Morro Data 3.0: Azure AD Support and Simplifying Storage Management for SMBs

Morro Systems, Inc. announced several offerings for its CloudNAS hybrid-cloud file server architecture.

First, the company now supports Microsoft Corp.‘s Azure Active Directory in addition to local Active Directory. This makes file management and identity management easy for those businesses using Office365. The firm has also announced Replicate, a service that delivers a performance means of moving a large number of files to the cloud and to other sites. As SMBs continue their transition to more cloud-based architectures, CloudNAS provides a hybrid-cloud platform that delivers versatile 3-in-1 global file services solutions for storage consolidation, multiple office file sync, and instant DR.

“With Morro Data 3.0, we are all about helping SMBs connect to the broader IT ecosystem and removing any remaining barriers to making hybrid-cloud storage the best possible choice for storage architecture,” said Paul Tien, founder and CEO, Morro Data. “Replicate makes it easy to move just about any file to the cloud. And with Azure AD, we’re supporting the many SMBs that have migrated to Office365 but still have files and applications that benefit from the performance and control that comes with an on-premise file server. Morro’s hybrid-cloud file server architecture provides cost-effective management for IT and enables SMBs to have the best of both worlds combining the benefits of cloud with on-prem storage performance for everyday users.”

The CloudNAS is designed to deliver the performance and scale necessary for businesses with hundreds of users that require large capacity across multiple locations. It combines the firm’s Cache and Sync technology with its Global File System to ensure businesses have high level of file access performance, unlimited storage capacity and collaboration services such as file locks, versioning, and replication.

Support for Azure AD
The company is adding additional features and support for Microsoft Azure AD to extend this ease-of-use. Microsoft has become the word’s most commonly used cloud service by user count and Office365 is a big part of that adoption. The firm has been quoted as running a year ahead of adoption goals, and per a recent study by Barracuda Networks, Inc., there are more than 100 million active users, with that number being up 20% over their previous year’s survey. Anyone using Office365 inherently has an Azure identity, making it easy to integrate with CloudNAS’ storage architecture.

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Azure Active Directory support makes life for IT and addresses SMB storage management issues.
Some of features include:

• Single sign-on: One username and password across all cloud platforms. Office365 users use the same login they already have.

• Self-service features: Users can add themselves to the company’s Cloud Manager. Users can login through the Access Panel and reset passwords. Admins can create, read, write, and delete, entries in the directory.

• HA: Identity management as a service using Azure. Durability of Azure AD: the firm guarantee at least 99.9% availability of the Azure Active Directory Basic and Premium services.

• Secure access: Clients with Azure AD added accounts are auto-authenticated on the file server.

Another benefit that comes with the company’s support for Azure AD is providing an excellent solution to Azure File Sync. Compared to Azure Files, CloudNAS is simpler, better, and faster. With a simple web portal and appliance format, no advanced Windows Admin expertise is required. CloudNAS supports real time file sync and locking, which Azure File Sync does not, and starting at $19/TB, CloudNAS is 1/3rd the cost of Azure Files for storage. All available with zero data transfer fees versus Azure files at $50/TB and up.

With CloudNAS Azure AD support, Microsoft AD users can replace or supplement traditional on-premises file servers or NAS devices with a low-cost, performance CloudNAS 3-in-1 Global File Services solution that integrates into their existing Azure AD user management environment.

Replicate shares for cost-effective file transfer to cloud
Also included in the 3.0 release is support for Replicate shares. From the outset, CloudNAS has supported real-time, bidirectional, many-to-many sync across multiple endpoints and cloud storage. For some applications sync is an unnecessary overhead or even undesirable. With the introduction of Replicate, which is uni-directional/one-to-many/schedule-driven, files can be transferred with low overhead and higher speed.

Replicate is for creating a secondary site backup and moving files into object store, e.g. as a backup target. Replicate shares are also an effective way to perform low cost file transfer or file distribution to one or more locations. Utilizing our no egress fee Wasabi storage pool option, there are no data transfer fees. The only cost is the monthly service fee and storage cost incurred. Compared to traditional file transfer services, this is affordable.

The CloudNAS platform with support for Azure Active Directory is available.

Blog: CloudNAS 3.0 supports Azure AD Authentication
Blog: Morro Data 3.0 – Introducing Azure AD and Replication

Read also:
Start-Up Profile: Morro Systems …
In cached cloud storage-as-a-service
by Jean Jacques Maleval | 2017.04.03 | News