XenData Hybrid Cloud Storage Combines Cloud File Gateway and Microsoft Azure Storage

XenData Limited launches its managed hybrid cloud service that combines the company’s Cloud File Gateway and Microsoft Azure Storage.

The solution allows existing file-based applications to use cloud storage without the need for modification. Cloud File Gateway has policies that keep frequently accessed files on local storage, which maximizes restore rates and minimizes both cloud access costs and internet bandwidth usage. This managed hybrid cloud service from the company simplifies installation and management of the total system, providing one contact point for both technical and billing support.

The Cloud File Gateway is also available to organizations that have their own Azure accounts. In these cases, the gateway subscription may be purchased individually online or via an authorized firm’s reseller partner. For organizations that do not have an Azure account, the managed service is a solution. At installation, the hybrid storage system is configured by the company, including setup of the Azure storage subscription. The firm serves as the single point of contact to give technical support for the hybrid storage system covering both the Cloud File Gateway and the Azure storage service. For monthly billing, the company also provides a single contact point for any billing questions related to the bundled Gateway subscription and Azure storage service.

This storage solution is optimized for creative video, video surveillance, image applications of all types including medical imaging and a wide range of engineering and scientific applications.

Benefits include:

• Scalable to petabytes – The content stored in the cloud is unlimited, easily scaling to multiple petabytes, and the data held on local disk can scale to 256TB. A single gateway can store up to two billion files within the hybrid file system.

• Tailored local and cloud storage policies – The policies determine which files are written to the cloud, local storage or both. Policy can be granularly set for various file types and folders. Retention policies may also be applied to files that have already been written to the cloud, determining how long files are held on local disk after being written or last read.

• Scheduling optimizes Internet bandwidth – Time windows are scheduled so applications can write to local disk while scheduling the upload copy being made to Azure, allowing Internet bandwidth to be optimized when in high demand.

• Partial File Restore (PFR) support – For creative video applications, only a portion of a large file is required with PFR to create a video clip, avoiding the need to download the entire file.

• Standard file sharing and security – Files may be accessed locally or shared via SMB or FTP. The local storage volume is compliant with the Microsoft security model based on Microsoft Active Directory, allowing for easy introduction into an existing Windows domain or workgroup.

“By introducing a fully managed service, we can deliver a hybrid cloud storage solution that minimizes the need for in-house expertise in our user community,” said Phil Storey, CEO and co-founder, XenData. “Yet, we still deliver the benefits of hybrid storage, including fast access to frequently used content from local RAID and virtually unlimited capacity within the cloud.“

Tad Brockway, GM, Microsoft Azure Storage, Microsoft Corp., added: “We believe that the XenData Cloud File Gateway combined with Azure provides an attractive hybrid storage solution for a wide range of applications, but especially for media. Now that XenData is complementing the solution with a managed Azure storage service, it will be even easier for users to implement and manage the combined solution and leverage the scale, reliability and global footprint of Azure.“

The hybrid cloud storage system will be demonstrated at the IBC Expo in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from 15-19 September 2017.