Ctera Enterprise File Services Platform Version 6.0

Ctera Networks Ltd. announced version 6.0 of its Enterprise File Services Platform, removing the file storage capacity limitations by dynamically caching files from any secure cloud to enterprise edge devices and desktop users.

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Ctera 6.0 enables workers to securely access, share and protect an unlimited number of files in the cloud as if they were stored locally on their desktop or on shared network drives, without being constrained by local storage capacity or security compromises.

With the delivery of version 6.0, the company helps customers take another step in their cloud transformation journey, by providing unified modern file services for endpoints, offices and servers with high level of security and with IT control over data migration, governance, and choice of cloud.

“Ctera has enabled JWT to modernise our legacy file services in locations around the world with a unified and secure enterprise platform,” said Menakshi Sehwani, I.T. business partner, J. Walter Thompson, Inc., marketing communications firms with over 200 offices worldwide. “We are excited by the new features in Ctera 6.0 that will enable infinite file capacity for our office environments and will boost our ability to collaborate on files across the organisation.“

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Ctera 6.0 capabilities include:

Distributed caching: The solution provides both remote users and office environments access to centralized files in the cloud while always optimising file server and endpoint access speed. Caching engine leverages the firm’s global deduplication to accelerate synchronisation of enterprise data and optimise storage utilisation.
Universal ACLs: Unlike consumer-oriented file services, the solution preserves pre-existing enterprise file access control lists (ACLs), and makes it simple for users to migrate their remote office shares to a desktop or laptop experience. The company is a technology vendor that enables NT ACLs to follow files across office file servers, desktops and even mobile devices.

Ctera 6.0 use cases:

File server replacement: Ctera desktop endpoint clients can now provide fast access to petabyte-scale shares allowing users to collaborate on large projects from anywhere, and to pin specific folders for offline access. These file services work seamlessly with the firm’s Gateways that can persist larger data sets at the edge for offices that need to handle large workloads or that suffer from network latency.
Enterprise content archiving: Gateways can house petabyte-scale project archives while providing edge caching support for working data sets that can be pinned to ensure fast, predictable access. The firm’s enterprise archiving is for media archiving, scientific research workflows, document management and more.
Cloud backup and DR: Gateways provide cloud backup and zero-minute DR, and can also be used as backup accelerators for enterprise backup workloads to any secure private cloud, increasing DR readiness while also reducing backup infrastructure investment.

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“Ctera recognises that knowledge workers do not work in one place with one computer, and have designed their system to enable maximum productivity for workers regardless of location or access device,” said George Crump, founder and principal analyst, Storage Switzerland LLC., a high-tech analyst firm. “Adding caching to both the storage gateways and end points brings a new level of productivity to office and mobile workers and extends Ctera’s leadership in delivering a unified file services platform.“

“Enterprise IT is responsible for improving the productivity and effectiveness of their organization’s knowledge workers, and enabling workers to access the data they need at the right time is at the heart this responsibility,” commented Liran Eshel, CEO, Ctera. “Ctera 6.0 delivers an order of magnitude boost to collaboration and productivity as users can now easily access and share all relevant files from anywhere, without being constrained by local disk capacity and without cumbersome time-draining steps to access or share relevant files.“

“Our global customers look to SHI for guidance around scaling file services from the data center, to remote offices and to the cloud of their choice,” said Mike Voss, principal architect, SHI International Corp. “The Ctera 6.0 release allows SHI customers to achieve the full benefits of cloud-based file services and data protection, while reducing cost and complexity of their office infrastructure. Only Ctera enables SHI customers to achieve cloud-scale and economics while managing their global file infrastructure from a central location, with best-in-class governance and security.“

Version 6.0 is delivered as a software upgrade to the company’s Cloud Storage Gateways and to the Ctera Drive desktop and mobile clients.

Resources:
Free Trial
CTO Blog Post: The New Era of the Stateless Enterprise
Blog Post: CTERA 6.0 – Your All-Access Pass
CTERA Enterprise File Services Platform