Overview
SoftNAS is a software-defined network attached storage (NAS) solution designed by an Oracle Partner, Buurst, to deliver high-performance, scalable file storage across public, private, and hybrid cloud environments. It supports industry-standard protocols such as NFS, SMB/CIFS, and iSCSI, and is deployable on AWS, Azure, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), and VMware platforms. SoftNAS enables streamlined migration with built-in tools like Lift & Shift and optimizes performance through flexible deployment on different OCI Block Volume performance tiers. It also provides enterprise-grade security with encryption, Active Directory integration, and firewall controls, along with high availability configurations that provide resiliency through automatic failover and replication. Ideal for legacy application modernization and hybrid cloud storage, SoftNAS serves enterprises requiring flexible, cloud-native storage solutions without altering existing application behavior.
Benefits and Use Case
SoftNAS enables high-performance shared file and block storage as a software-defined alternative to Oracle File Storage Service, supporting applications that require protocols such as NFS, SMB/CIFS, and iSCSI. This offers scalable file storage for Oracle applications that require shared file access. Integrated with OCI via the Oracle Cloud Marketplace, SoftNAS offers customers these additional benefits for their enterprise data storage needs:
- Accelerated Workloads: SoftNAS is designed to deliver exceptional performance, making it ideal for demanding workloads such as databases, file sharing, and media processing.
- Scalable Architecture: SoftNAS can scale to meet the growing storage needs of businesses, helping ensure optimal performance even as data volumes increase.
- Simplified Deployment: SoftNAS integrates with OCI compute and storage services, and is deployable as a virtual appliance through the Oracle Cloud Marketplace. SoftNAS also supports OCVS deployments, extending a customer’s multicloud reach and making deployment and data management straightforward for Oracle customers.
- Optimized Resource Utilization: By leveraging OCI, SoftNAS can efficiently use cloud resources, leading to cost savings.
- Reduced Operational Costs: By simplifying storage management and reducing the need for on-premises hardware, SoftNAS can help lower overall IT costs.
- Global Availability: SoftNAS provides easy access to new geography regions leveraging Oracle’s global footprint.
Windows File Share Advantage on OCI
OCI’s native File Storage Service does not provide SMB/CIFS protocol support out of the box, which is where SoftNAS fills this need by enabling organizations to deploy scalable Windows file shares integrated with Active Directory for centralized access control. With SoftNAS on OCI, businesses can:
- Easily migrate existing on-premises Windows File Shares to the cloud without application rewrites.
- Deliver a familiar Windows file-sharing experience while modernizing infrastructure.
- Maintain security and compliance with built-in AD integration and granular permissions.
- Scale storage performance and capacity to support departmental file shares, engineering workloads, or shared repositories across global teams.
SoftNAS makes OCI the ideal platform for organizations seeking enterprise-grade Windows File Shares alongside their broader application and cloud strategies.
Buurst’s SoftNAS can take charge of cloud storage expenses, providing both cost management and control. Users define performance needs, and SoftNAS optimizes to help ensure payment only for utilized resources. Transparent performance-level pricing allows scaling performance without impacting storage capacity, providing ultimate control over the cloud storage budget. In essence, SoftNAS serves as your financial guardian angel in the cloud, maximizing performance while helping minimize unnecessary spending. Key cost management features include enhancement of OCI Block Storage, providing a compelling price/performance solution, as well as a performance-based pricing approach.
Next Steps / Call to Action
Please see the step-by-step deployment guide featured on the product page on the Oracle Cloud Marketplace. Deploy SoftNAS to provision your Windows File Shares and unlock high-performance storage on OCI today.
Link Oracle Cloud Marketplace. Oracle’s Cloud Marketplace is now located within the OCI Console. Please visit the link to view the Marketplace and search for either Buurst or SoftNAS, and all deployment options are available.