Egnyte Local Cloud on Network Attached Storage is a hybrid option for small to midsize organizations that want centralized storage and backup that is accessible from the Internet or through a local network connection.
A hybrid option is now available for small to midsize organizations that
want centralized storage and backup that is accessible from the Internet or
through a local network connection.
The Egnyte Local Cloud on Network Attached Storage overcomes the justifiable
concern IT managers have about a single point of failure by synchronizing
stored files on the NAS with the cloud file share.
eWEEK Labs Gallery: With Egnyte Local Cloud, Cloud Storage Meet Local Network
ELC on NAS works on Windows and Mac
clients, with support for Red Hat and SUSE Linux clients slated in the near
future. ELC, which became available in
December, costs $44.98 per month ($24.99 for the base service plus $19.99 per
month for the local cloud option, which includes 150GB of cloud storage) or
$84.98 per month ($44.99 for the base service plus $39.99 per month for the
local cloud option, which includes 1TB of cloud storage). This pricing does not
include the NAS device that is required to host the local cloud.
ELC basically fits between online backup
offerings such as Carbonite and Mozy and cloud-based infrastructure offerings
such as the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud. ELC
is a replacement only for an on-premises file server. The service does not host
the applications (such as database, e-mail or graphics programs) that might be
creating the data files stored in the ELC.
Components
ELC comprises the Egnyte service,
software that runs on off-the-shelf NAS devices, software that runs on each
end-user system and a management console.
The software for the NAS devices is what distinguishes this Egnyte offering
from other Egnyte services that enable local storage on direct-attached storage
devices or an end user's hard drive. Using the console and software components,
I was able to set up network storage shares that could be accessed by
individuals or groups of users. ELC synchronized
the data stored in the cloud, at Egnyte's data centers and on the local NAS
device.
In my tests, I combined a cloud service account provided by Egnyte with a
NetGear ReadyNAS NVX appliance with 1TB of storage. Following the simple
directions from Egnyte, I updated the firmware on the NetGear ReadyNAS and then
installed a small update from Egnyte on the hardware device to integrate it
with my Egnyte cloud account.
Setup and Use
Once the NetGear device was integrated, I handled the rest of the ELC
setup and administration from the ELC
management console. I created users and sent invitations to them to sign in and
start using ELC.
There are two types of users in the ELC
world, standard and power. Only power users can enable the local cloud option.
Standard users have access to files only on the Egnyte cloud.
In my setup, the files stored locally on the NetGear ReadyNAS were set to
sync with the cloud every 15 minutes. IT managers should ensure that users who
must have access to the most current version of files are assigned as power
users.
I used only local accounts that I created within ELC
to handle users, shares and access permissions. It is possible to use an API
from Egnyte to integrate with an LDAP-based directory or Microsoft's Active
Directory. For ongoing use, taking the time to integrate ELC
with your directory infrastructure would be the best way to manage users.
User and share creation, as well as permission handling, was easy to handle
inside ELC. After creating a user, the
service sent an e-mail message with directions on how to access the Egnyte
service. From there, users were instructed on how to map drives and use the
system. I had users logged in and storing files within minutes of creating
their accounts.
During tests I was able to use a mix of Windows-based PCs running Windows XP
and Windows 7, along with a variety of Mac systems, including a MacBook Pro and
a Mac Pro system. I easily uploaded and managed large (greater than 250MB)
video files and high-resolution photo files with no problem. Installing the
Egnyte software on my various test systems worked without a hitch.
Technical Director Cameron Sturdevant can be reached at
csturdevant@eweek.com.
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Cameron Sturdevant is the executive editor of Enterprise Networking Planet. Prior to ENP, Cameron was technical analyst at PCWeek Labs, starting in 1997. Cameron finished up as the eWEEK Labs Technical Director in 2012. Before his extensive labs tenure Cameron paid his IT dues working in technical support and sales engineering at a software publishing firm . Cameron also spent two years with a database development firm, integrating applications with mainframe legacy programs. Cameron's areas of expertise include virtual and physical IT infrastructure, cloud computing, enterprise networking and mobility. In addition to reviews, Cameron has covered monolithic enterprise management systems throughout their lifecycles, providing the eWEEK reader with all-important history and context. Cameron takes special care in cultivating his IT manager contacts, to ensure that his analysis is grounded in real-world concern. Follow Cameron on Twitter at csturdevant, or reach him by email at cameron.sturdevant@quinstreet.com.
