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1 savvisdirect White Papers Managing Your Data Growth with savvisdirect CloudStorage Services not available everywhere. CenturyLink may change or cancel services or substitute similar services at its sole discretion without notice CenturyLink, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The CenturyLink mark, savvisdirect mark, pathways logo and certain CenturyLink and savvisdirect product names are the property of CenturyLink, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

White Papers Managing Your Data Growth with savvisdirect CloudStorage Whether your files are on a local PC, file or Web server or in another cloud altogether, this paper will help you envision how to

No matter if you re a software developer, IT administrator or business executive, you will find useful information in this paper to help you understand savvisdirect CloudStorage and how it can help

2 White Papers Managing Your Data Growth with savvisdirect CloudStorage Whether your files are on a local PC, file or Web server or in another cloud altogether, this paper will help you envision how to prepare, authenticate and transmit your files to savvisdirect CloudStorage. No matter if you re a software developer, IT administrator or business executive, you will find useful information in this paper to help you understand savvisdirect CloudStorage and how it can help you fast forward your storage needs to the cloud. By Reading this White Paper, Software Developers, IT Administrators and Business Executives will learn: What preparations you need to take to get ready to migrate your files. Three use cases on clients for how to send your files to CloudStorage. How CloudStorage authentication works and some best practices. Preparing to Store Files in savvisdirect CloudStorage As you plan to make use of savvisdirect CloudStorage take a few minutes to sketch out a diagram to help organize your files, data sets, and current on-site storage systems. If you are a developer or Web site administrator, catalog your current storage volumes and types of files in use to determine which files you need to store on savvisdirect CloudStorage. Give some consideration as to where your files currently reside and determine if storing them in a US East Coast and/or US West Coast availability zone location would help improve your geographic redundancy and end-user access time to extract data from savvisdirect CloudStorage. Also, think about the permissions structure for managing these files (images, html, text, audio or video files) as you will have the ability to use CloudStorage Tokens to manage files securely in savvisdirect CloudStorage. For IT administrators, managing data files on physical and virtual server infrastructures as well as end-user computers takes forethought. Take time to categorize the archive schemes needed to maintain highly available data sets stored in the cloud. In your current environments, ask the important questions upfront: Are server files stored on a local drive or on an NAS device? Do your endusers store files on a networked common storage drive in addition to their local hard drive, or even USB drives? If you had a disaster impact your facility, computer infrastructure, logical database structure, or key administrative personnel, would you know where the critical data is stored and be able to retrieve it immediately? 2

Three Use Cases for How to Use savvisdirect CloudStorage Use Case: Software Developer application writing to CloudStorage through RESTful API Software developers need cloud-based storage that will

3 Three Use Cases for How to Use savvisdirect CloudStorage Use Case: Software Developer application writing to CloudStorage through RESTful API Software developers need cloud-based storage that will accept a RESTful Web Services API call to target storage for code and related assets. savvisdirect s CloudStorage API supports 13 RESTful commands that integrate into development routines, giving flexibility options for managing objects in the cloud. savvisdirect CloudStorage provides easy to access and unlimited storage capacity for any of these use cases. Our object-based CloudStorage service removes the burden of having to monitor local storage capacity and the related planning, budgeting, and operational scheduling to add more within your on-siteinfrastructure. Also, for your data files generated by your servers, savvisdirect CloudStorage will provide hardened access controls for each file type through the use of Token credentialing, which defines access rights to post, manage and retrieve files. It s likely you will have a large set of files for your initial upload to savvisdirect CloudStorage; averaging 100GB to 500GB. Think about the upload bandwidth speed of your Internet connection (i.e., 1.54Mbps, 10Mbps, 100Mbps, > 100Mbps LAN speed) from the current location of the files. Because the size of your files for an initial upload can be large and will use a sustained percentage of your total Internet connection, consider scheduling the upload event during off-business hours to avoid interruptions or resubmits. savvisdirect provides online videos to show you how to install and configure file upload and manage applications (i.e., EMC GeoDrive, Google Chrome Atmos, AtmosFox plug-ins) to enable the file migration process for our customers. For example, apply the following to create an Object: Line# String 1 POST /rest/objects HTTP/1.1 2 Accept: */* 3 x-sd-useracl: john=full_control.mary=read 4 date: Wed, 21 May :04:45 GMT 5 content-type: application/octet-stream 6 x-sd-date: Wed, 21 May :04:45 GMT 7 x-sd-groupacl: other=none 8 host: content-length: x-sd-uid: 2345k676kj890780hg2434klh7/user1 11 x-sd-signature: U676DS2ih434ST HL= 3

