Embracing the Era of Smart
Data-Driven Migrations

Introduction

In an era marked by relentless data growth and evolving technology landscapes, effective data management and seamless data migration have become critical imperatives for organizations worldwide. This solution brief unveils a suite of enhancements to the award-winning StorageX software by Data Dynamics, meticulously crafted to tackle the intricate challenges organizations face in the realm of data migration, governance, and operational efficiency. StorageX delivers automated policy-based data migration with no vendor lock-in, enabling seamless data center migration and consolidation, cloud data migration, and storage optimization to drive intelligent, swift, and secure petabyte-scale unstructured data migrations. The latest update, with a focus on OneDrive integration and Microsoft Information Protection Integration, aims to empower organizations to efficiently and seamlessly manage their data while maintaining compliance across hybrid clouds at enterprise-class scale.

Business Challenge

The digital age has ushered in a multitude of data management and migration challenges:

Data Complexity:

• Challenge: Organizations grapple with the complexity of managing diverse data types originating from various sources and destined for disparate storage platforms.
• Consequences: Complex data environments lead to inefficient workflows, compliance vulnerabilities, and increased operational costs.

Compliance and Data Governance:

• Challenge: Stricter regulatory frameworks necessitate rigorous data governance practices to ensure compliance with industry standards and safeguard sensitive information.
• Consequences: Failure to adhere to compliance requirements exposes organizations to legal ramifications, data breaches, and reputational damage.

Operational Efficiency:

• Challenge: Streamlining data migration processes and mitigating migration complexities are constant struggles, particularly in heterogeneous storage environments.
• Consequences: Inefficient data migration hampers operational efficiency, results in prolonged downtimes, and burdens IT teams.

Data Security:

• Challenge: Safeguarding sensitive data during and after migration is a paramount concern to prevent unauthorized access and data leaks.
• Consequences: Data security breaches lead to data loss, financial losses, and tarnished trust among customers and stakeholders.

The StorageX software enhancements address these pressing issues head-on, offering comprehensive solutions that empower organizations to navigate the data landscape with confidence.

Solution Overview

The StorageX enhancements consist of a suite of functionalities, each tailored to resolve specific data management and migration challenges:

1. OneDrive Migration

The OneDrive Migration functionality seamlessly integrates OneDrive as a destination target within StorageX 9.1. It simplifies the process of migrating large volumes of data from on-premises and other storage environments to Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage resources. This enhancement empowers organizations to leverage the power of OneDrive as part of their data migration strategy.

Key Features:

• OneDrive Migration Support: StorageX 9.1 allows users to migrate Windows-based file data from their existing storage environments to Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage resources.
• Streamlined Data Migration: Users can easily create migration policies that include OneDrive as a destination target. This simplifies the process of moving important files and documents to OneDrive, reducing the complexities associated with data migration.
• Comprehensive Compatibility: The integration enhances StorageX’s compatibility with the Microsoft 365 suite, offering a valuable solution for organizations leveraging Microsoft’s comprehensive cloud ecosystem.
• Tagging and Labeling Capabilities: StorageX 9.1 includes robust tagging and labeling capabilities, allowing users to fortify their data against threats and ensure the safety of sensitive information before, during, and after migration to OneDrive.

Business Value:

• Enhanced Compatibility: Integration with OneDrive broadens StorageX’s compatibility, making it an attractive solution for a larger user base. This aligns with the widespread use of Microsoft 365 in enterprise environments.
• Revenue Growth: The inclusion of OneDrive as a migration target increases the product’s appeal and revenue potential. It positions StorageX as a versatile solution for organizations looking to migrate to OneDrive within the Microsoft ecosystem.
• Risk Mitigation: By offering tagging and labeling capabilities, the functionality helps organizations fortify their data against potential threats, ensuring data security during and after migration.
• Operational Efficiency: Users, especially Storage Admins, benefit from a streamlined data migration process to OneDrive, resulting in improved operational efficiency and reduced migration complexities.
• Scalability: The integration supports the efficient transfer of large amounts of data, making it scalable for organizations with diverse data migration needs.
• Business Continuity: OneDrive integration ensures that important files and documents are seamlessly migrated, contributing to business continuity and productivity.

2. Sensitivity Label Management

Integrated with Microsoft Information Protection and Azure Information Protection, this feature is designed to address the need for scanning sensitivity labels within files located on home shares, SMB shares, and other data repositories. This feature empowers security administrators, compliance officers, and organizations to efficiently identify, manage, and enforce sensitivity labels on their data, ensuring adherence to data security, governance, and regulatory mandates.

