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Cloud Enable Your File Server

Replace Traditional File Servers and Simplify Mobile Access

Give on-premise file server new cloud access & secure file sharing and data protection capabilities, while retaining the old security safeguards, permission controls and data ownership!

cloud file server illustration

Are you looking for an online file server that:


Simplifies remote access to Windows file servers and inter-office collaboration?

Reduces costs with simplified migration and retirement of traditional file servers?

Combines Windows file server security and control with the cloud's ease of use and productivity?

Has a simpler permission migration and configuration strategy than SharePoint, Dropbox or Google Drive?

Combines NTFS permissions, Active Directory users and drive mappings with remote access from any device?

Maintains data privacy by providing the option keep data on-premises in traditional file server shares or private online storage?

CentreStack is the cloud file server you need to simplify remote access, online file sharing and file server management!

Traditional File Server Challenges - Security vs Mobility?

business man worried about public cloud service

Traditional file servers typically provide fast local access with secure access controls, but can be expensive to maintain and difficult to access from mobile devices. And enterprises may find file sharing between remote offices challenging using traditional methods. CentreStack provides the ability to store, share, access and backup files using an online file server that can be synchronized with local storage. This offers the best of both worlds. The speed and security of a Windows file server without the setup costs and administrative overhead of traditional file servers.

CentreStack takes this one step further by providing the option to setup a Cloud File Server without migrating data or changing workflows! This private secure file sharing is key for organizations that want to maintain data privacy by keeping data on Windows File Servers, but face the challenges of providing secure remote access, external sharing and online collaboration. With the prevalence of ransomware and other cyber threats, enabling Server Message Block (SMB) shares access over a VPN can expose inherent security vulnerabilities to malware that make traditional file sharing risky. And SMB drive mapping over a VPN can also be quite slow since it was designed for local file drive mapping.

Benefits of Cloud File Server

Problems Solved by Cloud File Servers

Mobile Access

Simplify remote access to file servers from mobile devices, PCs, Macs and browsers.

Server Costs

Reduce server replacement costs. Eliminate management costs of servers and VPNs.

Data Sprawl

Avoid the headaches of data sets split between internal file servers and cloud solutions like Dropbox.

Migration Costs

Avoid the cost of manual files and folders replication or recreation of NTFS permissions.

Multiple Offices

Avoid the management headaches of cross site replication and simplify collaboration with remote offices.

Security Threats

Eliminate threats from de-centralized security and personal Dropbox and other 3rd party accounts.

Hybrid File Servers with Cloud File Server

Migrating File Shares to Online Storage

  • Cloud Server Agent installed to migrate file shares
  • File shares accessed directly by legacy apps and users
  • Replicate folders, permissions and users to online storage
  • Access remotely from mobile devices, mapped drives and web browsers
  • Operate in hybrid mode indefinitely
  • Retire traditional file servers when ready
Hybrid File Servers with Cloud Server illustration
File Servers in the Cloud illustration

File Server as the Cloud

Mobile Access to Network File Shares

  • Self-hosted file server on-prem or in data center
  • Install CentreStack on same network as file server
  • No data replication to third party locations
  • Access remotely from mobile devices, mapped drives and web browsers
  • Remote access with existing NTFS and Active Directory security
  • Maintain existing data privacy and compliance

Cloud File Server Highlights

Cloud Mapped Drive

Remotely access file shares from a drive letter, without the need for a VPN. Cloud replication is optional!

On-Demand Sync

Minimize storage and bandwidth consumption by automatically syncing and caching only the files you need.

File Locking

CentreStack provides full support for file locking from the cloud, with a familiar file server locking experience.

business woman showing cloud file server features

Folder Permission

Granular folder permissions that can mirror NTFS permissions or get created natively.

Active Directory

Preserve NTFS permissions and Active Directory identities when connecting file servers to the cloud.

End Point Security

Encrypt remote agent caches or revoke remote agent access privileges from a central management console.

