EMC Adds Metadata Search To Centera Array

Centera Seek, unveiled Tuesday, searches the metadata of files stored on Centera arrays to perform background automation, such as setting the date on which a file is to be automatically deleted or looking for all files created by a specific user, said Sean Lanagan, director of Centera product management and emerging markets at Hopkinton, Mass.-based EMC.

On the Centera, a file is stored as an object based on a unique key, which is hashed from the contents of the file to ensure security of the data and that the file's data isn't deleted or modified for compliance regulatory purposes. When the object is stored, data about the file--such as when the data was created and who created it--also is stored as metadata, Lanagan said. That metadata information can be used to meet regulatory compliance purposes.

"But we haven't pulled the metadata from all the files and put them in a centralized database to let administrators leverage the data," Lanagan said. "That's what this announcement is about."

EMC has enlisted FAST InStream technology from Fast Search and Transfer, Oslo, Norway, to perform scalable, high-speed search and indexing on the Centera metadata, Lanagan said. "Normally, we don't mention our OEMs, but FAST InStream is so powerful and well-known," he said.

Using Centera Seek, data administrators can query the metadata to set an application to automatically purge data when that information is no longer needed. The application also facilitates legal discovery by letting an administrator lock down specific data and do progressive tightening and loosening of legal holds, Lanagan said. In addition, it can help locate files that may have become affected by a virus.

Centera Seek sits on an industry-standard server to handle queries. EMC currently recommends a Dell server for the search engine, but the software may be modified to fit in a node inside the Centera without the need for a separate server.

EMC also unveiled Centera Chargeback Reporter, the first application to leverage Centera Seek. The application uses the metadata to determine who is using storage resources, enabling the correct organizations to be charged for the cost of those resources, Lanagan said. For instance, the chargebacks could be done according to user organization or application, such as e-mails, documents and medical records, he said. Data collected by Chargeback Reporter is exported as XML data, which can be used by chargeback tools or for usage trend analysis.

Solution providers that work with the Centera can resell Centera Seek, Lanagan said. "They can add value-added scripts to the applications for their customers," he said.