Qumulo Introducing QF2 Universal-Scale File Storage System

Qumulo, Inc. announced Qumulo File Fabric (QF2), a universal-scale file storage system.

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QF2 is a scalable file storage system, creating a single file domain that spans the data center and the cloud. Enterprise customers have the freedom to store, manage and access their file-based data in any operating environment, at petabyte and global scale. Hundreds of customers, including FuseFX, Hyundai Mobis, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, and Sinclair Oil Corporation, have adopted QF2 for mission-critical file-based workloads.

The company also launched QF2 on Amazon Web Services, available.

“Data is the digital currency of the global economy, yet much of it is effectively stuffed under the mattress in legacy storage systems,” said Bill Richter, CEO, Qumulo. “For several years, Qumulo has been serving the needs of the world’s largest companies to deploy mission-critical workflows with breakthrough innovation – focused on data instead of hardware – and a rich partner ecosystem. Customers have been clamoring for a solution that allows them to unlock the value of their data anywhere by flexibly scaling file storage across geographies, the cloud and in the data center. With QF2, they finally have it.“

A global operating model for businesses has created requirements for scale. These include the number of files stored, the ability to manage enormous data footprints in real time, the global distribution of data, and the need to take advantage of the cloud. These modern requirements require a new class of storage solution.

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Next frontier of storage systems
QF2 is a universal-scale file storage system. It  runs on industry standard hardware and was designed from the ground up to meet all of today’s requirements for scale. A scalable file storage system that runs in the data center and on the cloud, QF2 provides billion-file capacity and is one third the cost of legacy storage appliances. It is also a performing file storage system on premises and on the cloud. Its built-in, real-time diagnostics let administrators manage data no matter how large the footprint or where it’s located globally.

With the launch of QF2, the firm introduces replication features. QF2’s cross-cluster replication enables data to move where it’s needed, when it’s needed, on premises and on the cloud. Other features of QF2 include real-time quotas, directory-level snapshots, and real-time visibility into large data sets, which allow enterprises to manage file-based storage at massive scale.

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QF2 delivers advantages:

• Billion-file scale. With QF2, enterprises can use any mix of large and small files and store as many files as needed. There is no practical limit with the company’s file-system technology. Many firm’s customers have data footprints in excess of a billion files.

• High performance. It is a file storage system on premises and on the cloud. It is optimized for standard hardware with SSDs and HDDs, which cost less than proprietary hardware. Its built-in block-based tiering of hot and cold data delivers flash performance at hard-disk prices.

• Lowest cost. It is one third the cost of legacy storage appliances on a capacity basis, as measured by cost per usable terabyte. QF2’s cost advantage comes from efficient use of storage capacity by means of block-based data protection and the ability to run on industry standard hardware from the company or partners like HPE.

• Real-time control at scale. It is a system that provides real-time visibility and control for the data footprint at scale. QF2 replaces slow and cumbersome manual administration with the ability to see real-time usage, activity and throughput at any level of the unified directory structure, no matter how many files are in the file system. Administrators can pinpoint problems and instantly control how storage is used.

• Freedom to store and access your data anywhere. Enterprises can transform storage into a service that allows global collaboration. Data sets can be placed anywhere, in data centers and on the cloud. QF2 can be implemented across multiple operating environments that are connected using replication relationships, allowing companies to place data where it’s needed, when it’s needed, regardless of location.

• Cloud-based monitoring and trends. It lets customers proactively detect and prevent problems on premises and on the cloud before they happen with cloud-based monitoring that enables fleet management. Access to historical trends helps lower costs and optimize workflows for best use of the storage investment.

• Modern support. The company is high rated in its class on Gartner Peer Insights and enjoys one of the highest net promoter scores (NPS) in the storage industry, due in part to the quality of personalized support that customers receive directly from storage experts at the firm.

About QF2
QF2 is a scalable file storage system that spans the data center and the cloud, providing billion-file capacity at one third the cost of legacy storage appliances. It includes real-time analytics and capacity quotas, as well as continuous cross-cluster replication and real-time snapshots. These features are unique to QF2 because the QF2 file system includes a data management system called QumuloDB that is optimized for the specialized needs of file-based data. It is comprised of both software and services. The services include support, proactive cloud-based monitoring, and trends analysis.

QF2 is available. For on-premises data centers, the company offers subscription-based pricing that includes software and support. QF2 clusters on AWS have utility pricing that is based on hours of use, capacity and performance. QF2 can be used for free in non-clustered, standalone mode on AWS.

“At DreamWorks Animation, we are a digital manufacturer and digital media files are the core asset of our business,” said Skottie Miller, technology fellow, engineering and infrastructure, DreamWorks Animation LLC. “During the production of a major animated motion picture, we often create in excess of 500 million media files. If storage fails to perform, the creativity stalls. HPE and QF2 give us the speed to meet our demanding production schedules, while continuing to raise the bar on creating the world’s most compelling movie experiences.“

“The history of storage is really the history of scale, with increasing reliance on software as the key enabling technology,” said Arun Taneja, founder and consulting analyst, The Taneja Group. “While file-based data is at the heart of innovation for modern businesses, the industry has been stalled without a file storage system that can bridge the data center and the public cloud at scale. As enterprises increasingly want to integrate their workloads with the public cloud, we are seeing entirely new requirements for scale, data mobility and control of the data footprint. With QF2, Qumulo is creating a new market for file storage at universal scale, not simply for archiving but for high performance, low latency applications.“

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