ZebClient - the novel cloud-based high-performance filesystem
ZebClient is a novel solution that enables the use of low-cost cloud storage for advanced applications. It offers a high-performance distributed and parallel filesystem access, scalability, and robust data durability, addressing the needs of modern and data-intensive applications.
ZebClient provides the following primary functions
Parallel filesystem for high performance file data access
- Parallel simultaneous data retrieval and processing
- Scales data-intensive workloads
- Makes data available for distributed compute operations
Distributed filesystem access across multiple compute nodes
- Provides accessibility to unified data across dispersed locations
- Delivers a POSIX-compliant filesystem for advanced workloads, securing data consistency across all nodes
Object storage backend for seamless scalability
- Optimizes data storage, scaling its size dynamically from zero based on need
- Secures low cost
Techniques that maximizes data access performance
- Data tiering mechanisms placing frequently accessed data close to applications
- Optimized data access and retrieval techniques such as striping
- Option to add a local warm data tier to on-premise deployments
ZebClient empowers new use cases
What you get with ZebClient
How much can you save with ZebClient?
Start saving money by using ZebClient for your advanced applications. Compare the cost of using ZebClient vs. Azure NetApp Files by entering your desired throughput capacity and data volume. Or compare ZebClient to Amazon FSx by Lustre instead.
ZebClient
Monthly cost (including Azure Blob storage):
Azure NetApp Files
Monthly cost:
ZebClient performance
Read/write performance to applications: performanceZebClient
Application layer
Total ZebClient cost: applicationCost
Based on customer use of instance type:
appInstances number of appInstance nodes*
CPUs per node*: coresPerNode
*2 nodes and 4 CPUs are converged
ZebClient fee specification 2x$30 + 48x$10
Data storage layer
Total ZebClient cost: dataCostZebClient
Total Azure Blob storage cost: dataCostAzure
Data compression savings: 50%
Blob storage includes 10% overhead for read and write operations.
This price comparison has been made using ZebClient deployment with mixed tiered and converged application nodes.
Azure NetApp Files performance
The Azure NetApp files configuration is based on the lowest possible cost to meet both the performance and data volume requirements
Throughput capacity plan: planNetApp
Provisioned data volume: volumeNetApp
Price per TiB: pricePerTiB
Azure NetApp Files price can be verified at: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/netapp/
How ZebClient achieves 500x faster access
ZebClient features
Deployments
ZebClient offers three distinct cluster deployment modes, enabling customers to tailor their ZebClient configuration and optimize costs. Each mode is thoroughly designed to ensure optimal node utilization and to deliver a sustained high performance.
Direct mode
In direct mode, ZebClient establishes a direct connection to cold object storage, bypassing the standard acceleration layer. This deployment mode, leverages ZebClient’s unique data handling principles and maximizes the utilization of application node hardware to deliver acceleration of data access speeds. As a result, users can access data at high speeds directly from cold storage and significantly reduce infrastructure costs.
For this deployment mode to work at its best, the compute resources should be located close to the cloud object storage.
Converged mode
In converged mode, ZebClient introduces its acceleration layer already on the application nodes, alongside the customer applications. This mode permits users to allocate a portion of the nodes’ CPU and memory capabilities to the acceleration layer to reduce cost. The resource allocation to ZebClient result in a modest increase in CPU consumption.
Tiered mode
In tiered mode, ZebClient uses dedicated nodes to deploy one or multiple tiers of the acceleration layer. This configuration guarantees exceptional I/O performance and scalability, limited only by the underlying infrastructure.
Direct
Converged
Tiered
Simple to maintain and manage.
Ideal for enhancing performance for sequential I/O operations on compressible data.
Lowest possible infrastructure cost.
Higher IOPS performance vs the direct mode deployment.
Cost optimization as already existing resources are used.
Best-in-class, scalable performance across all metrics.
IOPS performance is constrained by the cloud object storage's capabilities.
Marginally elevated CPU consumption from ZebClient running on the nodes.
Increased network I/O demand generated by the ZebClient system.
Higher in cost but still provides significant cost savings compared to other alternatives available in market.
ZebClient pricing
ZebClient is offered as a monthly subscription alternatively as an offline six- or twelve-month subscription where fees are based on performance delivered to connected applications and volume of data under management.
ZebClient online licenses are offered with monthly subscription fees based on performance delivered to connected applications and volume of data under management. Please note that converged deployments typically include both converged nodes and tiered nodes. The converged pricing applies to the converged application/acceleration nodes and CPUs only.
ZebClient licenses can be provided as custom-tailored offline licenses to customers who require their IT infrastructure solutions to be isolated from the internet. Offline licenses are typically provided with six- or twelve-months binding time. Both versions are billed quarterly in advance. The standard offline license price list is provided below. Prices for customised deployments are available upon request.
Online licenses
Offline licenses
Price example: Using an online license, a ZebClient design including 200 TB of data under management and serving three application nodes, using AWS compute instances of type i3en.6xlarge with 12 CPUs/node, would have a fee of 3 * (30 + (12 * 10)) + (200 * 6) = 1650 $ per month. Cost of cloud services or any other products used to run ZebClient is not included in the ZebClient price.
Pricing, general terms
ZebClient product list prices are applicable when ZebClient is used solely for customer’s internal business operations, i.e. any third party usage is not allowed.
Cost of cloud services or any other products used to run ZebClient is not included in the ZebClient price
The price list is valid from Feb 10, 2023.
All prices are exclusive of VAT.
Data under ZebClient management is calculated as the average volume of data written to and stored in the ZebClient system within the billing period.
The price lists apply to ZebClient online licenses and to standard setups of offline licenses. Customized solutions are tailored and priced upon request.
For offline licenses the monthly fix fees are charged quarterly in advance.
The online subscription has no binding period but a two months’ notice period.
The offline subscription can be ordered as a 6-month or 12-month binding period.
Please find the full set of terms and conditions for using ZebClient.
Sign up for ZebClient
Contact us at [email protected] to order ZebClient or try it out right away by filling out the form for a free trial license.
Trial licenses are designed with a fixed configuration, specifying the permitted maximum number of virtual CPUs across all connected application/agent nodes, and the maximum volume of data under management.
Please refer to the technical documentation for further information.
