblock.io/alternatives/alternative-to-longhorn/): Comparison with Rancher Longhorn for Kubernetes persistent storage.
- [Alternative to Linbit/DRBD](https://simplyblock.io/alternatives/alternative-to-linbit/): Comparison with LINBIT DRBD for high-availability block storage.
- [Alternative to ZFS](https://simplyblock.io/alternatives/alternative-to-zfs/): Comparison with ZFS for software-defined storage.
- [MinIO Alternative](https://simplyblock.io/alternatives/minio-alternative/): Comparison with MinIO for object/block storage use cases.
- [OpenEBS Alternative](https://simplyblock.io/alternatives/openebs-alternative/): Comparison with OpenEBS for Kubernetes storage.
- [vSAN Alternative](https://simplyblock.io/alternatives/vsan-alternative/): Comparison with VMware vSAN for hyper-converged storage.

## Documentation

- [Documentation Home](https://docs.simplyblock.io/latest/): Platform documentation with sections covering architecture overview, system requirements, deployment on Kubernetes and bare metal, CLI reference, API reference, CSI driver integration, operations and maintenance, tutorials, and release notes.

## Blog — Featured Posts

- [How to Design a Kubernetes StorageClass for PostgreSQL Performance](https://simplyblock.io/blog/kubernetes-storage-classes-for-postgresql-performance/): StorageClass parameters for PostgreSQL: binding modes, online volume expansion, SSD/NVMe-backed block storage, replication strategies, and avoiding common configuration mistakes.
- [Point-in-Time Recovery for PostgreSQL on Kubernetes](https://simplyblock.io/blog/point-in-time-recovery-for-postgresql-on-kubernetes/): PITR requires base backups plus continuous WAL archiving. Covers four building blocks and Kubernetes-specific challenges.
- [What It Really Takes to Replace Ceph in Enterprise Environments](https://simplyblock.io/blog/replace-ceph-enterprise-environments/): Identifies operational complexity and performance inconsistency as Ceph replacement triggers. Phased workload-based migration strategies.
- [SPDK Storage on Kubernetes: Performance vs CPU Efficiency](https://simplyblock.io/blog/spdk-storage-kubernetes-performance-vs-cpu-efficiency/): SPDK adoption tradeoffs — high IO workloads benefit while baseline CPU increases through polling. Benchmarking latency percentiles and CPU efficiency.
- [DPUs for Storage: What They Are, and Why They Matter](https://simplyblock.io/blog/dpu-for-storage/): DPUs as specialized processors offloading networking, storage, and security from host CPUs. Covers reduced CPU contention, tail latency stability, multi-tenant NVMe/TCP benefits, and SPDK integration.
- [Kubernetes Storage: Disaggregated or Hyper-Converged?](https://simplyblock.io/blog/kubernetes-storage-disaggregated-or-hyperconverged/): Compares hyper-converged versus disaggregated Kubernetes storage. simplyblock supports both models via NVMe/TCP and NVMe/RoCEv2.
- [NVMe/TCP vs NVMe/RoCE](https://simplyblock.io/blog/nvme-tcp-vs-nvme-roce/): NVMe/RoCEv2 delivers ultra-low latency (100–150 microseconds) for AI/financial workloads; NVMe/TCP offers broader compatibility for Kubernetes. Both can run simultaneously.
- [Simplyblock vs Ceph: 40x Performance](https://simplyblock.io/blog/simplyblock-versus-ceph-40x-performance/): Benchmark on 12-host cluster with 64 NVMe drives. Over 4 million IOPS at 16K block size versus Ceph's 1 million — 4x performance with 25% of the hardware.
- [Simplyblock ClickBench Benchmark](https://simplyblock.io/blog/simplyblock-clickbench-benchmark/): NVMe/TCP versus block storage using ClickBench on PostgreSQL and DuckDB. Results: up to 200% performance improvement, PostgreSQL queries up to 18x faster, DuckDB cold queries 27x faster.
- [NVMe over TCP vs iSCSI](https://simplyblock.io/blog/nvme-over-tcp-vs-iscsi/): NVMe/TCP outperforms iSCSI: 35% higher IOPS, 25% lower latency, 20% increased throughput on identical infrastructure.
- [How We Build Our Distributed Data Placement Algorithm](https://simplyblock.io/blog/how-we-build-our-distributed-data-placement-storage-algorithm/): Three-level I/O processing pipeline, metadata journaling, erasure coding with 1.33 raw-to-effective ratios, topology-aware replication, and zero-downtime scalability.
- [Cloud Exit Economics](https://simplyblock.io/blog/cloud-exit-economics/): Cloud repatriation economics for AI workloads — significant cost savings moving to private cloud at scale.
- [PostgreSQL on Kubernetes](https://simplyblock.io/blog/postgresql-on-kubernetes/): Deploying PostgreSQL on Kubernetes using CloudNativePG. Compares seven PostgreSQL operators, primary-replica architecture, automatic failover, and backup with S3 and Barman.
- [Kubernetes Persistent Volumes: How-To and Best Practices](https://simplyblock.io/blog/kubernetes-persistent-volumes-how-to-best-practices/): PV/PVC lifecycle, static/dynamic provisioning, StorageClasses, encryption, reclaim policies, and CSI driver selection.

