The News: Catalogic has added a self-hosted option for CloudCasa, its Kubernetes backup solution that previously was exclusively available as a cloud-hosted application (software as a service [SaaS]). Additional details are available in Catalogic’s press release.
Catalogic Launches Self-Hosted CloudCasa Kubernetes Protection
Analyst Take: Demand continues to grow for public cloud-hosted infrastructure and applications, though not for all markets. Certain industries and regions require dark sites that are not connected to the Internet and that can connect only via a private connection due to compliance requirements, data privacy legislation, and general privacy concerns for sensitive data. For example, organizations might require air-gapped infrastructure clusters with no connection to the Internet or other cloud services and control over data sovereignty within their organization or region, and they might require that their data does not coexist with another organization’s data. The federal, telecommunications, and financial services industries are prime examples – as are any industries with highly regulated application requirements. This consideration is also a particular concern for the European Union (EU), following the implementation of the region’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
When it comes to Kubernetes, the open source container orchestration platform that has become the standard for developing and hosting cloud-native applications, public cloud hosting offers elasticity and ease of management that appeals to developers. However, when it comes to using these environments in production, IT operations requires greater control and security over infrastructure and data – especially in highly regulated industries and regions and those dealing with a large amount of highly sensitive data. Here is where on-premises deployment can make sense, for the production as well as the protection infrastructure. This setup is especially important given the complex nature of microservices-based Kubernetes workloads.
In response, Catalogic is introducing a self-hosted option for CloudCasa, its backup solution for Kubernetes environments and cloud-hosted databases that previously was delivered exclusively as SaaS. CloudCasa is a Kubernetes application that can now be self-hosted and self-managed on-premises by the customer. The self-hosted option is feature-equivalent to the Catalogic-hosted offering; it required no major rewrites of the software code, and Catalogic is currently targeting it at enterprise-scale customers with a 50-worker node minimum.
The customer retains control over the underlying infrastructure, providing their own cluster that is deployed on the Kubernetes platform of their choice, as well as their own S3 storage target. They can optionally deploy their own MongoDB catalog, if they desire additional security controls for their data catalog to be sitting in their own data center. This setup also provides the flexibility to support a distributed MongoDB deployment at enterprise scale. The customer also provides their own third-party authentication provider (e.g., AzureAD, LDAP, Okta, SAML) – a bring-your-own (BYO) approach that is now also supported with the Catalogic-hosted option.
CloudCasa could previously address some of the data privacy concerns, including through its support of PrivateLink connections and support for BYO storage. But the data catalog and control plane still relied on the Catalogic-managed, Amazon Web Services (AWS)-hosted SaaS. However, customers that cannot or do not want to have any reliance at all on cloud providers still require a fully self-hosted, self-managed offering. The Futurum Group recognizes that these customers will be willing to accept the tradeoff of installing, managing, and supporting the infrastructure and software.
Disclosure: The Futurum Group is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.
Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of The Futurum Group as a whole.
Other Insights from The Futurum Group:
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Author Information
With a focus on data security, protection, and management, Krista has a particular focus on how these strategies play out in multi-cloud environments. She brings approximately 15 years of experience providing research and advisory services and creating thought leadership content. Her vantage point spans technology and vendor portfolio developments; customer buying behavior trends; and vendor ecosystems, go-to-market positioning, and business models. Her work has appeared in major publications including eWeek, TechTarget and The Register.
Prior to joining The Futurum Group, Krista led the data protection practice for Evaluator Group and the data center practice of analyst firm Technology Business Research. She also created articles, product analyses, and blogs on all things storage and data protection and management for analyst firm Storage Switzerland and led market intelligence initiatives for media company TechTarget.