Key Features:

• Sensitivity Label Management: The software will scan files on various data repositories, including home shares and SMB shares, to identify whether they have sensitivity labels assigned.
• Labeling Metrics: The functionality provides metrics, such as the number of files without sensitivity labels, offering insights into the current state of label adoption within the organization.
• Report Generation: Users can generate detailed reports and datasets based on the scan results. These reports serve as a foundation for making decisions about applying sensitivity labels to files prior to migration to OneDrive or other destinations.
• Automated Label Assignment: The system automates the assignment of appropriate sensitivity labels to each file, ensuring consistency and accuracy in data protection. This eliminates the need for manual labeling by users.
• Data Protection Compliance: Organizations can use the software to maintain compliance with data protection regulations. Sensitivity labels help categorize and protect data based on its level of sensitivity and importance, reducing the risk of data breaches and regulatory violations.
• Analytics Reports: The system allows the generation of analytics reports, indicating which files have or do not have sensitivity labels and specifying the assigned label. These reports provide a comprehensive view of the organization’s data protection status.
• API Integration: An API is provided for programmatic access to sensitivity label assignment. This allows organizations to automate label application processes and integrate them into existing workflows.

Business Value:

• Enhanced Data Protection: The functionality ensures that all files are appropriately labeled with sensitivity labels, improving data protection by aligning data security measures with data sensitivity and importance.
• Compliance Assurance: By automating sensitivity label management and offering compliance-oriented reporting, organizations can confidently meet data protection regulations, reducing the risk of non-compliance and associated penalties.
• Efficient Data Management: Users can efficiently manage their data by automating the sensitivity label management process. This reduces manual workload, minimizes errors, and ensures consistent data protection practices.
• Streamlined Migration: Users can make informed decisions about labeling files before migration to OneDrive or other destinations, streamlining the migration process and ensuring that sensitive data retains its protection during and after migration.
• API Flexibility: The API integration allows for flexibility in sensitivity label management, enabling organizations to tailor label application to their specific needs and workflows.

3. NTFS Tag Scanning and Management

The NTFS Tag Scanner and Management functionality is designed to address the need for scanning NTFS (New Technology File System) tags within files on home shares and SMB shares. This feature allows users, particularly Storage Admins, to gather metadata information, identify tagged and untagged files, and manage NTFS tags efficiently.

Key Features:

• NTFS Tag Scanning: The software will scan files located on home shares and SMB shares to identify whether they have NTFS tags associated with them.
• Tagging Metrics: The functionality provides metrics, such as the number of untagged files, to help users understand the current state of tag usage within their file system.
• Report Generation: Users can generate reports and datasets based on the scan results. These reports can serve as a foundation for making decisions about tagging files prior to migration to OneDrive.
• Data Classification: Users can determine the classification tags that exist on files, aiding in content selection for migration to OneDrive while ensuring adherence to corporate standards.
• Tag Application during Migration: Users have the option to tag untagged files during the migration process, streamlining file organization and data classification.
• Analytics Reports: The system allows the production of analytics reports related to NTFS tags in the environment. These reports provide valuable insights into file tagging patterns and usage.
• API Integration: An API is provided, enabling programmatic access to NTFS tags. Users can automate tag management processes and integrate them into their existing workflows.

Business Value:

• Improved Compliance: The functionality helps organizations increase compliance with corporate standards by providing insights into the tagging status of files. This ensures that data is appropriately classified and protected.
• Efficient Data Migration: Users can make informed decisions about which files to migrate to OneDrive based on their tag status. This leads to a more efficient and organized migration process.
• Data Security: By identifying untagged files and enabling tag application during migration, the functionality enhances data security by ensuring that all files are properly classified and protected.
• Enhanced Data Organization: Users can better organize and manage their files and folders by leveraging NTFS tags. This improves data classification and simplifies data retrieval.
• Streamlined Workflow: The availability of an API and a user-friendly interface for tag management streamlines processes, making it easier for Storage Admins and other users to add, edit, and apply NTFS tags.

4. Cloud Object Storage Consolidation and Data Management

Cloud Object Storage can be segmented and consolidated by applying standardized or custom prefixes to object storage buckets or folders, this functionality simplifies data replication, streamlines data management tasks, and reduces operational costs. Whether you operate in heterogeneous storage environments, collaborate with multiple teams, or need to ensure compliance, this feature empowers you to enhance efficiency and achieve substantial cost savings in your cloud storage operations.

Key Features:

• Prefix Application: Users can define and apply standardized prefixes to the names of source object storage buckets or folders, categorizing and organizing data based on ownership, function, or other relevant criteria.
• Bucket Combination: The software allows for the consolidation of multiple source buckets into a single destination bucket, effectively overcoming destination limitations or restrictions, such as a maximum number of buckets.
• Flexible Replication: Users have the flexibility to choose which source buckets or folders to replicate to the destination, making it easy to tailor the replication process to their specific needs.
• Conflict Resolution: The functionality offers conflict resolution mechanisms to handle scenarios where naming conflicts might arise during the replication process. Users can define rules for resolving conflicts based on their requirements.