4 Furthermore, software programming language bindings are available to help you accelerate your code development for popular languages such as Python, Java, Ruby and others. The Python wrapper, for example, performs string signing, sends the HTTP requests, and parses the responses. Below is an extract for the Create Object request type. Figure 1. Create Object with Python Binding Use Case: IT Administrator using CloudStorage to address data growth and protections IT administrators have an ever-increasing need for file storage. savvisdirect CloudStorage helps solve storage needs by delivering secure, scalable and easy-to-use storage capacity for both servers and PCs running Windows 32- or 64-bit operating systems. savvisdirect provides control to IT administrators with an application they choose to install on users PCs or servers, which creates a letter drive appearance in the list of storage volumes. Although it s not a file-sharing application, it provides individual users with additional storage space in a simple, letter drive appearance. Now, you can deliver and control near limitless storage capacity to user communities and servers without the painstaking task of capacity planning and related upgrades. In the screenshot below, the Y drive shows the savvisdirect CloudStorage. Figure 2. Y Drive is savvisdirect CloudStorage 4

5 Users may also choose to add additional security to their files by applying 256 bit AES encryption using the letter drive client. It s easy to do. Just configure this option in the software settings as shown in the example below. Once installed and configured, the letter drive application automatically re-starts upon a re-boot. It consumes very little idle system resources and best of all, training for users can be accomplished with a savvisdirect guide that describes the simple drag-and-drop use as with any other storage drive volume. Using the letter drive application in your server environments also provides a means to write and employ simple copy scripts or other routines that target files for storage in the cloud. savvisdirect CloudStorage can help you fast forward your storage needs to the cloud. Figure 2. GeoDrive Encryption Settings Use Case: Business Executives Using a Browser to Store and Manage Files Using the letter drive application described in the above section works well for business executives, too. Additionally, business executives may choose to use a Web browser with open source plug-ins, which deliver a graphical user interface (UI) with features such as real-time file transmission status bars and status messaging. Plug-ins are available for Google Chrome and Firefox. The browser user interface (UI) provides point-and-click settings to configure savvisdirect CloudStorage accounts and authentication credentials, plus navigation buttons to manage the transfer of files from local hard drives to the cloud. Below is a screenshot of the plug-in for the FireFox Web browser. Figure 3. Browser Plug-In Example 5

How to Authenticate, Access and Upload Files No matter which client access method you choose, all require savvisdirect CloudStorage Token credentials and a host/api URL name.

). It is comprised of a Subtenant ID, User ID and Shared Secret. All three credentials are required to successfully authenticate.

6 How to Authenticate, Access and Upload Files No matter which client access method you choose, all require savvisdirect CloudStorage Token credentials and a host/api URL name. Tokens are the equivalent of user IDs and passwords. A Full Token ID is a set of credentials comprised of a string of letters and numbers that enable the successful completion of requests (e.g., Create Objects, Delete Objects, etc.). It is comprised of a Subtenant ID, User ID and Shared Secret. All three credentials are required to successfully authenticate. The Host/API URL is the address to which your client will send requests for uploads, downloads, deletions, etc. The savvisdirect Management Console provides you with access to your Dashboard where you create and manage Tokens and get the Host/API URLs you need to input into your access clients. Below is a sample Token and Host/API URL: Subtenant ID: 76b4f0eebfaf482aa2667a4764df25ae User ID: Shared Secret: adfas2342lky7yaldnfy7234s Host/API URL: For Developers: The following is an example of how to insert Token credentials into an API request: Figure 4. API Syntax Highlighting Token and Host Formatting Use this method regardless if you are migrating files from local storage infrastructure or another cloud. Just make sure these file stores are connected and accessible from the Internet. 6

For IT Administrators: Configuring the letter drive application takes about three minutes per drive.

