Virtual NAS Storage Solutions
Flexible, software-defined, Enterprise Class, Cloud-Based Virtual NAS supporting: NFS, CIFS/SMB, iSCSI
What is Virtual NAS?
Virtual NAS or virtual machine (VM) that acts as a file server for network-attached storage (NAS). Virtual NAS is managed through the same interface as other virtual servers in the network, so it can move from one physical host to another. This capability can streamline maintenance issues and minimize downtime, as well as speed up and simplify disaster recovery. It has several advantages over traditional block storage in network environments.
SoftNAS Virtual NAS on AWS, Azure, and VMware
SoftNAS is a software-defined, enterprise-class Virtual NAS delivered as a virtual appliance for public, private, and hybrid clouds. It supports multiple protocols including NFS, CIFS/SMB, iSCSI, and AFP. With Active Directory and LDAP integration, SoftNAS Virtual NAS runs in the AWS, Microsoft Azure, and CenturyLink Cloud public cloud platforms as well as in your own data center on VMware vSphere. A wide range of storage options is supported including direct-attached storage, SSD, SSD/HDD hybrid, object storage, existing SANs, or JBODs.
For enterprises and workgroups that demand resource elasticity and budget flexibility, SoftNAS can be implemented as virtual machines (VMs) running on existing on-premise data centers. This allows for building business-focused private clouds and acquiring advanced NAS features without requiring additional NAS hardware. It is cost-saving, space-saving, and flexible!
Enterprise-class Virtual NAS Storage
Your on-premises enterprise virtual NAS appliance, including:
- High-Availability (HA)
- Deduplication
- Replication
- Compression
- Thin and thick provisioning
- Multi-level caching
- Scheduled and manual snapshots
- Active Directory and LDAP integration
- Instant writeable SnapClones™
Architecture and Technology
SoftNAS runs as a Linux®-based, 64-bit CentOS redistribution guest OS treated as a VM in a virtual server environment. In many use cases, storage devices are attached to the physical hardware layer, then presented to SoftNAS as a VM running Linux.
SoftNAS operates on an industry-standard Linux platform and uses a derivative of the Zettabyte File System® (ZFS), an open-source project originally released on OpenSolaris® by Sun Microsystems, Inc. This makes SoftNAS able to leverage many ZFS features and add layers of functionality for NAS solutions in virtual computing and cloud computing.
An Apache webserver provides robust, secure access along with Secure Shell® (SSH). Storage is accessible via TCP/IP protocols including NFS v3, NFS v4, SMB/CIFS (Microsoft® Windows File Shares), and iSCSI. Also integrated into SoftNAS is Apache NiFi technology, providing powerful and scalable directed graphs of data routing, transformation, and system mediation logic.
SoftNAS is packaged with a primary administration interface called SoftNAS StorageCenter™, which provides commercial-grade storage administration and management functionalities for businesses of all sizes.
Benefits of using SoftNAS Virtual NAS Storage
Continuous Data Protection
Also called real-time backup, SoftNAS virtual cloud NAS filer automatically saves a copy of every change made to data, enabling restoration of data to any point in time.
No Downtime Guarantee
With the No Downtime Guarantee, SoftNAS delivers 99.999% storage uptime service-level agreement with a money-back guarantee. Learn more.
Hardware Neutral
You choose the price-performance level of the underlying storage hardware. SoftNAS can run in existing data centers and on your choice of commodity server and storage hardware, reducing the capital expenditure (CapEx) burden of expensive legacy hardware.
No Vendor Lock-in
Built on trusted open source industry standards and platform-neutral, SoftNAS gives you the freedom to migrate your data between supported cloud platforms with ease. And any S3 object storage provider can connect to SoftNAS for file services. Your data is never locked-in.
Easy Set-Up, Configuration, and Monitoring
With simple set-up wizards, the SoftNAS virtual appliance is quick and easy to stand up. The intuitive StorageCenter™ dashboard and monitoring alerts allow for easy storage maintenance and surveillance.
Rapid Deployment
Quick to deploy, SoftNAS dramatically reduces customer deployment times, increasing time-to-value. Get your cloud NAS filer up and running within 30 minutes.
Adjustable As You Grow
SoftNAS Cloud NAS allows you to elastically change as your needs change via adjustable virtual hardware configurations. Tune performance levels during the lifecycle to meet your needs. Elastically switch to different storage options such as higher speed SSDs or lower cost hard disk drives. Use what you need and pay for what you use. Upgrade and grow as needs change!
Flexible Consumption Pricing
Flexible consumption pricing, so you only pay for the storage you use.
SoftNAS NAS is integral to any cloud storage strategy.
Appropriate for a wide range of cloud use cases
On-premises to Cloud Backup
With SoftNAS SnapReplicate™, easily replicate and backup your data from your VMware data center to the AWS, Microsoft Azure, or CenturyLink Cloud public clouds. Eliminate physical backup tape required by business compliance and archive data in inexpensive S3 object storage or send to cold storage like AWS Glacier for long-term storage.
Cross-cloud Data Migration
Server migrations can be complex, time-consuming, and error-prone. SoftNAS seamlessly replicates data across AWS, Microsoft Azure, CenturyLink Cloud, and VMware vSphere for easy cross-cloud data migration. Your data stays free to migrate, never locked down.
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
Easy-to-configure High-Availability (HA) with automatic failover and a 99.999% guaranteed uptime make SoftNAS a natural choice for your Disaster Recovery. Ensure business continuity in today’s 24x7x365 always-on business climate.
Faster Backup and Archival
As a business’ data grows, the backup window can become unmanageable and tie up precious network resources during business hours. SoftNAS local disk-based caching reduces the backup window by streaming data in the background for better WAN optimization.
Dev/Test Environments
Use SoftNAS to stand up test environments for agile development. Instant writable SnapClones allow regression testing of production data for more accurate testing throughout continuous delivery cycles. Leverage the agility of SoftNAS to change the storage performance and capacity profile at any time as you move from test to production.
New Applications and Proofs of Concept
Need the quickest way to stand up storage infrastructure for a new application or proof of concept project without any storage hardware? As a virtual storage appliance on AWS, Azure and CenturyLink Cloud or for VMware for on-premises projects, you can use SoftNAS to create your storage infrastructure in minutes. Don’t wait for traditional slow procurement processes to get your job done; get started immediately.
Extend the Life of Legacy SAN or Existing Storage Hardware
It’s no secret the maintenance renewal costs for legacy SANs are just as much, if not more than replacing your entire datacenter infrastructure. With hardware-neutral SoftNAS, extend the life of your existing storage resources and maximize your budget. Use SoftNAS to provide a rich enterprise-class set of features and leverage your existing SAN for the data store.
Get high-speed, reliable cloud storage at affordable prices.
Buurst SoftNAS is a hybrid cloud data integration product, combining a software-defined, enterprise-class NAS virtual storage appliance, backups, and data movement; and data integration/replication for IT to manage and control data centrally. Customers save time and money while increasing efficiency.
SoftNAS Virtual NAS supports the following platforms:
- Cloud computing platforms such as Amazon EC2® and Microsoft® Azure™
- On-premise Computing Infrastructure such as VMware vSphere®
- Cost-effective storage solution for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
