Digi-Data SAFE
SAFE, the "Store And Forward Engine", belongs to a new class of technology called a Cloud Storage Gateway. It is a service that provides a local storage device on your network that automatically synchronizes files with a remote storage facility in a secure data center ("the cloud"). This architecture is also known as Hybrid Online Vaulting.
The SAFE service can be used for multiple purposes. Most customers use it for backups, taking advantage of the speed and reliability of the local storage device. It simplifies their data protection process by using their Internet connection to copy files off-site, rather than transporting a box of backup tapes every day.
The SAFE appliance is a NAS, or Network Attached Storage device. It presents a set of folders, or network shares to the computers on the network. Because employees can easily drag and drop files into these folders, it can be used for archiving old projects, creating shared company folders, or consolidating project team data. It can even be connected to a scanner to provide a simple scan-to-vault service.
The advantage of flexibility: Network shares can be set to do different things. Some may be set to keep their data local... not synced to the vault. Others may be synchronized to the vault, but remain private. Or, shares can be configured to sync to the vault, and be accessible to outside users (over the web) for document distribution. This remote access capability also provides quick access to files in the event of a site disaster.
Corporate Management, HR, or development teams can use private folders to secure information, keeping it out of company backups to ensure the utmost in data privacy.
Basically, the service provides a NAS device, intelligently connected to a remote vault, with select, secure access. Overall, SAFE is a useful, multi-purpose tool to simplify data management.
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