Highlights:
- A Kubernetes application’s storage allocation is frequently modified by administrators based on the volume of data it is holding.
- Ondat offers tools that assist in lowering the risk of data loss in Kubernetes environments in addition to its core feature set.
Ondat, a startup with venture capital backing and a data storage platform for Kubernetes, will be acquired by Akamai Technologies Inc., the company announced recently.
The deployment and maintenance of software container applications are made simpler by Kubernetes. However, it has few features for controlling the data used by those applications. As a result, businesses that use Kubernetes frequently implement external storage tools like the platform from Ondat.
Adam Karon, chief operating officer and divisional manager of the cloud computing division of Akamai, said, “Storage is a key component of cloud computing and Ondat’s technology will enhance Akamai’s storage capabilities, allowing us to offer a fundamentally different approach to cloud that integrates core and distributed computing sites with a massively scaled edge network.”
London-based startup Ondat, formally known as StorageOS Inc., has received USD 20 million in funding. Major corporations like DHL and Lloyds Bank plc, one of the biggest financial institutions in the UK, are among its clients. The deal’s financial details were kept private by the companies.
A Kubernetes application’s storage allocation is frequently modified by administrators based on the volume of data it is holding. Ondat greatly automates the procedure, which reduces the time spent. Its platform also compresses and encrypts data from applications to conserve storage space.
Ondat offers tools that assist in lowering the risk of data loss in Kubernetes environments in addition to its core feature set. Using a checksum algorithm, the startup’s platform automatically checks a company’s data for potential errors. Additionally, it enables businesses to make numerous standby copies of their data and bring them online if the primary copy is unavailable due to an outage.
Multiple servers are typically present in Kubernetes clusters. Performance may be slowed when Kubernetes deploys an application and its data to two servers. When an application is set up in this way, it must make time-consuming network requests to get the data it needs to perform processing tasks.
Ondat’s platform can assign each workload to the server that houses its data to maximize performance. By eliminating the need for data to cross the network, performance is improved. The platform accelerates the procedure when data travel is unavoidable by compressing network traffic.
Ondat is one of many storage platforms targeted at Kubernetes that are available. The startup claims that the platform’s emphasis on usability is one of its key differentiators. The software can be configured with just a few commands and is packaged into a container, which makes deployment relatively simple.
By March 31st, Akamai hopes to have the acquisition completed. The business will incorporate the technology with its just-launched Akamai Connected Cloud platform. The platform is an edge computing service built using resources from Linode LLC, a hosting company in Philadelphia that the business purchased for USD 900 million last year.
Sathya Sankaran, founder and CEO of CloudCasa, said, “The acquisition of Ondat by Akamai is another indication that Kubernetes is entering the mainstream for enterprises deploying stateful business applications on Kubernetes environments in public clouds. Ondat fills the distributed storage management gap in the Linode Kubernetes Environment for the Akamai Connected Cloud.”
The Akamai Connected Cloud, unveiled last month, consists of edge computing sites set up in various global cities. To reduce customer latency, developers can deploy their applications at those locations. To speed up network access, a company with users in a specific city may choose to deploy its application there.
By the end of the year, Akamai wants to have edge computing locations for its Connected Cloud in more than 50 cities worldwide. The business also intends to construct “enterprise-scale core cloud computing sites” in the United States and Europe. They will provide various capabilities, including computing, storage, and database services.
