With technological advances, the volume of data produced by companies is increasing, which leads to the search for storage media that are safe and reliable. However, more conventional solutions can lead to significant expenses, due to the need to periodically expand the physical space for storage, the high cost of parts, hardware depreciation and maintenance expenses.

As a way of mitigating these issues, RNP developed a customized system to meet the storage needs of the Brazilian Company of Hospital Services (Ebserh). Through a practice known as storage as a service (StaaS), Ebserh rents hardware space to store all kinds of data, allowing quick access to this information from anywhere in the company. The system works similarly to cloud storage, but the equipment is located within Ebserh itself.

The solution came about after Ebserh felt the need to expand its information storage system with the least possible financial impact. StaaS has been up and running since April 2020 and has proven to be a success.

The system works on demand, similar to the services provided by water and light companies. Ebserh can use the storage whenever it is necessary to store some type of data, such as photos, sound files, video files and spreadsheets. With this, the company only pays for the space occupied and does not have to worry about support or buying new disks, whether for replacement or expansion of Staas.

“Just the fact of not having the capital cost and other things involved, the solution is already cheaper than any other on the market”, points out Cristian Gonzalez, senior operations analyst at RNP. “Ebserh did not disburse financial resources to purchase equipment. They are only paying for the use”.

As it is a physical storage solution, with data directly accessible to Ebserh employees, this innovative service also complies with the General Law for the Protection of Personal Data (LGPD). For example, if necessary, saved data can be completely deleted. In the event of a judicial investigation, disks with specific information must be handed over to the appropriate authorities.

Benefits go beyond finances

The storage equipment is provided by Zadara, a technology company based in the USA, the support of the solution is proactive, that is, all the time and the equipment is monitored 24/7 365 days to guarantee the perfect functioning of Staas. RNP itself also provides a specialized team to assist Ebserh.

StaaS is also adaptable to Ebserh's needs, as there is the possibility to expand the available storage space. This expansion occurs through the installation of new parts in the structure assembled at the institution's headquarters in Brasília. Another relevant point is that the tool is versatile and allows the use of features such as encryption.

Another benefit of the system is the ability to use different types of architectures to store data. Among the most used today are object storage, which transforms data into structures that can be enlarged when necessary; and block storage, which divides information into smaller objects and stores these pieces in more convenient locations, ensuring quick access to data.

Starting point for the future

With the success of the venture at Ebserh, RNP expanded the use of StaaS to other partners and applications, such as Eduplay, the largest video portal for higher education in Brazil. The experience will also serve to improve StaaS itself, allowing Ebserh access to more features.

“New products and new services are being developed based on this technology that we have been working on and learning about throughout the year. Some of RNP's future projects are directly linked to the knowledge acquired with this solution developed for Ebserh”, concludes Cristian Gonzalez.