A next generation approach to object storage: edge AI, cost and control

In an era defined by massive data volumes and the surging demands of AI workloads, businesses need storage solutions that are not just scalable, but also high performing and easy to deploy. Rakuten Cloud-Native Storage with object store is engineered to meet these challenges head-on. Built with innovative Kubernetes architectural decisions and cutting-edge technologies, this object store is poised to transform how enterprises, telcos and cloud providers manage and access their data. Let’s explore the key differentiators that set Rakuten Cloud-Native Storage with object store apart.

Rakuten Cloud-Native Storage, now with object store, is part of a unified storage solution offering block, file and object storage. This comprehensive approach provides businesses with a holistic, cost-effective and easily managed storage strategy across all Kubernetes solution paradigms, from a single vendor.

A central metadata server for lightning-fast operations and superior scale

One of the core design philosophies behind Rakuten Cloud-Native Storage with object store is the adoption of a central metadata server. This architectural choice ensures that common operations such as listing and lookup functions remain instantaneous—even when scaling to 100 billion objects or more. By leveraging a centralized metadata system:

• Performance: high speed with high concurrency, ensuring your storage system never becomes a bottleneck.
• Scalability: Handles billions/trillions of objects efficiently using optimized database technologies.
• Consistency: Provides a single source of truth ensuring data integrity over long periods.
• Advanced Data Management: Enables policy-driven features like data lifecycle management data governance data discovery and data analytics.
• Simplified Management: Easier to manage and administer with a single team ensuring consistency and reliability.
• Cost-Effectiveness: Lower long-term cost of ownership due to simplified management reduced operational overhead and improved resource utilization.
• Lower Latency: Every lookup is swift, providing consistent low latency, operations like bucket and object listings remain snappy regardless of scale.

Native Kubernetes integration for seamless deployment and unparalleled flexibility

Rakuten Cloud-Native Storage with object store is designed ground up to be Kubernetes (K8S) native. In today’s data centers, Kubernetes is the de facto standard for resource management.

Rakuten Cloud-Native Storage with object store is part of a unified storage solution that also includes Rakuten Cloud-Native Platform and Rakuten Cloud-Native Orchestrator, offering block, file, and object storage.

This comprehensive approach provides businesses with a holistic, cost-effective, and easily managed storage strategy across all paradigms from a single vendor. Furthermore, it's Kubernetes-native, enabling:

• Deployment as K8S Pods, ensuring smooth operation across commodity to high-end hardware.
• Support for both on-prem and hybrid deployment scenarios, ideal for modern multi-cloud strategies.
• Horizontal scalability that effortlessly adjusts to workloads.
• Erasure encoding for data protection, providing high data durability and availability while minimizing storage overhead.

S3 API compatibility for a smooth transition

One major barrier for organizations upgrading their storage infrastructure is the fear of disrupting existing applications. Rakuten Cloud-Native Storage with object store directly addresses this challenge by offering API-to-API compatibility with the S3 standard. This means:

• Seamless plug-and-play replacement of legacy object storage solutions.
• No code changes required in applications that already support S3 APIs.
• Immediate productivity gains, as the object store “just works” out of the box.

By ensuring that the core functionalities remain consistent with familiar S3 operations, Rakuten Cloud-Native Storage with object store minimizes transition costs and accelerates adoption.

Engineered for AI and the era of Synthetic Data

As AI models demand increasing amounts of data—and as industries move toward leveraging synthetic data for training—the importance of low latency, high performance storage continues to grow. Rakuten Cloud-Native Storage with object store is finely tuned for the high-speed, low-latency needs of AI and is well suited for the following AI use cases:

• Massive Dataset Storage: Scalable and cost-effective for storing the large datasets needed for AI model training (images, videos, text, audio).
• Data Lake Foundation: Often used as the foundation for data lakes, providing a central repository for all types of data used in AI.
• Efficient Data Access: Facilitates quick data access and retrieval for AI inference and processing.
• Unstructured Data Handling: Well-suited for managing the unstructured data common in AI applications.
• Metadata Management: Enables effective data organization and tracking of data provenance, important for AI workflows.
• Model Storage: Can store trained AI models, allowing for versioning and easy deployment.
• Collaboration: Facilitates data sharing and collaboration among data scientists and AI engineers.
• Data Versioning: Supports data versioning, allowing for easy rollback to previous versions of datasets.
• Integration with AI/ML Services: Seamlessly integrates with popular AI/ML cloud services for model training and deployment.

This forward-thinking design makes Rakuten Cloud-Native Storage with object store an ideal backbone for AI research and production environments where every millisecond counts.

Marrying design with performance

Rakuten Cloud-Native Storage with object store stands out by marrying innovative architectural design with scalability, performance, and ease of integration. From a central metadata server powered by Postgres to seamless Kubernetes-native deployment, every component is engineered to support today’s high-demand data environments and tomorrow’s AI-driven innovations. For organizations looking to upgrade their storage infrastructure with minimal disruption, Rakuten Cloud-Native Storage with object store offers a future-proof, high-performance solution that scales effortlessly with your needs.

Embrace the next generation of data storage—experience the difference with Rakuten Cloud-Native Storage with object store.