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Cirtas Argues Cloud Storage is Best Solution for "Semi-Active Data"

March 28, 2011

By Carrie Schmelkin
TMCnet Web Editor

There are the obvious types of data – active data which is frequently accessed and considered mission-critical and dormant data, data sets that can be kept on tape storage.

But, according to Cirtas – a 2010 Red Herring Top 100 North America Company that works to make cloud storage work like on-site storage arrays – there is another set of data, referred to as “Semi-Active Data” (SAD).


“What’s interesting is that in most organizations the largest bulk of their information fits neither of these characteristics – it isn’t highly active and it isn’t completely dormant,” Cirtas officials wrote in a recent blog post. “It’s the ‘data in the middle’ and it’s very hard for IT administrators to effectively predict and manage its usage.”

According to a February 2011 article in Storage Magazine, IT professionals universally agree that 60 to 80 percent of their file data hasn't been accessed in a year or more but that unused data still sits on Tier 1 NAS. And that data cannot be taken offline because someone might have to access it at any point.

The solution to SAD, according to Cirtas, is cloud storage. By turning to the cloud, companies no longer have to manage hardware or software, can reap the benefits of built-in data protection and can enjoy having a system that supports future business growth. 

“Cloud storage controller technology gives administrators a powerful new tool for dealing with semi-active data,” Cirtas explains. “Unlike traditional tiering, leveraging the cloud with a cloud storage controller seamlessly changes the tiering process, unlocking capital and operational savings that are substantial enough for administrators to take notice.”

The first major benefit of using cloud storage is that businesses no longer have to turn to expensive on-site storage and the associated costs with management. With cloud storage, the responsibility shifts away from the IT managers and falls on the cloud provider and customers only pay for the storage they use.

Another benefit is that by turning to cloud storage, businesses no longer need backup solutions because with cloud storage, controllers’ data protection is a built-in feature.

“No need to waste any more time or resources on backups or a disaster recovery solution – all the data protection you need is inherently provided just by putting your information into the cloud tier,” explains Cirtas.

In addition to offering cost savings and protection, cloud storage helps businesses plan for future data growth as there is no limit to the amount of data that can be stored.

“Instead of the Semi-Active Data tier creating more infrastructure to manage and protect (in the same ways as Tier 1 data), the cloud changes the game,” Cirtas writes. “Cloud storage controllers make it easy to implement a tiering strategy that truly lowers the workload on IT, maintains user expectations for data accessibility and provides substantially lowered costs.”In other Cirtas news, the cloud storage company recent posted a blog that tackled some of the more common inquiries about Cirtas’ Bluejet Cloud Storage Controller, which represent “part of a larger conversation we’re having with the marketplace.”

One of the main questions Cirtas receives is: “Is Bluejet really cloud-powered primary storage? Or is it actually cloud-powered backup storage because you still need local storage to run all of your applications since cloud-based primary storage won’t work for most applications?”

The answer, according to Cirtas, is that Bluejet “really is cloud powered primary storage.”


Carrie Schmelkin is a Web Editor for TMCnet. Previously, she worked as Assistant Editor at the New Canaan Advertiser, a 102-year-old weekly newspaper, covering news and enhancing the publication's social media initiatives. Carrie holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and a bachelor's degree in English from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Janice McDuffee

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