Some admins choose to save it to a USB drive and re-use it for each PC as they make their rounds for installation, and configuration and brief training.

Below is a partial screenshot from the configuration screens.

0 Configuration Letter Drive Configuring a browser plug-in is a quick and simple process.

7 For IT Administrators: Configuring the letter drive application takes about three minutes per drive. The installer executable can be downloaded from the savvisdirect Management Console ( from each PC or server that requires storage. Some admins choose to save it to a USB drive and re-use it for each PC as they make their rounds for installation, and configuration and brief training. In any case, a thorough configuration guide and video are available on the savvisdirect Management Console alongside the executable software application. Below is a partial screenshot from the configuration screens. The ID and Secret credential information is available on the CloudStorage tab on the savvisdirect Management Console. For Business Executives: Figure 5.0 Configuration Letter Drive Configuring a browser plug-in is a quick and simple process. Detailed written instructions and videos are available in the savvisdirect Knowledge Base ( to help you with the configuration. Use the Token and Host/API URL information from the savvisdirect Management Console to create accounts in your browser plug-in as shown below: Figure 6. Configuration Screens for Browser Plug-In Figure 6. Configuration Screens for Browser Plug-In 7

Summary Software developers, IT administrators and business executives will all benefit from planning the strategy to manage files and migrate data sets into the savvisdirect CloudStorage service.

8 Summary Software developers, IT administrators and business executives will all benefit from planning the strategy to manage files and migrate data sets into the savvisdirect CloudStorage service. From planning your migration of data files to savvisdirect CloudStorage to the multiple use cases for access clients, and to using Tokens and Host/API URLs for gaining access to your storage disk, savvisdirect makes it easy to start storing files in the cloud. Customers are supported by a knowledgeable Onboarding Cloud Support Team to get them set up correctly at the onset of their savvisdirect CloudStorage experience. Continuing through the provision and manage process, customers are provided with a robust Management Console and extensive Knowledge Base, with articles and how-to videos to optimize their CloudStorage strategy. Contact Learn how easy it can be to take advantage of CloudStorage from savvisdirect. Stay up to date on the latest savvisdirect news by reading our blog at savvisdirect.com/blog. Or follow us on or like us on Facebook. Visit us online at to learn more, or call us at CenturyLink, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The CenturyLink mark, savvisdirect mark, pathways logo and certain CenturyLink and savvisdirect product names are the property of CenturyLink, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. Services and offers not available everywhere. Savvis may change or cancel services or substitute similar services at its sole discretion without notice. Offer, plans and stated rates are subject to change and may vary by service area. All services require payment by credit card. Monthly recurring charges will be assessed in advance and are non-refundable under any circumstances, and usage-based and non-recurring charges will be assessed when incurred or on the first day of the next billing cycle, at Savvis sole discretion. Offers may not be combined. Additional restrictions may apply. Plans, Terms and Conditions - Customer must accept savvisdirect terms and conditions and all applicable third party terms and conditions, as required. Service level agreements (SLAs) in the terms and conditions describe customer s sole remedy for service quality or performance issues of any kind. All rates exclude taxes, fees and surcharges, as applicable. Monthly recurring charges include listed features and service has no term commitment.

What you need to know about cloud backup: your guide to cost, security, and flexibility. 8 common questions answered

What you need to know about cloud backup: your guide to cost, security, and flexibility. 8 common questions answered Over the last decade, cloud backup, recovery and restore (BURR) options have emerged