CTERA

CTERA can use AWS S3, Microsoft Azure Blob Storage, and Google Cloud Storage as backend object storage targets for its cloud file system. It also supports on-premises object storage such as Ceph or Dell EMC ECS for organizations requiring data sovereignty. This flexibility lets enterprises choose cloud providers based on cost, residency requirements, or existing enterprise agreements.

CTERA is frequently used as a replacement for Windows Server file shares with DFS-R, providing global file locking, AD-integrated authentication, and SMB/NFS share access through its Edge Filer appliances. The platform centralizes data in cloud or on-prem object storage while presenting familiar network shares to branch office users. Many Fortune 500 companies have migrated legacy DFS-R deployments to CTERA to reduce Windows Server licensing and maintenance costs.

CTERA provides continuous data protection with immutable, versioned snapshots stored in object storage that cannot be encrypted or deleted by ransomware on the client side. It also includes anomaly detection that flags mass file deletions or modifications characteristic of ransomware attacks, triggering admin alerts. Administrators can configure snapshot retention policies independent of end-user permissions for an air-gapped recovery point.

Yes, CTERA integrates natively with Microsoft Active Directory for authentication and preserves NTFS ACLs and permission inheritance when migrating existing Windows file shares. The CTERA Edge Filer maps AD users and groups to cloud-stored file metadata, maintaining consistent access controls across distributed sites. This is one of the key reasons enterprises choose CTERA over consumer-oriented cloud sync tools like Dropbox Business.