Hybrid Cloud Provider CTERA is on Cloud49

Hybrid cloud storage is all the rage. Here’s how the argument goes: The old way of backup, using tape, is fraught with issues. Tape is slow, expensive and doesn’t always restore properly. And it is a bear to manage.

Some shops move to directly backing up to the cloud. On the consumer side, Carbonite fits this model. But there is really just one tier of backup and restoring over the cloud, and it isn’t always the fastest thing in the world.

The hybrid approach has an on-premises backup, often through an appliance, and a backup of that backup in the cloud. You should be able to restore from either one.

The last approach is what CTERA does, and now the company has a new proselytizer in the form of Cloud49. Cloud49 is now CTERA’s reach into the U.S. federal government by offering a version of the hybrid tool that is federally certified.

The company claims this is the first time a hybrid storage tool has been so certified.

Like CTERA in general, the new Cloud49 Backup AS taps into Amazon Web Services (AWS) for its cloud piece.

"CTERA makes it easy for us to provide a robust backup solution to federal agencies and contractors on Amazon GovCloud," said Nathaniel Gates, president of Cloud49. "In the security- and compliance-bound federal sector, we are required to offer an airtight solution that adheres to the most stringent regulations. By combining the end-to-end security provided by CTERA's technology, Amazon's industry-leading datacenter certifications and our own best practices, we are able to offer the first hybrid data protection solution that meets US Federal certification requirements."

CTERA works by installing cloud storage gateway appliances, essentially a NAS, in the customers shop. That backup data is then replicated to AWS. The AWS tier essentially replaces tape backup still prevalent in so many shops, while the local appliance is used for data sharing.