CommVault Delivers A Cloud-Enabled Platform

Everybody wants to go to heaven someday, but nobody seems to want to go now. Why so? Perhaps it's mere uncertainty. If we substitute the cloud for "heaven," the same seems to be true today. That is why it is so important for vendors to create products and services that can actually get clients to the cloud today while still keeping their feet on the ground. With that in mind, CommVault's ability to effectively extend its data management platform into the cloud provides a positive illustration that the cloud can provide real value today and not just someday. Such examples are important so that the cloud is not just dismissed as hype.

CommVault is a profitable, publicly traded, worldwide software company with annual revenues in the $250 million range, all accomplishments for which a single product platform company can be proud. Now that it seems to have navigated through the hazardous economic shoals of over a year respectively, CommVault, along with numerous other companies, are seeking new business opportunities.

A recent CommVault survey on the cloud revealed the challenge facing vendors. Only five percent of the respondents said that they currently utilize at least some cloud storage today, and only six percent more plan to do so in the next 12 months. Another 41 percent professed consideration of the use of cloud services in the future although they are not sure when. For them, "cloud heaven" is still not now. And a near majority - 48 percent - still does not plan the use of cloud services at all. So in order to help those who expressed an interest get to the cloud sooner than later, vendors are making their products and services available within the cloud. And CommVault is no exception.

CommVault sells a data management software product called Simpana 8. Data management controls broad processes related to data, from creation to deletion, such as replication and backup/restore. One of Simpana's recognized strengths is in data recovery management, including backup and recovery capabilities. But data management is a much broader topic than just those processes, and Simpana also provides tools for active archiving, replication, storage resource management and search. Customers can start with one or more Simpana capabilities and add more over time should they wish.

All of Simpana capabilities are available on a common CommVault platform. The company has been able to take advantage of the fact that its basic code base was developed later than some of its competitors when more advanced software development technology was available. That newer technology means that CommVault may be able to provide extensions and additions to its core base more quickly than some of its competitors. The latest version of CommVault Simpana 8 offers a native cloud storage connector: a Web services interface that already supports storage as a service to cloud providers, including Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure and Nirvanix SDN now, as well as EMC Atmos and Iron Mountain soon. These cloud providers offer a multi-tenant architecture that delivers self-service and pay-as-you-go over the Internet services where the customer rents storage to deposit and retain data.CommVault views its cloud storage service as simply one of many target markets, along with open disk arrays, content-addressable storage, virtual tape libraries and tape. The difference is that the other targets are local or near-line, whereas the cloud storage service is remote or "far-line," as CommVault terms it. Simpana software runs locally and the cloud connector is simply software functionality in the form of built-in REST/HTTP capabilities. That cuts the need for scripting, which adds time and complexity, or a gateway appliance, which adds cost and complexity. In transit, encryption eliminates any possible breaches of confidentiality while the data is in flight over a network. Data deduplication at the source end means that only new or unique data is transmitted, which requires less bandwidth to transmit. This makes the network costs more economically feasible, and also means less storage at the cloud provider site, translating into lower pay-as-you-go storage costs. In addition, Simpana can move data between cloud storage service providers. This means that a single-service supplier does not have a proprietary vendor lock in. In turn, that gives the client the ability to more effectively negotiate terms and conditions, such as costs and service levels, since that customer can pick up his data storage "ball" and play somewhere else if necessary.

Enterprises have to understand the benefits, as well as the inhibitors, in moving to the cloud. Those benefits can include less costly active archiving of infrequently accessed information and easily or automatically storing recovery data on disk. CommVault has addressed key inhibitors to moving to the cloud, such as the complexity of getting data into and out of the cloud and vendor lock-in. Security is a big topic in moving to the cloud today, but CommVault provides enough security that enterprises can safely move data recovery and active archiving processes to the cloud.

This data is obviously important, but it is not as sensitive as the most mission-critical applications in the enterprise. As a result, enterprises considering a move to the cloud are more likely to move this type of data first so they can really experience the cloud with less perceived risk. Companies have to get started in the cloud somewhere, and experience is the greatest teacher in order to learn about how to use and exploit the cloud most effectively.

By helping customers use the cloud as a target, CommVault does two things: they reassure customers that they are not only keeping up with the times but working a little ahead of the adoption curve, and they prevent future efforts by competitors to use cloud targeting as a differentiator. However, CommVault also wants its cloud capabilities to open new customer doors. Whenever change is occurring in IT, such as thinking about moving storage to the cloud, easing the process helps ensure that at least some potential customers will consider those new solutions and services. That is because the customers are aware of and want to mitigate the potential risks of moving storage to the cloud. By presenting its case with an effective and flexible solution like Simpana, CommVault hopes it can address customers' uncertainties and entice them to choose the "heaven" of cloud storage today rather than tomorrow.