Cloud-integrated storage solutions specialist TwinStrata launched CloudArray 4.5, the latest iteration of its CloudArray software, which is designed to streamline management, increase control and reduce the need for separate backup software or disaster recovery strategies.
The latest version of the platform includes a new, on-demand disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) offering for VMware users and a snapshot scheduler that can eliminate the need for separate backup software. This feature enables users to create and maintain a recurring schedule (or schedules) of snapshots by volume with integrated, age-based retention policies.
DRaaS, a new component of the platform, is enabled by TwinStrata’s CloudArray software and SoftLayer’s VMware-based CloudLayer Computing infrastructure, making it particularly well suited for VMware-based environments. In addition, the CloudArray DRaaS can work with or without backup software. Customers can choose to have data and virtual machines (VMs) stored directly on CloudArray.
“IT organizations are moving to the cloud to gain agility, reduce IT costs and increase both service and utilization while taking advantage of the cloud’s pay-for-what-you-use model,” Dan Iacono, a specialist on cloud storage systems at research firm IDC, said in a statement. “TwinStrata’s DRaaS can help IT organizations realize those cloud benefits, and it can also help enable an improved disaster recovery strategy, while providing flexibility and cloud choice.”
TwinStrata’s CloudArray DRaaS currently supports cloud storage providers including SoftLayer, Google Cloud Storage, Google Durable Reduced Availability (DRA), Amazon S3, Amazon RRS and Nirvanix SDN. Expanded support for other providers is expected in the future, a company release said.
For new customers with 50 VMs or fewer, DRaaS is included in the pricing for CloudArray software. Existing CloudArray customers and organizations with more than 50 virtual machines can obtain expanded support for an additional monthly fee. However, activation of the service requires an initial configuration and planning assessment that is stored in the CloudArray portal in the event of a disaster.
The release also features the next generation of CloudArray dynamic caching, which adds flexible volume migration and balancing across dynamic cache policies to meet performance, sizing and tech refresh requirements.
CloudArray 4.5 will be available on May 28, available as a monthly subscription, and includes the CloudArray software license, 24/7 support, and the DRaaS feature. The Cloud Storage Subscription bundles all of the above with the cost of cloud storage and all transfer fees for a single, integrated monthly cost of $0.19 per gigabyte, while the bring-your-own-cloud (BYOC) subscription starts at $500 per month and includes everything but the cloud storage.
“Whether your goals are to increase storage capacity, improve off-site data protection, implement disaster recovery or all three of the above, TwinStrata CloudArray is the most comprehensive storage solution available today,” Nicos Vekiarides, CEO of TwinStrata, said in a statement. “TwinStrata has made great strides in delivering enterprise-class functionality at a fraction of the cost typically required of storage solutions. What’s exciting is CloudArray 4.5 enables organizations to enjoy a full business continuity plan without the need for backup software or a dedicated disaster site–a once-unthinkable proposition.”