Hystax Double Storage Feature in Acura to Combine Speed and Cost-efficiency of Backup Storage

Hystax, Inc. has introduced a new capability in its backup and DR solutions platform, Acura, that enables customers to store backup copies in 2 types of storage simultaneously.

The newly released ‘Double Storage’ functionality allows organizations to balance cost-effective long-term data storage with the ability to recover IT infrastructure when needed rapidly.

Traditional backup strategies often rely on a single type of storage, typically either object storage or block-level storage. Each approach has its strengths, but also presents limitations when applied to real-world scenarios requiring both affordability and rapid disaster recovery.

Object storage, such as S3-compatible systems, is widely used for long-term data retention due to its scalability, deduplication capabilities, and accessibility through APIs. It is particularly suited to archiving, granular file recovery, and cost-sensitive backup policies. However, recovering a full virtual machine from object storage can take significant time, making it less suitable for scenarios where a minimal RTO is required.

Block storage, on the other hand, provides the ability to quickly spin up virtual machines directly from snapshots. This is essential for organizations with low RTO requirements, such as in high-availability or mission-critical systems. The trade-off is cost: block storage is typically priced based on total disk volume, regardless of actual data usage, which can make it expensive to scale.

Introducing Double Storage: A hybrid approach
With Double Storage, Hystax Acura provides a hybrid storage architecture that integrates both object and block storage within a single backup strategy. All backups continue to be stored in object storage as the primary and long-term repository, while the latest snapshots are automatically duplicated in block storage. This approach allows companies to benefit from the advantages of both systems: the rapid recovery speed of block storage for recent backups and the cost-efficiency of object storage for historical copies.

The entire process is fully automated. Acura manages the rotation of backups, determining which snapshots should remain in block storage and which can be offloaded to object storage. This logic allows for optimized use of high-performance storage without manual intervention or added complexity.

The feature is especially relevant for businesses that need to meet both high availability and long-term data retention requirements, such as banks, telecommunications providers, industrial companies, and online services. It is also valuable for MSPs and integrators offering BaaS and DRaaS to clients who demand flexible storage policies.

“This dual-storage mechanism is aimed at solving a common dilemma in IT operations: how to achieve fast recovery without overpaying for storage that remains idle most of the time,” said Edwin-Alexander Kuss, director, global sales, Hystax.

Broader implications for backup strategies
The introduction of Double Storage comes at a time when organizations are re-evaluating the balance between backup speed, availability, and cost. By reducing dependency on a single storage format, companies gain greater control over their backup infrastructure and budget planning. For businesses managing high volumes of critical data, this kind of flexibility can help address ongoing concerns around cloud storage and backup complexity and expense.

This aligns with growing interest in cloud storage backup solutions that provide automation, scalability, and performance, without forcing trade-offs between operational resilience and cost management.

Availability:
The Double Storage feature is available within Hystax Acura. The platform supports a wide range of storage backends, including public cloud providers (AWS, Azure, and others) and S3-compatible systems such as Ceph, MinIO, and other on-premises or hybrid cloud configurations. Backup storage policies can be customized manually or through a programmable API.

This release extends Acura’s capabilities as a flexible solution for protecting virtual machines, applications, and full IT infrastructures. It builds on Hystax’s commitment to helping organizations streamline their storage backup and recovery processes while adapting to evolving performance and cost requirements.