Key Highlights
- Ctera Networks updated its flagship Global File System with new capabilities for managing cloud storage, permanent data deletion, and other data protection features.
- Ctera 7.5, which will be released to beta with general availability anticipated early next year, adds features with cloud storage routing for more granular data management and control and enterprise key management for cryptographic keys.
Ctera, which opened its doors in 2008, sells enterprise file software that caches active data on-premises through a software filer while encrypting and compressing colder data into object storage on public or private clouds.
The software offers a single namespace to make interacting with the data appear similar to a local computer or on-premises as a distributed file system, the same as products from Nasuni and Panzura.
According to Max Mortillaro, an analyst at GigaOm, the company’s product has matured in almost 15 years. The new capabilities reflect maturity, focusing on heavily regulated customers.
Product Hardening
The new features and updates in Ctera 7.5 are available to all customers who upgrade at no cost during the beta and GA launch.
Cloud Storage Routing enables a single file system for S3-bucket-compatible object storage across clouds or on-premises locations. The new features allow storage administrators set policies for storage routing down to the individual user.
Customers require proactive threat identification and mitigation. According to Oded Nagel, chief strategy officer for Ctera, Ctera supported these capabilities in previous versions. But it does not have a tool to automate the process for customers.
Incoming Threats
Ctera 7.5 also focuses on data protection, which analysts believe will become critical to enterprise file storage environments.
Permanent Delete ensures an unrecoverable file erasure secured by a two-factor authentication process. Targeted uses for the capability include removing classified data following regulations such as the right for erasure requests under the GDPR.
