Spectra Logic, specialists in data storage and management, and OpenDrives, a developer of scalable, enterprise grade NAS systems, have developed data storage and storage lifecycle management software to improve data storage workflows and increase agility. The combined system integrates OpenDrives’ high-performance, low-latency primary storage with Spectra Logic’s StorCycle Storage Lifecycle Management software.
StorCycle optimises workflows for efficiency by keeping data at the most practical level for ease of access and cost. OpenDrives’ NAS platform works at Tier 0 and Tier 1, balancing performance, capacity and cost according to the customer’s requirements, and emphasising flexibility and speed with low power consumption. When combined, the joint system results in Ethernet-based scale-out storage via StorCycle’s ability to automatically identify and migrate inactive data and finished projects from primary storage to a lower cost tier of storage that includes all tiers of cloud storage, spinning disk and tape.
Open Drives specialises in Media & Entertainment workflows, and most of their staff come from post production backgrounds. Their systems run with 100 GbE connectivity suitable for HFR, HDR and uncompressed productions. Focussing on high-performance working storage, latency and data integrity, they are interested in forming partnerships that support the wider production and post environment, including options for archive storage. Their systems use an open protocol with an API to facilitate integrations.
Their team were attracted to Spectra’s intelligent approach to automating data migration, creating a gateway to cold storage that allows users to understand exactly where their data is at any time. An enterprise can use StorCycle to base migration either on the dates that files were last accessed or on the status of the project they are associated with. Also, instead of leaving stubs for migrated data within active tiers that obscure the actual location of the files, Spectra systems create HTML or symbolic links that allow data to be viewed but also show its current status.
The systems uses open storage standards such as SMB, NFS and LTFS, and can be installed and configured in a relatively short time. By reducing data on the primary tier, organisations maximise primary tier storage capacities while configuring the more economical perpetual tier to be as responsive as necessary to serve their workflows.
“Any organisation experiencing exponential data growth has had to rely on either throughput, software management, or secondary storage for digital preservation, an often fragmented and costly process,” said Sean Lee, chief product and strategy officer at OpenDrives. “By integrating Spectra Logic’s StorCycle software with OpenDrives’ NAS platform, we can simplify data usage, access and protection to help IT and storage managers balance the speed of data access with the cost of storage, and take advantage of an automated approach.” www.SpectraLogic.com
