Research Users Strongbox Case Study

Customer Environment

  •  Archive storage
  •  NAS storage (Office, Project-Management)
  •  SAN storage (Research, Projects)
  •  Uncontrolled data growth
  •  Project based data storage
  •  Inactive data and closed projects
  •  Long Backup-Times in the Online Storage

Initial SituationIn this particular customer example the generated measurement, project and processed analysis data belonging to the research center are all stored in different directories and storage platforms. When a project is completed, all the associated files are gathered through much manual work and stored in an archive system. Renewed access to the project files is complicated and requires a significant amount of effort by an IT employee. That’s why timely access is often not possible.

Customer RequirementsAlong with a higher degree of automation in file migration and a higher level of documentation the customer wants more transparency and certainty for the different research groups. The opportunity to integrate a new archive storage system in a planned web interface should also be given.

  • The customer wants to achieve the following results:
  • Increased automation in the file migration
  • Higher degree of documentation
  • Existing storage systems will continue to be used
  • Migration of archive data in a modern, open solution
  • Solution and Customer Benefit

As a first step, we installed a Crossroad`s StrongBox and integrated it with the customer storage system. The existing NAS-system has its own, integrated data migrator, which is a data migration client. The second phase of the project, still to be realised, provides a higher degree of automation and the simplification of the storage of the projects. Then when a project is complete, the project manager will issue an order document directly to the DocuProtection® Server to command the file migration for specific directories and files. The DocuProtection® Server collects the files of the various systems and generates from this a project related container. The files in the source location are then deleted and no longer visible to the users. The project manager receives a receipt providing information which files were transferred from their source to which archive destination. At the same time serves this receipt as documentation and to trigger a possible recall request. In response to such a recall the files are returned to a freely selected location within the network of the research centre by the user. In case of the existing archive the files there should be migrated later via the DocuProtection® Server into the StrongBox. As a result, all the files, this includes also the previously archived files, are stored and documented project based in the StrongBox.

Crossroad’s StrongBoxWith Crossroad´s StrongBox, data archiving and long term data storage is easily achieved. StrongBox presents itself as NAS, uses LTO-5 tape with LTFS and offers open standard storage. StrongBox writes data to tape and validates permanently and proactively the readability of data stored on tape. This helps ensure that data can be read even after years.