Data is crucial for businesses of all sizes, and the concept of storing it anywhere and accessing it everywhere is highly attractive.
This is where global file systems (GFS) come into play, aiming to disconnect physical storage from applications and users by consolidating on-premise and cloud data into a hybrid cloud storage solution with file access.
With a GFS, an application or user can view files as if they are all in one location, even though the data may be spread across multiple physical sites.
Let’s delve into how a GFS accomplishes this and explore the various forms that global file systems can take.
Files, file systems, and namespaces
Larger organizations typically have multiple data stores and various file systems, leading to data silos that hinder information sharing and data mobility between applications. Introducing the cloud exacerbates this challenge. However, by adopting a GFS, organizations can leverage cloud and hybrid storage solutions.
Global file systems often utilize object storage, which employs a global namespace. This enables data to be stored in multiple locations but presented to an application as if it is centralized in one place.
The adoption of object storage is being propelled by hyperscale cloud providers, as it allows them to operate seamlessly across numerous data centers.
Global file systems take this a step further, enabling enterprises to distribute data across local storage and public cloud resources.
Global file system features
A GFS operates a global namespace to aggregate storage from different physical locations. Object storage follows a flat structure instead of hierarchical directories, with each object having a unique identifier that facilitates scalability to handle vast amounts of data efficiently.
However, most applications cannot directly access object storage. A global file system bridges this gap by connecting its file service—typically in the cloud—to local hardware or a virtualized application on the user’s LAN.
This hardware or virtual machine acts as a cache and ensures application compatibility while maintaining all data within a single namespace to facilitate data storage across cloud resources, private clouds, and on-premise data centers.
Global file systems also offer file locking to prevent data errors caused by multiple users attempting to write to files simultaneously, a feature lacking in object storage. GFS suppliers incorporate this to align with application expectations.
Suppliers enhance their offerings with additional features based on market positioning, including migration services for transitioning data from legacy network-attached storage (NAS) to the global file system and support for various operating systems and applications to enable seamless storage access without application refactoring.
Use cases for global file systems
The primary use cases for global file systems revolve around storing large and expanding volumes of unstructured data.
A GFS is ideal for organizations seeking the advantages of a global namespace and cloud scalability without transitioning directly to object storage.
In this aspect, a global file system aligns closely with the objectives of object storage in general. However, a GFS offers more control over data storage locations, including the option to retain some data on-premise, and ensures compatibility with existing operating systems and applications.
A GFS is suitable for organizations that desire the benefits of a global namespace and cloud scalability but are not ready to migrate to object storage. It also caters to enterprises heavily invested in on-premise storage who wish to continue using it.
Each GFS supplier adopts a slightly different approach and may have a distinct product name.
CTERA utilizes Edge, a caching filer; CTERA Drive, an agent for endpoint devices; and VDI for virtual workspaces. CTERA boasts no capacity limits, providing file-sharing services and device-level access across Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS platforms.
Hammerspace offers a global data environment that integrates cloud, data centers, and the edge into a unified dataset, offering access, data tiering, file versioning, deduplication, snapshots, and antivirus capabilities. Hammerspace supports access to cloud, data center, and legacy DAS, SAN, and NAS filestores.
Nasuni positions its UniFS as the foundation of its File Data Platform, featuring on-premise edge instances for local cached access, file management, and orchestration. Nasuni IQ supplements this with performance analytics and APIs.
Panzura presents itself as a comprehensive platform for unstructured data, with its CloudFS global file system creating an optimized dataset for enterprises and offering direct support for mobile devices that sync directly to the cloud. Panzura also provides cloud block storage.
Peer Software’s global file service supports hybrid and multicloud environments. PeerGFS, a software-only solution, features active-active sync, a global namespace using Microsoft DFSN (Distributed File System Namespaces), and object storage integration, along with cloud backup and replication support.
Qumulo’s software-defined file system spans on-premise and cloud storage, targeting high-performance and high-capacity applications.
