Avere Systems Launches AWS-Compatible Virtual NAS

Storage vendor Avere Systems has introduced a virtual NAS solution, a software-only version of its FXT Edge Filer series. With an update (version 4.5) to its AOS software the virtual FXT filer can be purchased and deployed on Amazon Web Services server instances.

A year ago Avere launched its Cloud NAS solution as a way to help enterprises approach cloud-scale economics through integrating existing storage systems with cloud. Using its FlashCloud software it integrated legacy NAS with Amazon S3 and Glacier services. The new virtual FXT Edge Filer takes it a step further than Cloud NAS by operating directly in the compute cloud alongside the applications for low-latency access to active data.

Avere President and CEO Ron Bianchini said the virtual NAS solution will enable companies to take advantage of flexibility and scale of cloud computing with no radical changes to applications or storage infrastructure. "For many customers, this enables them to realize the promised benefits of the cloud," he said in a statement.

Avere noted that Virtual FXT can also be used for burst computing in the cloud at peak times with no hardware purchases or long-term commitment to software licenses, allowing companies to provision compute on a pay-as-you-go monthly basis.

Bianchini pointed out in a blog post that enterprises continue to demand scalability and the ability to move data between locations and service providers. Meeting these demands requires something that Avere has continued to build out with its product offerings, connecting the dots between compute cloud, storage cloud, and on-premises storage.