## Glossary

- [NVMe over TCP (NVMe/TCP)](https://simplyblock.io/glossary/what-is-nvme-over-tcp/): Protocol, architecture, use cases, and comparison with iSCSI and NVMe/RDMA.
- [NVMe-oF (NVMe over Fabrics)](https://simplyblock.io/glossary/what-is-nvme-of/): NVMe-oF standard, transport types (TCP, RDMA, FC), and Kubernetes integration.
- [SPDK (Storage Performance Development Kit)](https://simplyblock.io/glossary/spdk/): Poll-mode drivers, user-space architecture, and relevance to NVMe storage performance.
- [Erasure Coding](https://simplyblock.io/glossary/what-is-erasure-coding/): Theory, overhead analysis, rebuild performance, and comparison with replication.
- [Thin Provisioning](https://simplyblock.io/glossary/what-is-thin-provisioning/): Block storage thin provisioning, benefits in Kubernetes environments, and overprovisioning reduction.
- [Container Storage Interface (CSI)](https://simplyblock.io/glossary/what-is-container-storage-interface/): CSI standard, driver architecture, controller and node plugins, and Kubernetes integration.
- [Software-Defined Storage (SDS)](https://simplyblock.io/glossary/software-defined-storage/): SDS versus hardware-defined storage and benefits for cloud-native deployments.
- [MAUS Architecture](https://simplyblock.io/glossary/what-is-maus-architecture/): simplyblock's Modular, Adaptive, Unified, Shared-Everything storage architecture.
- [Erasure Coding vs Replication](https://simplyblock.io/glossary/erasure-coding-vs-replication/): Storage efficiency and performance tradeoffs for data protection.
- [Database Branching](https://simplyblock.io/glossary/database-branching/): Database branching using storage-level clones for isolated development and testing.
- [StorageClass](https://simplyblock.io/glossary/storageclass/): Kubernetes StorageClass parameters, dynamic provisioning, and binding modes.

## Resources

- [Blog](https://simplyblock.io/blog/): Technical articles on Kubernetes storage, NVMe-oF, PostgreSQL on Kubernetes, private cloud storage, and infrastructure engineering.
- [Glossary](https://simplyblock.io/glossary/): 364 reference definitions covering NVMe-oF, Kubernetes storage, CSI drivers, SPDK, erasure coding, database storage patterns, and related infrastructure concepts.
- [Partners](https://simplyblock.io/partners/): Technology partners including AWS, Google Cloud, Equinix, Xata, DBTune, ReadySet, Glasskube, and Codesphere.
- [Newsroom](https://simplyblock.io/newsroom/): Press coverage from StorageNewsletter, IT Press Tour, Business Insider, LeMagIT, Dutch IT Channel, and others.

## Company

- [About](https://simplyblock.io/about/): Founded 2022 by Robert Pankow (CEO) and Michael Schmidt (CTO). Headquartered in Germany (Simplyblock GmbH). CNCF Silver Member and Linux Foundation member. Backed by Begin Capital, Cube5, Antler, and 42 Capital. EU BMBF-funded R&D. Team of 22+ engineers, DevOps, QA, and leadership.
- [Careers](https://simplyblock.io/careers/): Open remote positions including C/C++ Engineer (DPDK/SPDK) and Senior Systems Engineer (Python and C++) for distributed storage development.
- [Contact](https://simplyblock.io/contact/): Contact form, Calendly meeting scheduling, and links to product documentation and community support.

## Key Facts

- Founded in 2022 by Robert Pankow (CEO) and Michael Schmidt (CTO)
- Headquartered in Germany (Simplyblock GmbH)
- CNCF Silver Member; Linux Foundation member
- Well-funded: backed by Begin Capital, Cube5, Antler, and 42 Capital; EU BMBF-funded R&D
- In production with enterprise customers including chess.com and Grupa WP
- Supports both NVMe/TCP (commodity Ethernet) and NVMe/RoCEv2 (RDMA) transport protocols
- Can be deployed on DPU hardware for offloaded storage networking and reduced host CPU overhead
- Up to 80% usable raw storage capacity through performance-optimized erasure coding
- 24/7 enterprise support with dedicated Technical Account Manager
- Claimed 99.9999% durability with sub-millisecond latency and up to 500,000 IOPS per volume
- Benchmark: 4x Ceph performance using 25% of the hardware (12-host, 64-NVMe cluster, fio)
- ClickBench: PostgreSQL queries up to 18x faster, DuckDB cold queries 27x faster
- NVMe/TCP outperforms iSCSI: 35% higher IOPS, 25% lower latency, 20% higher throughput
- Technology built on SPDK (Storage Performance Development Kit, originally by Intel)
- Serverless Postgres extension: Vela (https://vela.run)
- Industry: Enterprise cloud-native software-defined storage / Infrastructure software

## Contact

- Website: https://simplyblock.io
- Schedule a meeting: https://calendar.simplyblock.io/rob/simplyblock-demo
- Documentation: https://docs.simplyblock.io/latest/
- Contact form: https://simplyblock.io/contact/