ExaGrid has announced the release of version 7.4.0 of its Tiered Backup Storage solution, introducing powerful new features tailored for Managed Service Providers (MSPs). This update reinforces ExaGrid’s commitment to delivering secure, scalable, and high-performance backup infrastructure, especially in the face of growing ransomware threats and complex multi-tenant environments.
Key Enhancements in version 7.4.0 for MSPs:
The 7.4.0 release introduces two major capabilities:
- 1. Tracking Data Per Share
MSPs can now create up to 35 shares per appliance and 300 per system, enabling precise data usage tracking per customer. This facilitates accurate billing and usage reporting over time, with exportable reports for operational transparency.
- 2. Ransomware Recovery by Share
In case of a ransomware attack, MSPs can restore data at the individual share level, ensuring that one compromised customer does not impact others. This granular recovery capability is critical for multi-tenant environments.
ExaGrid’s core differentiators:
Beyond the new features, ExaGrid continues to stand out with its robust architecture and security-first design:
- AI-Powered Retention Time-Lock (RTL)
This feature uses machine learning to monitor delete operations per share/customer. If an anomaly is detected, ExaGrid automatically extends the delayed delete policy, ensuring data in the Repository Tier remains protected. This proactive defense mechanism is vital for ransomware resilience. - Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
Granular access management ensures that only authorized personnel can perform sensitive operations, reducing the risk of internal threats. - Native Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Built-in 2FA adds an extra layer of security, safeguarding administrative access without relying on external integrations. - System Hardening
ExaGrid appliances are hardened against vulnerabilities, minimizing attack surfaces and ensuring compliance with security best practices. - Tiered Air Gap Architecture
The Repository Tier is non-network-facing, creating a physical and logical separation that prevents ransomware from reaching long-term backup data. - Dedicated Network Segmentation for Replication
Replication traffic is isolated on a dedicated network segment, enhancing performance and security while preventing cross-contamination between customer environments.
Operational benefits for MSPs:
- Fast Backups and Restores
Thanks to the Landing Zone architecture, backups are ingested quickly and restores are performed from undeduplicated data, ensuring minimal downtime. - Scalable Architecture
ExaGrid’s scale-out model maintains fixed-length backup windows as data grows, eliminating the need for forklift upgrades. - Cost Efficiency
Advanced deduplication reduces storage costs, while the pay-as-you-grow model aligns with MSPs’ business scalability. - Broad Compatibility
ExaGrid supports over 25 backup applications, including Veeam, Rubrik, Commvault, NetBackup, Oracle RMAN Direct, and more.
Enhancing backup security and performance with ExaGrid-Veeam integration:
In today’s data-driven landscape, ensuring fast, secure, and reliable backups is critical. The integration between Veeam Backup & Replication and ExaGrid Tiered Backup Storage offers a powerful solution that combines high-performance backup operations with advanced security features. At the heart of this integration is the ExaGrid-Veeam Accelerated Data Mover, a key component that transforms how backups and restores are executed.
Integrated Data Mover – Security and Simplicity: Unlike traditional backup architectures where the Veeam Data Mover runs on external servers, ExaGrid embeds the Veeam Data Mover directly into its backup appliance.
This architectural shift delivers several security and operational advantages:
- Strong Authentication: Communication between Veeam and ExaGrid is secured through strong authentication mechanisms, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
- Single Port Communication: All data transfer occurs over a dedicated and prioritized single port, simplifying firewall configurations and minimizing attack surfaces.
- Protocol Break: By embedding the Data Mover within the appliance, ExaGrid introduces a protocol break between the backup application and storage. This segmentation enhances security by isolating the backup data path from the production environment.
Performance boost with built-in proxy:
The integration also includes a built-in proxy within the ExaGrid appliance, which offloads processing tasks from the Veeam server.
This results in:
- Accelerated Backups: Synthetic full backups are up to 6X faster thanks to the Data Mover executing directly on the ExaGrid landing zone.
- Faster Restores and VM Boots: Restores and instant VM recoveries are executed from undeduplicated data in the landing zone, allowing VMs to boot in seconds to minutes.
- Optimized Resource Usage: By shifting processing to the appliance, network and server resources are freed up, improving overall system efficiency.
Scalable and Secure Architecture:
ExaGrid’s scale-out architecture complements Veeam’s Scale-Out Backup Repository (SOBR), enabling seamless expansion as data grows. Combined with ExaGrid’s Retention Time-Lock (RTL), immutable data objects, and non-network-facing Repository Tier, the solution ensures that backup data remains protected—even in the event of a ransomware attack.
Example:
This setup illustrates a multi-tiered backup architecture leveraging Veeam Backup & Replication and ExaGrid Tiered Backup Storage, designed for high performance, security, and disaster recovery readiness.
Primary backup flow:
-
1. Veeam Backup Copy Job
- The backup process begins with a Backup Copy Job initiated by Veeam, targeting the primary ExaGrid appliance.
- Landing Zone: This is a high-speed, non-deduplicated storage area where backups are initially written. It enables fast restores, instant VM boots, and synthetic full backups.
- Retention Zone: After initial ingestion, data is deduplicated and moved to this zone for long-term retention. This zone is non-network-facing, providing an air gap for ransomware protection.
2. ExaGrid Appliance – Dual-Zone Architecture
The primary ExaGrid appliance is composed of two distinct zones:
Replication flow:
-
3. ExaGrid proprietary replication
- Isolation from production traffic
- Enhanced security
- Optimized throughput
ExaGrid performs proprietary replication from the primary appliance to a secondary ExaGrid appliance located in a separate data center or disaster recovery site.
4. Dedicated network segment and physical ports
This replication occurs over a dedicated network segment using dedicated physical ports, ensuring:
5. Secondary ExaGrid appliance – Retention Zone only
The secondary appliance contains only a Retention Zone, designed for long-term storage and disaster recovery. It does not include a Landing Zone, as it is not used for direct restores or backup ingestion.
Conclusion:
With version 7.4.0, ExaGrid empowers MSPs to deliver secure, efficient, and resilient backup services. The combination of granular data tracking, share-level ransomware recovery, and industry-leading security features makes ExaGrid a compelling choice for service providers seeking to protect customer data in an increasingly hostile cyber landscape.
Veeam Software Vulnerabilities – Remediation Now Available: Blog Post
Veeam Software Appliance – A Linux-First leap toward secure simplified Backup Infrastructure: Blog Post
Veeam Virtual Appliance Step by Step Guide Installation: Here
VeeamON 2025 Recap: Here
v12.1 release – Veeam Data Platform: Blog Post
Veeam v12.1 – Integration with SIEM Systems : Blog Post
Veeam v12.1 – Object Storage as backup target: Blog Post
Veeam v12.1 KMS Support: Blog Post
Veeam v12.1 Malware Detection and YARA: Blog Post
