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        Microsoft StorSimple Extends Cloud Support to AWS, OpenStack
        
        
        
			- By Kurt Mackie
- June 01, 2015
Microsoft recently issued an update to its  StorSimple storage management  product that extends  support to other cloud storage service providers.
Besides supporting Microsoft Azure for back end   cloud  storage, the StorSimple 8000 series now supports the use of "Amazon S3, Amazon S3 with RRS,   and  OpenStack-based clouds," Microsoft said in its announcement last week of the availability of Update 1.
Microsoft also added support for Azure  Zone Redundant Storage with Update 1. This service maintains three copies  of data at various Azure datacenters to assure data recovery.
The StorSimple 8000 product with Update 1 now supports  Microsoft's   cloud service for government entities called "Azure  Government." As   part of that support, its cryptographic modules now align  with Federal   Information Processing Standard 140-2, according to the  announcement.
Microsoft is also making it easier to upgrade from  StorSimple 5000   or StorSimple 7000 products using StorSimple 8000 Update 1, without    moving the data. That's done via PowerShell cmdlets. In general,   Microsoft has  been working to help automate management tasks in   StorSimple by adding to its collection  of Azure PowerShell cmdlets.
StorSimple is Microsoft's cloud-integrated appliance that  stores   data locally but also in hosted datacenters run by service providers.   The  appliance typically works by keeping the more active data located   on premises,  while less active data gets housed in the cloud. There's   also a "Virtual Appliance" version that runs in an Azure virtual   machine. Microsoft bought the company  that made the StorSimple products back  in 2012.
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
            
        
        
                
                    About the Author
                    
                
                    
                    Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for 1105 Media's Converge360 group.