GigaOm Radar for Cloud-Native Globally Distributed File Systemsv1.0

1. Executive Summary

File storage remains a crucial component of every enterprise data storage infrastructure, so it’s no surprise that now, more than ever, users ask for file services in the cloud. Use cases and workloads are different, though, and evaluating the right technology is mandatory to support applications and users correctly.

Initially, cloud providers neglected to add file services to their product portfolios, concentrating instead on block and object storage. Block and object storage cover many use cases, and new applications can be developed so that file storage is unnecessary. However, the reality is that in many circumstances, file storage is preferable.

• Lift and shift: As more enterprises adopt the public cloud as their primary IT infrastructure, “lift and shift” migrations have become increasingly common. In this scenario, users want to replicate the same services they had in their on-premises data center, including POSIX-compliant file systems, data services, and all the other enterprise features they are accustomed to.

• Simplicity: File storage is the most user-friendly storage, and many developers still prefer this familiar interface because it enables them to build even more portable applications while simplifying the sharing of machine- and human-generated data.

• Performance: Though object storage performance is improving by leaps and bounds, file systems still provide the best combination of performance, usability, and scalability for many workloads. File storage is still the primary interface for the majority of big data, AI/ML, and high-performance computing (HPC) applications, and usually offers data services such as snapshots to improve data management operations.
• Collaboration: With hybrid cloud infrastructures and globally distributed organizations becoming the norm, the ability to seamlessly access data from everywhere simplifies teamwork while keeping data under control. This use case, already on the rise before COVID-19, was dramatically boosted during the pandemic. A growing number of organizations have since reevaluated their remote work policies. While some advocate for a full return to the office, many organizations are instead implementing hybrid work policies that still require remote access for their employees.

In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic sped up existing digital transformation initiatives and forced reluctant organizations to transform at a much faster pace. This accelerated transformation drove the adoption of cloud-native, globally distributed file systems, as organizations embraced cloud-based solutions to maximize agility and increase productivity.

In recent years, file systems have become more cloud-friendly, offering better integration with object storage. This feature brought several advantages to end users:

• Better scalability. Policy-driven tiering mechanisms allow cold data to be moved to S3-compatible storage, saving precious resources in the high-performance tier.
• The best combination of speed and $/GB. File storage gateways specifically designed to integrate with object storage backends provide a good balance of performance and cost.
• Simplified data migrations and synchronization. Many file systems can replicate data to remote file or object stores in the cloud or on-premises. This makes it possible to synchronize and serve datasets across different infrastructures to optimize compute-data proximity, which improves latency.
• Disaster recovery. Syncing data to a remote object store enables users to leverage a cheaper storage repository in the cloud and populate a file system only if necessary.

In today’s digital landscape, the value of globally distributed file systems is more significant than ever. As vendors enhance their systems to leverage flash memory and improve access speed, organizations can construct multitier infrastructures that optimize cost per gigabyte. This evolution is crucial as businesses increasingly adopt hybrid and multicloud strategies for their infrastructure needs. Globally distributed file systems address one of the most pressing challenges for distributed organizations: the proliferation of duplicate data and the inefficiencies of centralized data strategies. These systems mitigate the issue of data gravity, which often hinders the agility of modern distributed teams. By reducing technical inertia, globally distributed file systems empower enterprises to seize new opportunities in emerging fields like edge computing, artificial intelligence, and analytics, thus driving innovation and competitive advantage.

With this trend in mind, it’s easy to understand the reasons for the success of file storage in the cloud, especially if it can also be integrated with on-premises and other cloud storage.

This is our first year evaluating the cloud-native globally distributed file system space in the context of our Key Criteria and Radar reports. In previous years, we evaluated the “cloud file storage” market and produced two Radar reports, one for distributed cloud file storage and one for high-performance cloud file storage. However, for this evaluation, we’ve updated the scope and table stakes (inclusion criteria), and are considering this year’s report a V1.0 as a result.

This GigaOm Radar report examines seven of the top cloud-native globally distributed file system solutions and compares offerings against the capabilities (table stakes, key features, and emerging features) and nonfunctional requirements (business criteria) outlined in the companion Key Criteria report. Together, these reports provide an overview of the market, identify leading cloud-native globally distributed file system offerings, and help decision-makers evaluate these solutions so they can make a more informed investment decision.