Nasuni, a gateway to cloud storage, has partnered with Rackspace Hosting to offer customers a scalable online storage solution that leverages the power of the cloud. Rackspace customers will now be able to use cloud-based files for their primary storage needs, as Nasuni extends the use of the service's backup and file archiving. The combination of Rackspace and Nasuni simplifies file storage by eliminating the intricacies of backup or needing to manage multiple storage tiers.
The Nasuni Filer makes it possible for customers to combine multiple cloud providers. Each customer receives their own credentials in order to ensure end-to-end security. Storage usage is metered separately, by provider, but presented in a single bill for simplicity. With Nasuni, customers avoid vendor lock-in by being able to migrate data from one cloud provider to another through a standard file system interface.
Nasuni also absorbs bandwidth charges, making it possible for customers to move data among cloud vendors without incurring additional fees. "We do that intentionally so that if you want to switch providers you don't get killed by the bandwidth costs of the transfer," Andres Rodriguez, CEO of Nasuni, tells 5 Minute Briefing. "That is factored into our subscription fee for the filer itself but we also don't want to in any way affect the prices of the storage providers because we want to have the providers compete with each other for best features at best cost." The goal, says Rodriguez, is to help establish a marketplace for storage as a service that encourages providers to provide the best levels of service at the best price for customers.
The Nasuni Filer leverages the resources of the cloud to simplify file access, storage and protection, while eliminating the expense of storage hardware and infrastructure expansion. Because it provisions storage capacity automatically and includes high-performance caching for quick retrieval, it can be used as primary storage instead of or in combination with traditional file servers. It features synchronous snapshots, deduplication, and encryption plus key management for security. Those not ready for a complete transition to all-in-one cloud storage can use the Nasuni Filer for storing second copies offsite for disaster protection.
For more information on Rackspace Hosting, go here.
To download the Nasuni Filer, or for more information, go here.