Business Value:

• Streamlined Data Management: By combining multiple source object storage buckets into a single destination bucket using standardized prefixes, organizations simplify data management. This results in more efficient data organization and retrieval processes.
• Cost Reduction: Reducing the number of buckets can lead to cost savings, as many storage solutions charge based on the storage consumption. The functionality helps optimize storage costs.
• Efficiency Enhancement: Users can efficiently manage and replicate data between diverse storage solutions, enhancing overall operational efficiency. This is particularly valuable in scenarios involving heterogeneous storage environments.
• Flexibility and Scalability: The flexibility to choose which buckets or folders to replicate and the ability to define conflict resolution rules provide a scalable solution that adapts to the organization’s unique requirements.
• Improved Collaboration: Standardized prefixes enable better collaboration by categorizing data and making it easier to understand and access for various teams and projects.
• Compliance and Data Organization: Enhanced data organization supports compliance efforts by ensuring data is stored and categorized according to regulatory requirements.

5. Compatibility Expansion to Support Additional NFS-based File Systems

Compatibility Expansion to Support Additional NFS-based File Systems: This feature broadens compatibility by integrating with various NFS-based file systems, including distributed and clustered file systems like Lustre. This enhancement empowers users to efficiently migrate data from a broader range of source and destination file systems, optimizing migration speed and success.

Key Features:

• Expanded File System Support: The software functionality expands the range of supported source and destination file systems for data migrations, including modern clustered and distributed file systems.
• Local Mount Option: Users can enable a local mount option for data migration policies, allowing data to be transferred at significantly higher speeds when source and destination file systems are mounted locally.
• Linux UDE Integration: The functionality integrates seamlessly with Linux User Data Engine (UDE), automating the process of mounting source and destination paths and facilitating data migration via local mounts.
• Unmounting Automation: After the migration policy is completed, the software automatically unmounts both the source and destination file systems, streamlining the data migration process.
• Automount Updates: For policies set to update automounts, the functionality ensures that the correct source and destination paths (Exported Paths) in the policy are updated, eliminating confusion with local paths to UDE.

Business Value:

• Enhanced Data Migration: The inclusion of local mount support broadens the range of file systems that can be migrated, making data migration tools more versatile and valuable for a wider user base.
• Optimized Migration Speed: Local mounts enable data to be transferred at much higher speeds, particularly crucial for time-sensitive migrations or scenarios with limited downtime windows. This accelerates data migration projects and minimizes disruption.
• Efficiency Improvement: The automation of mounting and unmounting processes, coupled with seamless Linux UDE integration, improves overall migration efficiency and reduces the manual effort required.
• Reduced Downtime: Faster data migration via local mounts translates to reduced downtime during migrations, allowing organizations to maintain operational continuity.
• Scalability: The functionality supports the efficient migration of data from various file systems, making it scalable for organizations with diverse data migration needs.
• Data Integrity: Streamlining the migration process with automated unmounting and accurate path updates ensures data integrity and reduces the risk of errors.

6. F2O Policy Scan Control

The F2O Policy Scan Control functionality introduces an option within StorageX to enable or disable scanning within File-to-Object (F2O) policies. This enhancement provides users with the flexibility to optimize F2O policy run times, reducing project timelines, resource utilization, and operational costs in managing large datasets.

Key Features:

• Scan Control Option: Users can access a control option within F2O policies, allowing them to enable or disable scans as needed.
• Scan Optimization: The functionality optimizes F2O policy run times by enabling users to optimize scans during subsequent policy runs. Scans are automatically performed during the first run to ensure accurate metadata.
• Metadata Utilization: In cases where scanning is disabled, F2O policies leverage metadata from the last scan to make informed decisions about data replication, eliminating the need for redundant scans.

Business Value:

• Improved Efficiency: Users, particularly Storage Administrators, can significantly improve F2O policy run times by choosing to optimize scans in subsequent runs. This results in faster policy execution and improved operational efficiency.
• Reduced Resource Consumption: By avoiding redundant scans, organizations can reduce the consumption of computational resources, storage, and network bandwidth, leading to potential cost savings.
• Flexible Data Management: The functionality provides flexibility in data management, allowing users to make informed choices about when to perform scans based on their specific requirements and operational needs.
• Enhanced User Experience: Storage Administrators benefit from a more user-friendly and efficient experience when configuring and running F2O policies, contributing to overall productivity.
• Scalability: The optimization offered by scan control is particularly valuable for organizations with very large datasets, enabling them to scale their operations more effectively.
• Reduced Impact on Source Systems: By optimizing unnecessary scans, the functionality reduces the impact on source systems, ensuring minimal disruption to ongoing operations.

