More and more organizations are migrating Windows file storage to the private and public clouds to eliminate the hassle and reduce the costs of managing and backing up user data. The top 7 reasons organizations are migrating Windows File Server workloads to private and public cloud are:
1. Windows Server 2008 End-of-Life
The first and more obvious reason is the January 2020 end-of-life date for Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2. This means Microsoft only provides regular security updates for a price – and we know Microsoft is not cheap. Transitioning to a cloud or object storage fronted by a gateway allows these organizations to maintain existing user access and functionality without driving up costs.
2. Dealing with File Growth
At most organizations file data growth is accelerating and Windows servers have fixed and limited capacities. To deal with unpredictable growth, cloud and object storage options provide greater flexibility and scale than physical servers. Public cloud and some storage vendors like Zadara, or MSPs like Flexential provide flexible pay as you go options. The shift from CAPEX to OPEX makes the provisioning to accommodate unpredictable growth easier and more palatable.
3. The Shift to Remote Work
COVID has forced a major shift to remote work environments. Organizations now need to find ways to support a suddenly large remote workforce. Many organizations have addressed this challenge by migrating files and business workloads to AWS, Azure or other public clouds or remotely accessible private option like HCP Anywhere.
4. Get rid of Backups
Backing up user data on Windows servers has always been a major annoyance to most organizations IT departments. The limited scalability of physical Windows servers has resulted in device proliferation. This coupled with accelerating data growth means the backup windows have been shrinking. Cloud and object storage options automatically protect data and eliminate the need for device level backups. This frees up IT resources to focus on delivering business value versus tracking backups.
5. Cloud First vs. Data Silos
Most organization have cloud first initiatives to accelerate the move off from the traditional data silos and Windows servers. The problem is how to maintain user and application data access while migrating the data from the islands of hardware to more flexible public and private cloud and object storage options. Gateways enable legacy access to data via hybrid and cloud workload options.
6. Compliance
Windows servers traditionally do not have the features to meet Compliance or Governance requirements. With more data now falling under the prevue of regulations providing the flexibility to manage both compliant and regular data is convenient. Private cloud, public cloud, and object storage systems now have the retention, audit logging and data verification requirements to help meet Compliance and Governance requirements.
7. Stronger Security
Consumer-oriented file sharing services such as Dropbox or Google OneDrive store data outside the control of IT. Instead of sacrificing security, IT can ensure proper protection while delivering the same file access and sharing functionality afforded by consumer file sharing solutions. Cloud and
Secure Archive Manager by DataTrust Solutions enables organizations to transition from Windows servers to a modern backup-less architecture that can leverage the benefits of public and private clouds. Files are immediately protected and versioned for granular recovery, without needing IT intervention. Secure Archive Manager uses Windows Server 2019 to provide users with the native CIFS interface they are accustom to while enabling any number of backend storage options. It maintains the native Windows ACLS independent of where the actual file content resides. By separating file access from file storage Secure Archive Manager allows IT to use their favorite cloud and object storage systems to capacity and file growth can scale into the billions.