The Pillars of the Multi-Cloud Global File System

Today we’re excited to take the wraps off CTER

A 7.0, the latest version of our Enterprise File Services Platform. Read our press release here and learn more about CTERA 7.0 here.

The 7.0 launch represents years of unrelenting engineering and product focus on four technological pillars that we believe underpin the multi-cloud global file system.

In an evolving and fast-growing space encompassing distributed file systems, cloud NAS, hybrid cloud storage systems, and still several others, standardizing how we define this technology and measure its progress is essential in helping customers understand what they want and need from a multi-cloud global file system.

And so, with apologies to Ken Follett, here are the Pillars of the Multi-Cloud Global File System:

Performance

Cloud without local performance is a non-starter for organizations supporting file workloads. Edge caching and multi-site file synchronization are table stakes for a global file system.

In 7.0 we’ve taken performance to a new level, introducing a radical approach to file synchronization called CTERA Direct. This patent-pending protocol pioneers a method in which we separate metadata from the file data and upload the metadata to the CTERA Portal (global file system) while the file data is written directly to object storage.

The result is an eye-opening throughput of over 30TB/day per remote site.

That’s three to ten times faster than competing edge-to-cloud file services solutions, and much faster than any publicly available industry benchmark. If your provider tells you their file data throughput is fast, ask them to show you the data.

Security

Cloud still often represents a leap of faith for organizations comfortable with on-premises file storage systems. It’s why CTERA has been focused since Day One on enabling cloud adoption for enterprises without sacrificing one iota of privacy and security over their data.

7.0 builds on that trust and includes another first for the multi-cloud global file system: granular segmentation of the global file system based on geography or department. CTERA Zones allows IT to control who sees what in the global file system.

Prevent Accounting from having access to HR file shares. Restrict access to sensitive data across the organization. Sync Germany-focused data only to the Berlin office and nowhere else. With CTERA Zones you can meet data sovereignty/GDPR compliance mandates while adding a new element of data privacy via internal access controls.

The other big security enhancement in 7.0 is multi-layer antivirus scanning. Now organizations can protect all access points to the global file system and continually scan files in-cloud and at the edge.

Ransomware continues to be a major concern for any organization. The multi-layer antivirus scanning in CTERA 7.0, in addition to the data recoverability characteristics of the multi-cloud global file system, offers the industry’s most robust solution for ransomware protection.

Migration

Migrating from legacy NAS can be frustrating in any number of ways:

• Incompatibility between the legacy system and the cloud system
• Incomplete sync of critical items such as ACLs, folders, and permissions
• Vendor migration tools so complex that a professional services team is required
• Vendor doesn’t have migration capabilities and third-party software is required

If you can’t migrate data the way you want to, what’s the point? You might as well stay with your old filer.

We believe global file system data migration processes should be simple, efficient, and fast. In 7.0 we’ve invested in this pillar with an automated migration functionality.

CTERA Migrate delivers user-enabled data discovery and import from NAS systems with full preservation of folder structure and permissions. CTERA Migrate is compatible with most legacy file server infrastructure, including NetApp, Dell EMC, and Windows Server. No third-party software; no professional services; no problem.

You won’t find a similar tool to this in any other global file system. We think that’s wrong. Get up and running on your multi-cloud global file system as fast as possible.

Usability

If you build it, they will come probably applies only to ballparks in Iowa cornfields. The truth is that enterprise platforms, including file systems, can fall short in driving user excitement, or in meeting user expectations for feel, slickness, and general productivity.

This is why usability is the critical fourth global file system pillar and it’s why we’ve continued investing in beautiful and productive user experiences. CTERA 7.0 introduces CTERA MacAssist, offering the industry’s highest-level compatibility for macOS. With new integration for Finder and several other enhancements, Mac users now enjoy the same level of performance and global file system compatibility that PC users do. We’ve also released new versions of our mobile apps for iOS and Android for consistent user experiences across desktop, mobile, and cloud.

Setting a New Bar

It’s our belief that no multi-cloud global file system can deliver on its promise without these foundational pillars in place. This is why CTERA has aggressively invested in performance, security, migration, and usability in the 7.0 version, and why we believe we’ve set a new bar for the industry.

To support this statement we’re happy to point to a number of recent public announcements made by customers and partners who are enthusiastically adopting CTERA technology across the enterprise – organizations such as W.L. Gore, Glenn Davis Group, and WWT, as well as a yet-to-be-named global manufacturer who recently chose CTERA’s global file system to support hundreds of worldwide locations.

We’d be glad to give you a test drive. Register for a live demo today and understand why CTERA is the most feature-rich, most secure, and fastest multi-cloud global file system in the industry.