A StorageVault is a configuration in the Syncplicity orchestration layer that enables IT administrators to designate specific storage endpoints for users, groups, and folders. An Enterprise Edition only feature, StorageVaults allow you to store content in a hybrid cloud consisting of off-premise public or private cloud storage and on-premise based storage.
Syncplicity Cloud Storage is the only StorageVault that is available to an enterprise customer until the IT administrator sets up private StorageVaults for the company. Private StorageVaults can contain storage endpoints that are based on premise or in your private AWS environment.
You might choose to have your content stored on premise for a variety of reasons, including:
- Flexibility and control over the storage layer so organizations can meet or exceed requirements for corporate or industry compliance, or data residency.
- Utilize excess storage capacity that is available across multiple storage arrays in the data center.
- Retain complete control over your data. Your files are never cached or even pass through the Syncplicity service. Instead, they move directly from your storage to your users' devices.
Changing the storage endpoint from the Syncplicity cloud to your own data center does not change the user experience.
Private StorageVaults can use any storage array that supports NAS or Object Storage. For NAS systems, you can use NFSv3 to access any third-party NAS, EMC Isilon scale-out NAS, or EMC VNX (in file only or Unified modes). For Object Storage, you can use EMC ECS or Atmos arrays, or EMC ViPR software.
In addition, you can designate a storage endpoint in an Amazon Web Services (AWS) environment. The installation and configuration procedures differ slightly than when designating on-premise storage endpoints.
To configure an on-premise or an AWS-based StorageVault, you need to install the Syncplicity On-Premise Storage Connector. This is server software that runs as a virtual machine and connects the Syncplicity orchestration layer in the cloud to your storage endpoints. You need at least two on-premise Storage Connector instances but you can deploy more for scalability and high availability purposes. In most cases, an SSL offloading load-balancer is deployed in front of the Storage Connector servers.