Use Cases

CentreStack’s ability to utilize standard letter-drive mappings for cloud storage simplifies adoption, access and centralized collaboration. Many other solutions offer savings and productivity boosts from cloud file sharing (e.g. Egnyte and Dropbox) but CentreStack offers the unique ability to create your own cloud-based file server with custom branding while retaining complete control of the storage and servers involved. CentreStack is also unique in its deep integration with NTFS and Active Directory and the ability to create a hybrid cloud file server environment that preserves drive mapping, file locking and familiar permission control user experiences.

  • Remote Access To File Shares Without VPN
  • Mobile Device Access to Hosted File Shares

Benefits

CentreStack can either install agent software on your file server or directly mount network shares from your file server network share when direct access is available. It intelligently manages local and cloud storage to provide a range of cloud enablement options.

Active Directory security and NTFS permission models are also maintained as if nothing changed, and users get a familiar drive letter to access files from remote locations with distributed file locking to prevent collaboration collisions.

Retire File Servers

Businesses find themselves having to purchase new file servers every few years. These capital expenditures can be eliminated by migrating file shares to the cloud with CentreStack. Users can continue to work on the existing file shares without disruption and the file server can be retired once the migration is completed.

Remote Access and File Sharing

Simplify mobile access and file sharing with familiar interfaces on any computer or device. Windows and Mac desktops display natively mapped drives in Explorer and Finder. That same experience is presented on iOS and Android devices like iPads, iPhones and Pixels or can be viewed from popular web browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer.

Simplify file sharing

Easily collaborate with business partners by providing them with access to a limited set of internal files or folders. Share files with non-AD users while maintaining administrative controls. Simplify multi-site collaboration with automatic version controls and file locking.

Reduce costs by Replacing VPN

Eliminate the overhead and support tickets commonly associated with VPN file sharing, Always On VPN or Direct Access. Automatically use existing users and permissions to save setup time and money.

Simplify Server Management

Eliminate the need to manage servers on-premises by retiring them to the cloud. Centrally manage users, access controls, and storage for each tenant. Easily keep track of where the data is, who has access and how it’s being shared.

Centrally manage permissions

For complete control and visibility, granular NTFS permissions and Active Directory security can be managed from the file server that was their source, or natively with CentreStack. If the file server is retired, CentreStack becomes the new permissions master.

Centrally Manage Users

Centrally manage users, access controls, and storage for each tenant. Easily keep track of where the data is, who has access and how it’s being shared.

Increase Productivity

Provide an always-on mapped drive that works anywhere on any device and allows mobile users to easily access internal file shares or cloud file servers

Maintain Compliance

Maintain compliance with military grade encryption, secure connections and more. Automatically use existing users and permissions to save setup time and money. Admins can perform audits of GDPR and HIPAA compliance or keep track of any changes that have been made to individual files.

Reduce Bandwidth and Storage

Use on-demand synchronization to reduce bandwidth usage and endpoint storage consumption. Files are only sync'd to the endpoint when they are used so you don't have to purchase large disks for endpoint devices and you don't create network sync storms.

Manage Multiple Tenants

CentreStack provides a multi0tenant, white labeled platform that makes it easy for MSP partners to build a private cloud file server solution based on infrastructure from Amazon, Azure or Wasabi.

Maintain Data Privacy

CentreStack can use your file server as a private cloud to prevent replication to third party data centers for data privacy, security and control. Or you can use storage from a private cloud. In either case, CentreStack provides a better alternative to Dropbox and SharePoint when you care about data privacy, control, data sovereignty or legacy access.

Business Continuity with Hybrid File Shares

As a second option for deployment, for the attached local folders, the file server content will be migrated over time to cloud storage. When it is an enabling method for online access, it is also a backup process happening in the background so it can provide business continuity functionality.

Create a Global Workspace

You can attach local folders from different file servers to your CentreStack account. It is a global name space directory structure unifying the different file servers into a single folder structure, enabling multiple-site collaboration. It is a distributed file system in the cloud.

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