This content was auto-generated from Fusion SMB documentation and is pending SME review. Please verify accuracy before using in partner-facing contexts.
Customer Stories
This page contains a structural outline only. Customer stories, deployment case studies, and success metrics require input from Product Marketing. The framework below provides templates ready to be filled in with real customer data.
Use Case Categories
Fusion SMB is deployed across several primary use case categories. Each section below is a template for a customer story.
Media & Entertainment — High-Throughput Video Workflows
The Challenge: [Describe a customer environment: number of editors, file sizes, existing storage, pain points with previous solution]
The Solution: [How Fusion SMB was deployed: Linux file server replacing Windows/NAS, SMB Multichannel or SMB Direct for throughput, cluster configuration if applicable]
The Results:
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Throughput | ||
| Concurrent editors supported | ||
| Storage cost (annual) |
Enterprise File Serving — Windows-to-Linux Migration
The Challenge: [Describe a customer migrating file services from Windows Server to Linux: motivation (cost, consolidation, standardization), scale of environment]
The Solution: [How Fusion SMB replaced Windows File Server: AD integration, ACL migration, user experience impact]
The Results:
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Server licensing cost (annual) | ||
| File serving performance | ||
| Admin overhead |
IBM Storage Scale (GPFS) Deployment
A real-world IBM Storage Scale deployment demonstrates the consolidation benefit:
| Metric | Before (Samba/CES) | After (Fusion SMB) |
|---|---|---|
| Protocol nodes | 11 | 4 |
| LAN aggregate throughput | 154 GB/s on 22 ports | 160 GB/s on 8 ports |
| Storage-side aggregate throughput | 150 GB/s on 44 ports | 150 GB/s on 16 ports |
| Per-node read throughput | 14 GB/s (with Samba) | 40 GB/s (with Fusion SMB) |
| Storage backend | 2× IBM ESS 3500 (75 GB/s read each) | 2× IBM ESS 3500 (75 GB/s read each) |
Result: 64% fewer protocol nodes, less than half the LAN ports, less than half the storage-side ports — same aggregate throughput. That's a dramatic reduction in heat, power, switch ports, maintenance, and operational expense.
IBM Scale customer example is from Aaron Kennedy's IBM UG presentation (April 2026) and the Fusion SMB Battlecard. Confirm if customer name can be disclosed or if this should remain anonymized.
NAS / Storage Appliance OEM
The Challenge: [Describe a NAS vendor needing high-performance SMB: embedded requirements, footprint constraints, competitive pressure from other appliance vendors]
The Solution: [How Fusion SMB was embedded: small footprint, integration with vendor's Linux OS, support model]
The Results:
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| SMB performance vs. previous implementation | ||
| Time to market | ||
| Customer satisfaction |
High-Performance Computing / Research
The Challenge: [Describe a research or HPC environment: large data sets, many concurrent users, need for shared storage with high bandwidth]
The Solution: [How Fusion SMB was deployed: scale-out cluster, RDMA/SMB Direct, integration with parallel file systems (GlusterFS, Lustre, GPFS)]
The Results:
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Data throughput | ||
| Job completion time | ||
| Cost vs. proprietary solution |
Data in Science Technologies (DST) — IBM Storage Scale + Custom VFS
DST runs research workloads — including super-resolution microscopes — that demand both high throughput from instruments and broad client compatibility.
The Challenge:
- Research lab with super-resolution microscopes generating large files via SMB RDMA
- Heterogeneous user base (Windows and Mac) needing access from desktops
- AI/ML machine in the data center also consuming the same storage via SMB RDMA
- Backend storage on IBM Storage Scale (GPFS)
The Solution:
- Fusion SMB active-active scale-out cluster fronting IBM Storage Scale
- Custom VFS module developed by Tuxera for IBM GPFS integration
- Access-Based Enumeration (ABE) added at customer request
- Mix of RDMA (lab + AI/ML) and TCP (Windows/Mac users) on the same cluster
- Reduced from 8 Samba nodes to 6 Fusion SMB nodes serving the same workload
Customer Quote:
"Tuxera Fusion SMB represents the next generation of data infrastructure for high-performance computing environments. Its enterprise-grade clustering and seamless IBM Storage Scale integration have enabled our research institution clients to focus entirely on scientific discovery rather than wrestling with technology limitations."
— Andrew E. Gauzza III, CEO, Data in Science Technologies, Inc.
Why It Matters for Sales:
This is the kind of deployment Fusion handles uniquely well — heterogeneous clients, mixed transport (RDMA + TCP), parallel file system backend, and a willingness from Tuxera to develop a custom VFS module and add features (ABE) on customer request. Samba and Windows Server can't match either the technical envelope or the customization model.
DST quote and configuration details are sourced from the Fusion SMB Battlecard. Confirm publication-readiness and customer NDA status before quoting in partner-facing materials.
Clustered / High-Availability Deployment
The Challenge: [Describe a customer requiring zero downtime: regulated industry, 24/7 operations, previous outage history]
The Solution: [How Fusion SMB active-active or active-passive clustering was deployed: Corosync/Pacemaker integration, persistent handles, automatic failover]
The Results:
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Planned downtime (annual) | ||
| Unplanned outage recovery time | ||
| Data availability SLA |
How to Contribute a Customer Story
If you have a customer deployment worth featuring:
- Use one of the templates above as a starting point
- Anonymize the customer name if NDA requires it (use industry + region, e.g., "European media company")
- Include quantitative results wherever possible — numbers sell
- Submit as a PR to this repository or send to [PMM owner TBD]
PMM — Please provide at least 2-3 customer stories from real deployments. Anonymized versions are fine. Quantitative results (throughput improvements, cost savings, uptime improvements) are especially valuable for partner enablement. Contact: [PMM owner TBD]