Data Management Glossary
Dell PowerScale SmartPools
Dell PowerScale SmartPools is the name of the feature of Dell EMC network attached storage (NAS) used for storage tiering.
See Storage Pools and CloudPools.
This technology was originally built for Isilon Tiering to extend Isilon storage to the cloud, optimize storage costs, handle fluctuating workloads and leverage the benefits of cloud storage while maintaining the performance and features of on-premises Isilon storage.
Read: What you need to know before jumping into the cloud pool.
Does Dell PowerScale actually tier data?
Yes. SmartPools moves files between storage tiers automatically based on policy, shifting data between SSD, SAS, and NL-SAS node pools within a PowerScale cluster, and out to object storage through CloudPools. According to IDC, Dell PowerScale is the top external enterprise storage platform by market share, with Dell holding 31.2% of the worldwide external storage market and 40.8% year-over-year growth in Q1 2026.
Because so much enterprise unstructured data sits on PowerScale, how that data gets tiered, and what happens to it during a storage refresh, is a significant cost and AI-readiness decision for IT teams running Dell environments.
The limits of tiering inside OneFS
SmartPools and CloudPools operate inside the Dell OneFS filesystem. Data moved through CloudPools is stored in a proprietary format, and the storage management system references it using stubs rather than open standards. This keeps tiered data tied to Dell hardware. Moving that data elsewhere, replacing the cluster during a storage refresh, or reading it directly from cloud-based AI or analytics tools requires rehydration back through the original array.
How Komprise works with Dell PowerScale
Komprise Intelligent Data Management integrates natively with Dell PowerScale and tiers files across it alongside NetApp, Pure Storage (Everpure), Qumulo, and other NAS and cloud NAS environments, all from one policy engine. The Global Metadatabase indexes files across the entire multi-vendor estate, not just one array, so cold data is identified everywhere it lives, not only within a single Dell cluster.
Komprise moves eligible files using Transparent Move Technology, which relies on industry-standard symbolic links, but goes further with Dynamic Links, instead of proprietary stubs. Files stay in their native format and remain directly accessible after the move, with no rehydration penalty, whether that move is to lower-cost storage, the cloud, or a different vendor entirely during a hardware refresh.
Memflation makes cross-vendor tiering more urgent
Gartner is calling the current memory price surge Memflation, with NAND flash prices forecast to rise 234% in 2026 driven by AI data center demand, and no meaningful relief expected until late 2027.
Source: Gartner, “Gartner Forecasts Worldwide Semiconductor Revenue to Exceed $1.3 Trillion in 2026,” April 8, 2026
For organizations running PowerScale with flash node pools, this means the cost of keeping cold data on primary storage is rising fast. Komprise research shows 60-70% of enterprise NAS data has not been accessed in over 90 days, yet often sits on the same expensive flash tier as active data.
Tiering within a single Dell cluster addresses part of this. Identifying and moving cold data off flash entirely, across every vendor in the environment, addresses the rest.
| Evaluation Criteria | Dell PowerScale SmartPools Alone | With Komprise |
|---|---|---|
| Tiering scope | Tiers within a single PowerScale cluster, between internal node pools or out to CloudPools | Tiers across PowerScale, NetApp, Pure, Qumulo, and other NAS and cloud NAS in one policy |
| Placeholder mechanism | Proprietary references tied to the OneFS filesystem | Industry-standard symbolic links (Dynamic Links) through Transparent Move Technology, no stubs |
| Data visibility | Limited to the PowerScale cluster being managed | Global Metadatabase indexes files across the full multi-vendor storage estate |
| Path off Dell hardware during a refresh | Requires full rehydration back to primary storage | Files move transparently, with no rehydration penalty |
| Response to rising flash costs (Memflation) | Moves cold data between tiers inside the Dell environment only | Moves cold data off flash entirely, to the lowest-cost tier or cloud, across every vendor in the estate |
Dell PowerScale SmartPools FAQs
Does Dell PowerScale tier data automatically?
Yes. Dell PowerScale uses SmartPools to move files between internal storage tiers based on policy, and CloudPools to extend tiering to object storage. This happens within the Dell OneFS filesystem.
Does Komprise work with Dell PowerScale?
Yes. Komprise integrates natively with Dell PowerScale and tiers files across it in the same policy used for other NAS and cloud NAS environments.
What is the difference between Dell PowerScale SmartPools and Komprise Intelligent Tiering?
SmartPools tiers within a single PowerScale cluster and stores cloud-tiered data in a proprietary format tied to that cluster. Komprise Intelligent Tiering works across PowerScale and other vendors from one policy, and moves files in their native format using standards-based symbolic links instead of proprietary stubs.
Does Komprise use stubs like Dell CloudPools?
No. Komprise uses Transparent Move Technology, which relies on industry-standard symbolic links called Dynamic Links, not proprietary stubs. This avoids the orphaned-data risk and rehydration penalty associated with stub-based tiering.
How does Komprise help with rising flash storage costs on Dell PowerScale?
As Memflation drives NAND flash prices higher, Komprise identifies cold files across the full storage estate through the Global Metadatabase and moves them off expensive flash entirely, to lower-cost storage or cloud, reducing the amount of primary PowerScale capacity needed.
Learn more about the Flash Stretch Assessment to reclaim storage capacity.