Introduction to CTERA Edge Filer Version 7.6.x

CTERA Edge Filer version 7.6.x includes the following new features:

• Ransomware Protection
• Automatic Backup of the Edge Filer Configuration
• New Home Dashboard
• Cache Hits and Hit Rate Graphs
• New Log Viewer
• Improved Handling of Previous Versions
• Improved Eviction Policy for Deduped Files
• Next Generation File System
• Support for WORM Compliant Cloud Folders: CTERA Vault
• Improved Security with Upgraded SAMBA version
• Improved Integration with macOS Spotlight

Ransomware Protection

Ransomware attacks have become an increasingly imposing threat to organizations. In most ransomware attacks, encryption restricts access to critical files, systems, and applications. This encryption process happens silently in the background.

Taking proactive measures against ransomware attacks helps safeguard your data and ensures the continuity of your operations. Each user’s behavior is monitored and fed in to a machine learning algorithm trained on an extensive dataset of attack flows. Via this monitoring, CTERA Ransom Protect is able to detect and block ransomware attacks within seconds.

Key Features of CTERA Ransom Protect include:

• Real-time detection: Advanced machine learning algorithms identify behavioral anomalies suggesting fraudulent file activity, and block offending users within seconds.
• Zero-day protection: CTERA Ransom Protect does not rely on traditional signature update services, eliminating the need for constant on-site updates.
• Incident management: An administrator dashboard provides real-time attack monitoring, comprehensive incident evidence logging and post-attack forensics.
• Instant recovery: Near-instant recovery of any affected files from snapshots.

In addition, CTERA Ransom Protect requires minimal configuration, requiring a single click to activate ransomware protection on the CTERA Edge Filer.

For details, see Ransomware Protection.

Automatic Backup of the Edge Filer Configuration

The CTERA Edge Filer configuration (db.xml) should be backed up to the CTERA Portal so that the edge filer is protected in the event of a failure or disaster, by restoring the configuration.

The configuration is automatically backed up by default.

For details, see Backing Up and Restoring the Edge Filer Configuration.

New Home Dashboard

The Main > Welcome page has been replaced with a new dashboard to provide an overview of the edge filer and the activity over time.

For details, see Monitoring the CTERA Edge Filer.

Cache Hits and Hit Rate Graphs

The Cache Hits and Hit Rate graphs help monitor the CTERA Edge Filer. Both graphs are available in the new home dashboard.


For details, see Monitoring the CTERA Edge Filer.

The Cache Hits has also been added to the Cache section in the Cloud Drive page.

For details, see Monitoring the Edge Filer Caching.

New Log Viewer

The Log Viewer page has been redesigned to make it easier to view the different logs.

For details, see CTERA Edge Filer Logs

Improved Handling of Previous Versions

New CTERA Edge Filers include an option to improve performance when connected to a CTERA Portal from version 7.5.1159.x.

To enable this feature and understand additional implications and limitations when enabled, contact CTERA Support.

Improved Eviction Policy for Deduped Files

When evicting files after deduplication has been enabled, deduped files are also included in the retention policy.

Next Generation File System

CTERA has introduced the next generation file system to support billions of files on a single edge filer with improved performance. For example, move, rename, upload operations are significantly faster.

The next generation file system requires a CTERA Portal from version 7.5.1159.x.

Do not enable the next generation file system on edge filers that require macOS Search results.

To enable this feature and understand additional implications and limitations when enabled, contact CTERA Support before starting to populate the edge filer with content.

Support for WORM Compliant Cloud Folders: CTERA Vault

WORM (write once, read many) compliance ensures that data cannot be tampered with or deleted. CTERA Vault uses WORM technology to prevent editing, overwriting, renaming or erasing this data.

When a cloud drive folder is defined with folder compliance on the CTERA Portal, after an initial, optional, grace period, the contents of the folder can be protected from any attempt to change the folder content such as by renaming, moving, modifying, or deleting content for a specified retention period, either on the CTERA Portal or CTERA Edge Filer.

For details, see Folder (WORM) Compliance: CTERA Vault.

Improved Security with Upgraded SAMBA version

The SAMBA version used has been upgraded to version 4.13.14. This version includes a number of security fixes.

Improved Integration with macOS Spotlight

The integration with macOS Spotlight has been improved.