SwiftStack 2.0 Accelerates Enterprise Object Storage Adoption

Software Defined Storage Platform Lays Modern Foundation for Enterprises

SAN FRANCISCO - June 17, 2014 - SwiftStack, the object storage software leader, today announced the launch of SwiftStack 2.0. This launch provides enterprise IT with the modern data storage they need to make massive scale easy, and make available any data and application that will drive their businesses forward. SwiftStack 2.0 software defined storage platform is sold with Swift, the OpenStack object storage project that powers the largest cloud deployments.

“All legacy storage vendors are grappling with how they are going to support this new ‘anytime, anywhere, any device, any application’ world,” said SwiftStack founder and CEO Joe Arnold. “All enterprise applications will rely on object storage to keep up with the massive scale of data and access points required by users in a cost-effective way. It’s the only way enterprises will be able to compete today and in the future. SwiftStack customers are already living in that future – one in which new web and mobile applications are launched daily – while at the same time supporting legacy applications. SwiftStack is the only object storage platform that can support these requirements at the scale, speed and cost required by enterprises.”

The launch of SwiftStack 2.0 continues SwiftStack’s vision to bring the promise of object storage to the enterprise: seamless integration with their legacy infrastructure at massive uninterrupted scale. With SwiftStack 2.0, IT can now build an object storage system for any application their users depend on to be productive, with immediate access to any data when they need it. Furthermore, CIOs can now deliver a customer-centric infrastructure at a lower cost and with fewer resources than ever before.

SwiftStack 2.0 simplifies enterprise integration, scale and manageability. Features include:

• Filesystem Gateway — The SwiftStack Filesystem Gateway combines the advantages of object storage – scale, durability, availability and low cost – with the ability to integrate with existing file-based applications. It supports CIFS/NFS and simply installs on any standard Linux distribution. Unlike any other gateway today, the SwiftStack Filesystem Gateway provides freedom from lock-in. Data comes in as files and objects come out and vice versa. Customers can mix and match workflows between file and object without using yet another vendor to work with that holds data hostage.
• Software Defined Storage Controller — SwiftStack 2.0’s software defined storage (SDS) Controller provides improved visibility and control into a storage system even when it spans multiple data centers. The enhanced user interface enables operators to manage and scale their storage environment from a single “pane of glass.” This creates a cohesive SDS platform to orchestrate upgrades, utilization reporting and gain key insights into how the storage systems are performing.
• Enterprise Authentication Integration — The SwiftStack 2.0 object storage platform provides easy plug-and-play integration with enterprise management systems such as LDAP and Active Directory, providing seamless secure, authenticated access to their object storage, easily.
• Global Data Distribution — In SwiftStack 2.0, data can be distributed across multiple regions in a single cluster which reduces latency for data access and ingest while providing high availability. This eliminates the drag on applications with global storage footprints making them much more flexible, and provides a much better user experience. Customers are not required to spend additional budget on two identical systems dedicated exclusively to disaster recovery.
• Flexible Storage Policies — IT will have unprecedented freedom to provide the storage services their users and applications need. With SwiftStack 2.0, IT can deploy storage policies that segment across geographically dispersed data centers, different storage hardware performance or by number of replicas. This simplifies and consolidates different tiers of storage under a single storage system – simplifying management and lowering costs of overall storage infrastructure.
• Heterogenous Hardware Support — IT can now get the most out of their capital investments while also making users as productive as possible. IT can build a durable, scalable object storage system while utilizing hardware from multiple vendors – mixing storage node density and even storage device size. The appropriate amount of data is distributed across all available capacity turning a multitude of disparate hardware into a cohesive storage system.

“Object storage is ideal for applications at eBay. Software-defined storage powered by open source technology provide the best value by leveraging commodity infrastructure. SwiftStack and Swift are key to our object storage roadmap,” said Russ McElroy, Manager, Storage Engineering and Strategy, eBay Inc. “SwiftStack's products and expertise have been key to our ability to scale eBay to the multi-petabyte level. Not only can we control how our storage is configured, but our storage platforms can be consolidated, so it’s easier to manage and scale our data.”

“ We needed an object storage solution that would allow us to implement a sync - and - share solution and create a static web page for our various business units . To do this rapidly and efficiently, we turned to SwiftStack,” said Mike Gasaway, Senior Solutions Architect, HP Helion. “ The seamless deployment of SwiftStack across our departments allows for smooth data retrieval from one data center and has enabled us to scale company - wide.”

“As the content and multiplatform media company of the Pac-12 Conference, Pac-12 Networks produces over 750 live sporting events each year. SwiftStack has transformed how we archive and structure our extensive media repository,” said Scott Adametz, Director, System Architecture & Technology at Pac-12. “With SwiftStack 2.0 and its Gateway feature, we can finally bridge the gap between object storage and other storage systems used internally. Our legacy media asset management application now leverages scalable object storage without any custom development or reconfiguration. We can control and manage our video archive storage infrastructure through SwiftStack's simple user interface and no longer have to rely on tape to archive every exciting moment of Pac-12 athletics.”

“Our mission has always been to modernize storage for the enterprise by eliminating the cost and complexity involved in scaling to new world demands,” said Arnold. “SwiftStack’s new object storage platform is empowering enterprises with a software defined storage platform that will allow them scale to use their existing systems and capital investments while transitioning to a storage infrastructure built for the future.”

To learn more about SwiftStack, please visit www.swiftstack.com.