Some August 2015 Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure Cloud Updates

Cloud Services Providers continue to extend their feature, function and capabilities and the following are two examples. Being a customer of both Amazon Web Services (AWS) as well as Microsoft Azure (among others), I receive monthly news updates about service improvements along with new features. Here are a couple of examples involving recent updates from AWS and Azure.

Azure enhancements

Azure Premium Storage generally available in Japan East

Solid State Device (SSD) based Azure Premium Storage is now available in Japan East region. Add up to 32 TB and more than 64,000 IOPs (read operations) per virtual machine with Azure Premium Storage. Learn more about Azure storage and pricing here.

Azure Data Factory generally available

Data Factory is a cloud based data integration service for automated management as well as movement and transformation of data, learn more and view pricing options here.

AWS Partner Updates

Recent Amazon Web Services (AWS) customer update included the following pertaining to partner storage solutions.

Learn more about AWS Partner Network (APN) here or click on the above image.

AWS APN competency programs include:

Storage
Healthcare
Life Sciences
SAP Solutions
Microsoft Solutions
Oracle Solutions
Marketing and Commerce
Big Data
Security
Digital Media

AWS Partner Network (APN) Solutions for Storage include:

Archiving to AWS Glacier

Commvault

NetApp (AltaVault)

Backup to AWS using S3

CloudBerry Lab

Commvault

Ctera

Druva

NetApp (AltaVault)

Primary Cloud File and NAS storage complementing on-premises (e.g. your local) storage

Avere

Ctera

NetApp (Cloud OnTap)

Panzura

SoftNAS

Zadara

Secure File Transfer

Aspera

Signiant

Note that the above are those listed on the AWS Storage Partner Page as of this being published and subject to change. Likewise other solutions that are not part of the AWS partner program may not be listed.

Where to read, watch and learn more

Cross-Region Replication for Amazon S3
Cloud conversations: If focused on cost you might miss other cloud storage benefits
Data Protection Diaries
Cloud Conversations: AWS overview and primer
Eight Ways to Avoid Cloud Storage Pricing Surprises
Cloud and Object Storage Center
Are more than five nines of availability really possible?
How do primary storage clouds and cloud for backup differ?
What’s most important to know about my cloud privacy policy?

What this all means and wrap up

Cloud Service Providers (CSP) continue to enhance their capabilities, as well as their footprints as part of growth. In addition to technology, tools and number of regions, sites and data centers, the CSPs are also expanding their partner networks both about how many partners, also in the scope of those partnerships. Some of these partnerships are in the scope of the cloud as a destination, others are for enabling hybrid where public clouds become an extension complementing traditional IT. Everything is not the same in most environments and one type of cloud approach does not have to suit or fit all needs, hence the value of hybrid cloud deployment and usage.

Ok, nuff said, for now…

Cheers
Gs

Greg Schulz – Author Cloud and Virtual Data Storage Networking (CRC Press), The Green and Virtual Data Center (CRC Press) and Resilient Storage Networks (Elsevier)
twitter @storageio

greg