The big players in the cloud space—AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud—offer a range of data storage solutions. You’ve got everything from object storage to cloud NAS and direct-attached storage for cloud servers, along with specialized tools for archiving and backups.
However, some workloads might work better with a third-party storage operating system instead of what the cloud providers offer. Let’s dive into those third-party options available through hyperscalers.
You’ll find solutions like NetApp’s ONTAP Cloud, Dell EMC’s PowerScale for Multi-Cloud, IBM Spectrum Scale on Cloud, and Pure Storage Cloud Block Store. Dell and NetApp focus on block and file storage, while Lustre, an open-source option, is also available from these hyperscalers. Moreover, AWS and GCP offer OpenZFS.
These third-party systems come in handy for businesses operating in hybrid or multi-cloud scenarios. They allow more flexibility for moving between different cloud providers and include features that help optimize storage and costs.
So, why choose a third-party cloud operating system? There are a few reasons. Companies often want more control over their data, need to operate both on-premises and in the cloud, and want an easier way to shift between cloud providers later on. As businesses increasingly adopt hybrid or multi-cloud strategies, these considerations are crucial. For example, NetApp markets its ONTAP software as an effective way to manage storage across local and cloud environments.
With features like SMB and NFS built-in, this software allows applications to migrate without extensive rewriting. Lift-and-shift migrations are just part of the story, though. Using third-party storage software opens the door to technologies like deduplication and thin provisioning, which can lead to significant savings. In contrast, typical cloud storage requires paying upfront for allocated capacity and performance.
For enterprises running VMware, third-party storage systems are especially appealing. They provide greater control and let IT teams use familiar tools. This extends to non-virtualized setups too. A single storage operating system for both on-premises and cloud can maximize the advantages of both environments.
By connecting existing hardware to the cloud, companies can benefit from fast scaling and quick provisioning. Patrick Smith from Pure Storage emphasizes that “hybrid multi-cloud means having flexibility and data mobility across those different environments.” He notes that native storage services often lock you into their specific clouds, hindering mobility between providers or transitioning from on-premises to public cloud.
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
AWS features NetApp’s ONTAP on its FSx platform, delivering multi-protocol access like NFS, SMB, iSCSI, and NVMe-over-TCP. It automates scaling and tiering, claiming to ease application and data migrations while boosting performance with file server pairs. Cloud Volumes ONTAP operates on AWS, manageable through NetApp BlueXP. AWS also supports OpenZFS, Lustre, and Microsoft’s Windows File Server on FSx. For block storage applications, Pure’s Cloud Block Store is also supported on AWS. Additionally, IBM’s Spectrum Scale offers a clustered file system on AWS that allows for shared access without requiring deep knowledge of the technology. Dell’s PowerScale for Multi-Cloud supports AWS too, through suppliers like Faction.
Microsoft Azure
Azure provides cloud file shares using NetApp technology with Azure NetApp Files, which works for both Windows and Linux setups and offers three performance tiers: Standard, Premium, and Ultra. Pure Storage comes into play here as well, offering its Cloud Block Store on Azure, either directly or through VMware. In April 2024, IBM unveiled a technical preview for its Cloud-kit for IBM Spectrum Scale, facilitating the deployment of an IBM Storage Scale Cluster on Azure. Dell’s PowerScale for Multi-Cloud also extends its support to Azure.
Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
On GCP, you can tap into third-party storage options like NetApp ONTAP and IBM’s Spectrum Scale through Sycomp. Dell Technologies’ PowerScale for Multi-Cloud is also available on Google Cloud. NetApp promotes Cloud Volumes ONTAP for GCP as an efficient way to transition Linux and Windows applications to the cloud and to streamline file server consolidation. GCP also offers VMware certified NFS data stores via Google Cloud VMware Engine.