Cloud file services supplier CTERA has adopted Panzura and Hammerspace-style tech in its v7.5 release with parallel networking to its geographically distributed global file system, edge cache deduplication, and policy-based multi-cloud data placement.
CTERA it is a cloud data services supplier with a layer of services above its edge filers and edge-to-core-to-cloud global file system. Edge filers deduplicate and compress every block they send up to the cloud. It has a Cloud Analytics function, malware protection with continuous replication into immutable S3 buckets, zero-day detection, and instant recovery using rollback. Research house GigaOm reckons CTERA is the top distributed cloud storage supplier.
Oded Nagel, CTERA chief strategy officer, said of the new release: “CTERA 7.5 brings with it more of everything our award-winning solution has always been known for – the fastest file synchronization, deduplication, and virus protection at the edge, while remaining laser-focused on enabling cloud adoption for enterprises without having them sacrifice their privacy or security over their data.”
The key addition in its Enterprise File Services Platform v7.5 release is Cloud Storage Routing software, which ships data from edge filers into a geographically distributed global file system in which data originating in a specific region is stored in that same region, which can help GDPR-type compliance. Data is accessible from anywhere, and the entire system is managed through a single, centralized pane of glass.
CTERA Cloud Storage Routing works with CTERA Direct. With CTERA Direct, data to be sent to the cloud is split into chunks and transferred in parallel via up to 100 concurrent connections per client to overcome the effects of network latency. This boosts file transfer speeds by an order of magnitude compared to the previous CTERA software, with up to 30TB/day of ingested data for 1GB files (measured at 100ms latency). There is policy-controlled routing based on tenant, user, and down to individual directories – cross-cloud, cross-region, and cross-bucket.
GigaOm analyst Max Mortillaro said: “The value proposition of CTERA surrounding leveraging heterogeneous multi-cloud resources is powerful, especially as more compute-intensive use cases, [which] rely on reaching the closest cloud for real-time performance.”
Edge users are dealt with on a zero-trust basis with AES-256 encryption. Each edge I/O request is approved and digitally signed by a centralized security authority. Edge devices never possess credentials for the cloud object storage and so cannot compromise it.
The Enterprise File Services Platform supports AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, IBM and Wasabi for cloud storage, and a stack of on-premises object storage. The v7.5 release adds support for Cohesity SmartFiles, Quantum ActiveScale, and Hitachi Content Platform and CTERA Direct supports all the platforms in the slide below:
Policies can be set to control data placements in all these target systems.
There are several storage efficiency and security feature additions as well:
- Edge Filer-level deduplication of cached data, increasing storage efficiency by up to 80 percent, reducing edge cost and hardware footprint at the edge, increasing the effective cache capacity and improving performance.
- Delegated storage of cryptographic keys using the Key Management Interoperability Protocol (KMIP), including certified support for Thales CipherTrust.
- Unrecoverable file erasure option, offering the right to forget, and meeting strict compliance regulations, while allowing adherence to GDPR right to erasure.
- A refreshed Edge Filer GUI.
- Centralized administration of quota policies from the CTERA Portal that can be enforced on all Edge Filers at once, with granularity down to the sub-folder level.
- A new version of the CTERA MacAssist, providing a consistent user experience to Mac users, with support for the JAMF platform for zero-touch deployment.
CTERA users are promised faster file upload and access, more cost-effective and better performing edge filers, and should be able to make better use of cloud storage and on-premises object storage resources.
