Hey there, storage enthusiasts! We've got some exciting news to share about Miria 4.2, the latest version of Atempo’s data management platform set to release early February, 2024. To give you an insider's perspective on the key features, we sat down with Renaud Bonnevie, our Director of Product Management, for an informal yet insightful chat.
Erasure Coding on Tape: Redefining Long-Term Storage for Cloud Service Providers (CSPs):
Q: Renaud, could you tell our readers what makes the Erasure Coding on Tape feature a game-changer?
RENAUD: Absolutely! We're super excited about this. So, imagine you're a Cloud Service Provider (CSP) looking to add a cold archive service to your portfolio. You've got multiple data centers, each equipped with hefty tape libraries. Offering cost-effective and secure long-term storage is the goal, right? That's where Erasure Coding on Tape comes in.
The technology behind it is ingenious. Similar to RAID on servers, it's tailor-made for tape storage. Each file gets fragmented and stored across a redundant infrastructure. Fragments are written to different storage units, with a system checking information integrity. If a fragment goes missing, no worries – our algorithm swoops in to reconstruct it using other parts of the file.
Q: Who stands to benefit the most from this feature?
RENAUD: Clearly, clients of cloud service providers (CSPs) aim to outsource labor and energy-intensive archive management processes. Choosing a tape archiving solution with Erasure Coding minimizes energy-related storage costs and adopts an environmentally friendly storage approach. This choice also provides high resilience, capable of withstanding the loss of multiple cartridges or even an entire data center.
Best practices dictate maintaining a minimum of three copies, ideally stored in different locations. However, when dealing with CSPs handling hundreds of petabytes (PB) of data, this translates into large volumes and also substantial hardware investments.
Enter Erasure Coding to Tape: Its magic lies in a drastic reduction of storage footprint, requiring 25% less space than a double copyand 150% less than a triple copy. The result? Not only does this translate into substantial savings in storage hardware and consumed energy, but it also maintains resilience and disaster recovery at the data center level.
Currently, we're in the process of fine-tuning this capability, specifically catering to CSPs seeking to implement large-scale cold archiving. However, our plan extends beyond; we aim to make this feature available to all customers utilizing tape libraries across multiple sites. The buzz is real, with research centers currently interested in leveraging this technology for their archives. Exciting times ahead!
Data Encryption Evolutions: Putting You in Control:
Q: Encryption topics are always intriguing. What's in store with the integration of Thales’ Key Management System, CypherTrust Manager?
RENAUD: First and foremost, it's a response to a strong demand from our clients who want to enhance the security of their data further. With Miria 4.2, you get seamless integration with CypherTrust Manager, Thales' Key Management System. This means customers have full control over encryption keys, access control, and security policies, regardless of their chosen storage platform—cloud or on-premise.
For those not equipped with such a robust KMS system, we've got you covered. MIRIA provides mechanisms to host certificates and keys directly within the solution. We're adding extra capabilities to manage all encryption key parameters, ensuring enhanced end-to-end security. If a man-in-the-middle attack ever succeeds, they'd only get limited access thanks to key rotation.
Other Exciting Additions: A Glimpse into the Future of Miria’s Storage Management:
Q: Beyond these features, what else can our users look forward to in the new release?
RENAUD: We've got quite a lineup. First, users can expect expanded storage options in our compatibility guide. We're also introducing a dedicated task for performing a second copy to tape with scheduling and retention independent from the initial disk backup or archive task. And last but not least, for our Azure cloud storage users, big news--we're enhancing support for immutability, building on the strides we've made in the last two years across tape, disk, and cloud.
Oh, and don't forget our commitment to accessibility. We're enriching the REST-API with entry points for each new capability. Now, our documentation boasts 100% coverage of all capacities. It's all about making your storage experience seamless and secure
There you have it, folks—an exclusive sneak peek into what MIRIA 4.2 has in store for you. With Erasure Coding on Tape and advanced encryption, we're not just upgrading features; we're transforming the way you think about storage. Mark your calendars, this release is one you won't want to miss! Stay tuned for more updates.