45Drives and LINBIT Partner to Deliver Enterprise-Ready Open Storage Solutions

45Drives, the open-source storage leader, has announced a strategic partnership with LINBIT, creators of DRBD and LINSTOR, to deliver fully integrated high-availability server solutions for demanding enterprise environments. This collaboration merges 45Drives' open hardware and support model with LINBIT's software-defined storage stack, making clustered storage accessible to more businesses without traditional cost and complexity barriers.

The partnership brings LINBIT's cutting-edge technologies, particularly DRBD and LINSTOR, into 45Drives' hardware ecosystem. DRBD enables real-time block-level replication between nodes, forming the backbone of high-availability clusters, while LINSTOR automates storage provisioning in clustered environments, supporting bare metal, virtual machines, and Kubernetes-native deployments. This integration provides organizations with turnkey access to certified solutions backed by expert support from both companies.

Dr. Doug Milburn, President of 45Drives, emphasized the shared mission of both companies, stating that enterprise storage should be open, understandable, and built for long-term reliability. LINBIT, founded by Philipp Reisner who began DRBD development as his master's thesis in 1999, has grown into one of the most trusted names in Linux-based storage with over 40 million downloads worldwide. The company's software is deployed by organizations ranging from small businesses to global giants like Apple, IBM, and Amazon.

For customers, this partnership means access to resilient data protection through synchronous replication and failover capabilities, scalable deployments across various environments, and freedom from vendor lock-in with complete transparency into every layer of the storage stack. The collaboration represents a significant shift toward open infrastructure in enterprise IT, challenging the dominance of closed proprietary systems that prioritize margins over transparency.

The partnership aligns with 45Drives' broader mission to make open hardware, open software, and open thinking the foundation of modern enterprise infrastructure. Organizations can achieve complete control of their infrastructure, long-term cost predictability, and access to deep technical expertise without traditional limitations. More information about the companies can be found at https://www.45drives.com and https://www.linbit.com.