The StorageGRID Webscale system is a distributed object storage system that stores, protects, and preserves fixed-content data over long periods of time.
By employing a grid architecture that distributes copies of object data throughout the system, a highly reliable system is created where data is continuously available. If one part of the system goes down, another immediately takes over, which results in objects always being available for retrieval. To implement this architecture, the StorageGRID Webscale system employs a system of network-connected servers hosting grid nodes. These grid nodes host a collection of one or more services, each providing a set of capabilities to the StorageGRID Webscale system.
To manage objects ingested into the system, the StorageGRID Webscale system employs metadata-based information lifecycle management (ILM) rules. These ILM rules determine what happens to an object’s data after it is ingested—where it is stored, how it is protected from loss, and how long it is stored.
The StorageGRID Webscale system operates over wide area network (WAN) links, providing the system with off-site loss protection. Copies are made and distributed throughout the system so that objects are continuously available. In systems with multiple sites, this distribution of copies means that if a site is lost, data is not lost, and clients can seamlessly retrieve it from other sites.
