Tech Alert: Containerized Hybrid Clouds Require A Data-Centric Approach

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Server virtualization has vastly improved the way modern enterprises manage and maintain data.  However, these now-ubiquitous, on-premises, VM-based infrastructures still cannot support the agile business processes that many enterprises require.  Instead, to enable increasingly dynamic workflows, many enterprises are turning towards containers and hybrid cloud technologies.  To effectively integrate those technologies, enterprises must employ a flexible, data-centric approach, say experts at Elastifile, the enterprise hybrid cloud data infrastructure company.

To deliver efficient containerized deployments, data must be managed seamlessly regardless of where the container is running.  For example, in DevOps environments, containers will be created, migrated, and/or replicated where needed to support dynamic operational requirements.  Container orchestration tools can ensure efficient portability of the containerized applications, but the associated data must also be managed and shared accordingly.  In hybrid cloud deployments (e.g. for cloud DevOps, cloud analytics, cloud bursting, etc.), on-premises and public cloud infrastructure are integrated, making data management even more crucial.  To support containerized hybrid workflows, an effective data management solution must be:

• Persistent and highly available
• Seamlessly scalable
• Universally accessible (i.e. across clusters, sites, and clouds)

Considering these requirements, distributed file systems are a perfect fit, and offer several key advantages:

Data Resilience
Distributed file systems provide a resilient data platform that insulates containerized applications against hardware failures.  If a server or cloud instance fails, the containers previously running on that node can be instantly restarted in a new location, thus minimizing or eliminating adverse business impact.

Cloud Scalability
In hybrid cloud deployments, containerized infrastructure can rapidly expand from dozens to hundreds, or even thousands, of nodes. Software-defined, distributed file systems can scale seamlessly to support data accessibility at these massive scales within heterogeneous, cross-cloud environments.

Universal, Shared Access
By persisting data within a single global namespace spanning hybrid environments, distributed file systems enable containers to access and share data, regardless of where they are running.  This provides huge advantages for use cases that require data synchronization across multiple applications (e.g. synchronized source code updates for DevOps, web server infrastructure) or that require multi-user visibility to a shared data set (e.g. analytics, media sharing).

"To leverage the full potential of containerized technologies, their application level agility must be complemented by agile data services," said Shahar Frank, Elastifile CTO and co-founder. "Those requirements, coupled with the requirements necessitated by a shift to the hybrid cloud, are catalyzing the emergence of modern, file-based data management approaches."

To learn more about Elastifile's solution for stateful containers and the benefits of unified infrastructure, please see the following resources:

• Elastifile solution brief on Stateful Containers: http://www.elastifile.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Solutions-Brief_Container-Persistance.pdf
• Elastifile blog on Stateful Containers: http://www.elastifile.com/stateful-containers-paradox-or-paradise/

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About Elastifile
Elastifile is redefining the way data is stored and managed, enabling seamless deployment of private and hybrid cloud solutions.  With enterprises and service providers increasingly looking to support both on-premises and cloud workflows, Elastifile uniquely delivers this data management to application, analytics, and infrastructure teams as the single global namespace of an application-level distributed file/object system.  This elastic, scale-out, software-defined BYOH (bring-your-own-hardware) solution brings all the advantages of public IaaS to the data center and all the enterprise data services to the hybrid cloud.

Elastifile was founded in 2013 and is backed by seven market leaders from across the data center and storage industries, Battery Ventures, and Lightspeed Venture Partners. Elastifile's founders and leadership team includes a powerful mix of experience across enterprise storage, virtualization, applications, and flash to help transform its customers' hybrid cloud workflows.

SOURCE Elastifile