ExaGrid Expands Backup Appliance Lineup

Summary

ExaGrid has launched three new models of its 2U Tiered Backup Storage appliances, the EX20, EX81, and EX135. These appliances enhance rack space efficiency and reduce power and cooling costs, while providing scalable backup storage with enhanced security features. The company also released ExaGrid software version 7.2.0, featuring external key management, enhanced backup application integration, and improved security measures.

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** Main Story**

Alright, let’s dive into the latest from ExaGrid. They’ve just dropped some new hardware and software updates that look pretty interesting, especially if you’re dealing with ever-expanding data backups. It’s all about scalability, security, and making life a bit easier when it comes to managing your backups.

They’ve basically beefed up their 2U appliance lineup. Now, you’ve got the EX20, EX81, and EX135 joining the existing models. More options mean you can really fine-tune your storage to match what you actually need. This is great, because one size definitely doesn’t fit all, especially when it comes to data. And, alongside this hardware refresh is the release of ExaGrid software version 7.2.0. So, what’s new?

Beefier Appliances for Bigger Backups

These new appliances aren’t just about adding more capacity; they’re also about being more efficient. Think about it: better storage density means you’re packing more into less space, which, as a result, cuts down on rack space, power, and cooling costs. And that’s always a win! The EX20 kicks things off with 64TB of raw capacity, the EX81 jumps to 216TB, and the EX135 maxes out at 324TB. Not bad at all.

Here’s the real kicker though. You can scale these appliances out, combining up to 32 in a single system. That gives you a whopping 6PB for full backups and 12PB of raw capacity. That makes it the largest single system in the industry with data deduplication. Seriously, that’s huge!

What I really like, though, is the flexibility. ExaGrid’s architecture lets you mix and match appliances of different ages and sizes. I remember when I was at a smaller firm, we had to completely replace our backup system when we outgrew it. It was a massive headache and expensive. With ExaGrid, you can avoid those forced upgrades and grow at your own pace. Which is a great thing when budgets are involved and things are tight. Plus, each appliance has its own dedicated resources, ensuring consistent backup windows, regardless of data volume.

Enhanced Security and Integration with Software 7.2.0

Now, let’s talk software. ExaGrid’s version 7.2.0 is all about tightening security and playing nice with other tools in your ecosystem. One of the biggest additions is External Key Management (EKM) for data encrypted at rest. That means you can manage your encryption keys centrally using third-party solutions like Thales or Entrust. It’s a big step forward for compliance and keeping your data locked down tight. It utilizes the KMIP 1.4 protocol for compatibility with third-party key management solutions.

The updated software also improves integration with popular backup applications. Got Veritas NetBackup? Support for NetBackup Flex Media Server Appliances with the OST plug-in should simplify things. Using Veeam? Enhanced support for Veeam S3 Governance Mode will boost your data protection and compliance efforts. And don’t forget Dedicated Managed Networks, which gives you more control over network access, further enhancing security. These integrations, honestly they just make things so much smoother, you know?

Doubling Down on Data Protection

Data Encryption at Rest gets a serious upgrade. For the larger appliances (EX54, EX81, EX84, EX135, and EX189), it’s available as a software upgrade. And for the entire appliance line, it’s offered as a hardware option. This is on top of ExaGrid’s existing Retention Time-Lock functionality. Which, includes a tiered air gap, delayed deletes, and immutable data objects.

All these measures are designed to protect your backups from ransomware attacks by isolating data and preventing unauthorized changes. It’s like having a digital fortress around your backups, which is increasingly important these days, given how often you hear of companies suffering from ransomware.

So, what’s my take? ExaGrid is clearly focused on addressing the ever-present challenge of data backup and recovery. The new appliances offer a good balance of scalability, efficiency, and flexibility, and the software enhancements bring much-needed security and integration improvements. Will it solve every backup problem out there? Of course not. But it’s a solid step in the right direction, and it’s definitely worth a look if you’re in the market for a more robust and scalable backup solution.