DCIG is expanding its software-defined storage (SDS) research to include object and universal storage solutions. It invites solution providers to participate in the survey research taking place through June 2021. DCIG will publish results beginning in the 3rd quarter. These DCIG TOP 5 reports help IT decision-makers save valuable time through a succinct analysis of available solutions.
Background
A growing number of businesses are adopting software-defined storage. SDS decouples storage software from its hardware. Businesses value SDS for the flexibility SDS gives them to use the hardware of their choosing, and even deploy the same storage solution on-premises and in the public cloud.
SDS Research: Block, File, Object and Universal Storage
DCIG performed a scan of the SDS marketplace and discovered dozens of SDS providers. DCIG focused its initial research on SDS block storage solutions. It extended its research to include file-oriented (NAS) solutions. Now DCIG is expanding its SDS research to include object and universal storage solutions.
Object and Universal Storage Defined
DCIG defines object storage solutions by their support for S3 protocol access to data stored by the solution. Universal storage supports block, file and S3 protocol access to the data. In a sense, it is the next evolution of unified storage with the addition of object storage protocol support to the traditional block+file protocol support. Universal storage also delivers the performance, data services, and key integrations organizations expect from primary storage solutions.
Preliminary List of Object and Universal Solutions to be Evaluated
Based on a preliminary scan of the marketplace, DCIG identified the following solutions to be evaluated for possible inclusion in the object or universal storage research.
- AWS S3 and Snow Family
- Cloudian HyperStore
- Commvault Hedvig Distributed Storage Platform
- Data Direct Networks Web Object Scaler (WOS)
- DataCore Software vFilO
- DataCore Swarm
- Dell EMC Elastic Cloud Storage (ECS) and IsilonSD
- Google Cloud Storage
- Hammerspace
- Hitachi HCP
- Huawei FusionStorage
- IBM Cloud Object Storage
- iXsystems TrueNAS Core, Enterprise, and Scale
- Microsoft Azure Blob
- Minio
- Nasuni
- NetApp StorageGrid
- Pure Storage FlashBlade
- Quantum ActiveScale
- Qumulo
- Red Hat Ceph
- Scality RING
- Storidge CIO (Container IO)
- StorONE S1 – Enterprise Storage Platform
- SUSE Enterprise Storage
- SwiftStack
- Tiger Technology Tiger Bridge
- VMware vSAN
- Weka WekaFS
- Zadara Virtual Private Storage Array (or VPSA, mentioned below)
Object and Universal Storage: Next Steps
The survey data collection period runs through June 2021. Survey data is based on publicly available and vendor-provided information. DCIG will publish results of its analysis beginning in the 3rd quarter as one or more DCIG TOP 5 reports. We will announce the release of each report via the DCIG website and newsletter.
Important Information About the Research Process
The survey collects data on solution features and capabilities from an end-user perspective. It contains a mix of multiple-choice, check-all-that-apply, yes/no, and short answer questions. The instrument allows multiple people to contribute.
- There is no charge to participate in the survey or be selected as a top solution provider
- The reports will focus on the positive aspects of the leading solutions
- Reports may focus on cloud, on-premise, capacity, and performance-oriented use cases
DCIG TOP 5 Report Benefits
IT Executives and managers will find the results of the independent research DCIG conducts in the SDS marketspace valuable, through:
- Saving time discovering, researching, and analyzing products for consideration
- Understanding essential factors enterprises should consider
- Identifying important differentiators between top solutions
Invitation to Participate
DCIG invites all object and universal storage providers to participate in the survey research. Storage providers can ensure they receive a survey by contacting DCIG through the Contact Us page.
Keep Up to Date with DCIG
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