ParaScale software clusters servers into enterprise cloud storage

ParaScale Cloud Storage's interface.

(Credit: ParaScale)

Cloud storage is getting a lot more feasible for the enterprise.

ParaScale, a start-up that develops cloud-storage solutions, announced Monday the availability of its ParaScale Cloud Storage (PCS) software. The software, once installed on any standard Linux platform, enables the server to be linked with others to act as one massive file repository that offers high parallel throughput.

ParaScale cloud storage software is able to cluster tens to hundreds of servers together. Business users can start with several terabytes and later scale the cloud capacity and performance by adding more hardware. The software also streamlines the management of the servers within a cloud, including the ability to automatically balance out heavily used spots and capacity utilization across the various nodes. This solution for storage has been proven to be much more affordable and efficient than traditional storage.

(While this solution is available only for the enterprise market, regular users can also participate in similar clustering cloud storage using their home computers with Wuala, another online storage service thatLaCie acquired awhile ago.)

Prior to the announcement, PCS has been used by enterprise and service provider organizations including Blue Coat Systems, Carpathia Hosting, Sony Pictures ImageWorks, and Stanford Genome Technology Center. Additionally, technology providers including Vembu Technologies and South River Technologies have used ParaScale's Cloud Storage software to cut costs.

According ParaScale, apart from private cloud-storage solution, where companies can build clouds inside their firewall, the PCS can also be beneficial for those who wants to offer public cloud storage services. The combination of the ParaScale software and standard servers is flexible enough to build different types of both public and private clouds.

ParaScale Cloud Storage software version 1.2 is now available for purchase and can be downloaded ParaScale's Web site. The software's pricing is based on the physical capacity within the cloud. In North America, the price starts at $1.05 per gigabyte of storage.