7. Duplicate File Report Performance Enhancement

The Duplicate File Report Performance Improvement mitigates the risk of data loss and errors associated with duplicate files, ensuring data integrity and cost-effectiveness. It also plays a critical role in reducing costs by improving the efficiency of duplicate file reporting processes. 

Key Features:

• Rapid Report Generation: The software streamlines the process of creating duplicate file reports, ensuring that reports are generated within a reasonable timeframe, typically less than 2 minutes, regardless of the number of analysis datasets, even in cases where there are up to 60,000 datasets.
• Enhanced User Interface Responsiveness: Users will experience a highly responsive user interface, eliminating the frustrating wait times that were previously encountered when dealing with large datasets.
• Improved Space Management: By swiftly identifying and managing duplicate files, organizations can optimize their storage footprint, reducing the costs associated with excessive storage usage.
• Data Integrity Assurance: Duplicate file reports provide users with the ability to identify and retain the most recent or important versions of files, reducing the risk of confusion, data loss, and compliance issues caused by working with outdated or redundant files.

Business Value:

• Efficiency Gains: Users can create and edit duplicate file reports in a fraction of the time it previously took. This results in increased productivity for administrators and users, allowing them to focus on more critical tasks.
• Cost Reduction: By swiftly identifying and managing duplicate files, organizations can optimize their storage usage, potentially saving on storage costs and reducing the need for additional infrastructure.
• Data Integrity and Compliance: Rapid identification of duplicate files reduces the risk of data integrity issues, confusion, and potential compliance violations. Ensuring that the most recent and important versions are retained improves data management practices.
• Enhanced User Experience: A highly responsive user interface leads to a more pleasant and efficient user experience. Users can access and analyze duplicate file reports without frustrating delays.
• Improved Decision-Making: With faster access to duplicate file reports, organizations can make quicker and more informed decisions about data management, retention, and storage optimization.

8. Long File Path Handling and Reporting Enhancement

The Long File Path Handling and Reporting Enhancement functionality ensures that data with long file paths are successfully migrated without errors or data loss and enhances data integrity, ensuring that critical data remains accurate and intact throughout the migration process.

Key Features:

• Long File Path Support: The software is equipped to handle files with long paths, ensuring that they are successfully migrated without errors or data loss.
• Enhanced Reporting: Manifests and reports now accurately capture and display long file paths, providing users with a clear understanding of the file structure and potential path length limitations.
• Analysis and Identification: The migration tool includes an analysis component that identifies files with long paths that may exceed the limitations of the target platform. Users can proactively address these issues during the migration planning phase.
• Error Resolution: The functionality corrects previous issues where StorageX incorrectly reported errors in manifest and report details, ensuring that error reporting is reliable and meaningful.

Business Value:

• Data Integrity and Continuity: Ensuring the successful migration of files with long paths preserves data integrity and continuity. Businesses can transition their product smoothly without the risk of data loss or corruption.
• Reduced Risk: Accurate reporting of long file paths allows businesses to identify potential migration challenges in advance, reducing the risk of costly errors and delays.
• Improved Compliance: Enhanced reporting capabilities support compliance efforts by providing a comprehensive record of file paths, ensuring that data is migrated and stored in accordance with regulatory requirements.
• Enhanced User Experience: Users benefit from a more reliable and error-free migration process, resulting in a positive user experience and increased productivity.
• Cost Savings: By proactively addressing long file path issues and minimizing migration errors, businesses can save on the costs associated with data recovery and remediation efforts.
• Confidence in Data Migration: Users can have confidence that their data, including files with long paths, will be successfully and accurately migrated, leading to a smoother transition to new storage systems or platforms.

Use Case

The enhancements to the StorageX software offer versatile solutions that can be applied to a range of use cases in data management and migration. Here are some use cases for each of the enhancements:

Conclusion

In conclusion, the StorageX software enhancements represent a significant step forward in addressing the multifaceted challenges of modern data management and migration. These enhancements provide versatile and efficient solutions that empower organizations to navigate the complexities of data handling, ensuring compliance, and optimizing their operational processes.

By embracing these enhanced functionalities, organizations can ensure:

• Comprehensive Data Migration Ecosystem
• Robust Data Security and Compliance Governance
• Efficient Data Management and Organization
• Operational Efficiency and Cost Reduction
• Data Security and Integrity Assurance

These enhancements collectively contribute to a more efficient and productive data management environment, ultimately enabling businesses to maintain data integrity, enhance compliance practices, and transition smoothly to new storage systems or platforms.

Your journey toward efficient data management and migration begins here. For more information or to explore how these enhancements can benefit your organization, book a demo at https://www.datadynamicsinc.com/request-a-demo/. You can also sign up for a data assessment at https://www.datadynamicsinc.com/data-assessment/