The CTERA Intelligent Data Platform is a software-defined solution that creates a unified data fabric for unstructured data. It consolidates information from edge to cloud, replacing dispersed legacy NAS with a single, centrally managed global file system. By providing users with seamless and secure data access from any device or location, the platform empowers IT with centralized control, enhanced security, and comprehensive data management capabilities.
CTERA provides its customers with all the tools to create and support a Global File System. The CTERA Intelligent Data Platform includes the following components:
These components enable CTERA to offer true global file services: files are centrally stored and protected, while users can easily access them everywhere. On top of the “all-in-one” global namespace/filesystem approach, CTERA enables its customers to achieve the following goals:
Military-grade security – A private and secure architecture powered by end-to-end encryption using cryptographic libraries certified with FIPS 140-3, advanced authentication, antivirus, and behind-the-firewall deployment. For additional information about CTERA Portal security, see here. For additional information about CTERA Edge Filer security, see here.
Global deduplication – Most modern storage solutions apply deduplication only to centrally stored files. CTERA has taken deduplication to the next level, applying the algorithms at both cloud and edge. Not only does the Portal support global deduplication, but CTERA Edge Filers and Drive clients offer source-based deduplication, greatly reducing the size of files being sent to the cloud and lowering storage costs substantially.
WAN optimization – To overcome bandwidth and latency limitations, a slew of optimization techniques are used in order to reduce file sizes and transfer times to/from any access point.
Intelligent caching – Every Edge Filer and Drive application comes with a built-in file cache. Caching accelerates remote access, plus it enables access points to “view” the full file storage space, and have on-demand access to every available file.
CTERA Portals, edge filers and endpoints are centrally managed from CTERA Portal using a single web-based console. Template-based management, centralized monitoring, customized alerting and remote software and firmware upgrade capabilities make it easy to manage gateways of various types and sizes as well as individual endpoints – up to hundreds of thousands of connected devices – with no need for on-site IT presence in remote locations.
CTERA Portal
The CTERA Portal is the heart of the CTERA Intelligent Data Platform. CTERA Portal is a scalable software-defined solution that creates a unified data fabric for unstructured data. It consolidates information from edge to cloud, replacing dispersed legacy NAS with a single, centrally managed global file system. By providing users with seamless and secure data access from any device or location, the platform empowers IT with centralized control, enhanced security, and comprehensive data management capabilities. The entire system is managed through the CTERA Portal, a web-based, multi-tenant control plane.
CTERA Portal is compatible with cloud storage infrastructure from multiple vendors, including EMC, Wasabi, Scality, IBM COS, Hitachi HCP, and cloud storage providers such as AWS and Azure.
CTERA Portal facilitates access to cloud storage services; handles data protection and file sync & share services; used for provisioning and monitoring global file services. This is the beating heart of the system and is the component that will run in the customer’s Datacenter or VPC. The portal ensures data consistency, maintains version history, and facilitates file sharing among users, regardless of their access method. Both global source-based deduplication and data compression are used to ensure that only incremental data changes are transferred for storage in the cloud, and that data blocks are stored only once. This dramatically reduces storage capacity needs and overall network traffic. You extend the global file system to users, via CTERA Edge Filers, CTERA Drive Connect, CTERA Drive Share/Protect (Agent), and CTERA Drive Mobile app. The portal ensures data consistency, maintains version history, and facilitates file sharing among users, regardless of their access method.
CTERA Edge Filer
CTERA Edge Filers are virtual appliances that serve as the primary data access point for remote sites. They provide intelligent caching, protocol gateway services (NFS, SMB), and seamless connectivity to the central cloud repository. Available in various caching capacities, they can support offices ranging from a few users to thousands.
CTERA Drive
CTERA Drive gives corporate users the power to access, share, and back up files using a modern collaboration interface. Web, desktop, and mobile access enable secure file sync and endpoint backup from any device, anywhere.
CTERA Drive Connect: A caching-enabled virtual drive that provides transparent, native access to the CTERA Global File System from a user’s desktop, enabling access to unlimited file volumes without consuming significant local disk space. Available on Windows and macOS.
CTERA Drive Share: An enterprise-grade file sync and share (EFSS) service that enables users to create collaborative workspaces, synchronize content across devices, and securely share files with internal and external stakeholders, all governed by central IT policy. Available on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.
CTERA Drive Protect: An automated endpoint backup service that protects user-generated data on desktops and laptops. It employs source-based global deduplication and compression to minimize storage and network overhead. Available on Windows and macOS.
How It Fits Together
