DDN's '11x Faster' IO500 Claims: What the Benchmark Actually Measures

In 2025, DDN announced that its EXAScaler Lustre storage system ranks #1 on the IO500 benchmark and delivers &ldquo;up to 11x more AI training sessions&rdquo; per day compared to competitors. This claim requires technical examination of both what IO500 measures and what DDN&rsquo;s specific claims assert. What IO500 Measures The IO500 benchmark evaluates storage performance under HPC/AI workloads…