SmartFiles
Cohesity SmartFiles is an enterprise-class, software-defined, multiprotocol file and object storage solution built on the Cohesity Data Cloud platform.
Publisher review
Cohesity SmartFiles is an enterprise-class, software-defined, multiprotocol file and object storage solution built on the Cohesity Data Cloud platform. It is designed for organizations that need to consolidate unstructured data from silos—such as digital libraries, archives, rich media, video surveillance, big data, and backup data sets—into a single, scalable platform. SmartFiles targets IT teams in mid-to-large enterprises that require on-premises, edge, or public cloud deployment flexibility, with a focus on data security, compliance, and operational efficiency. The solution supports a range of hardware choices, including flash-optimized options, to match workload and cost requirements.
SmartFiles uses Cohesity SpanFS, a distributed file system that provides unlimited scalability with a scale-out architecture and non-disruptive upgrades. It supports multiple protocols natively, including NFS, SMB, S3, and OpenStack Swift, and integrates with AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and any S3-compatible clouds. Storage efficiency is achieved through global deduplication across all nodes (variable-length, inline or post-process), compression including Zstandard, and small file optimization, delivering data reduction up to 96x or more. The platform includes multilayered cyber resiliency with AES-256 and FIPS-compliant encryption for data in flight and at rest, immutability via DataLock (WORM), multi-factor and quorum authentication, and replication and erasure coding options that deliver up to 80% efficiency. Integrated add-on services like DataProtect, DataHawk, SiteContinuity, and FortKnox provide additional protection, while DataGovern enables sensitive data discovery, compliance, and cyber threat response.
SmartFiles competes primarily with other enterprise data management platforms such as Rubrik, Veeam, and Cohesity's own SmartFiles is often evaluated against cloud file sync-and-share tools like Box, Dropbox Business, Google Drive, and Microsoft SharePoint, as well as on-premises solutions like Nextcloud. However, SmartFiles is fundamentally different from Veeam, which is suited to different infrastructure and DR strategies, as noted in user discussions. The platform is also compared to IDrive, WeTransfer, BestFile, Flock, and Slack, though these are not direct competitors in the enterprise storage consolidation space. SmartFiles' market position is strengthened by its ability to consolidate multiple workloads on one platform, but it faces competition from Rubrik and Cohesity's own DataProtect for backup-specific use cases.
Honest trade-offs include performance issues requiring resource adjustments for backups, as reported by some users, and a lack of comprehensive Azure support and documentation. The complexity of the platform can be a barrier for large enterprises, especially those without dedicated storage administrators. Pricing is subscription-based and varies by data managed and required features, which can make cost estimation difficult without a direct quote. Additionally, while SmartFiles offers a wide protocol support including NFSv4.1, the initial setup and tuning for specific workloads may require professional services or significant internal expertise.
How it works
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Unified file and object services
Provides a single platform for file and object workloads across on-premises, edge, or cloud environments, consolidating data silos.
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Compliance with data privacy mandates
Integrates with Cohesity DataGovern to discover sensitive data, meet compliance requirements, and enable fast response to cyber threats.
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Software-defined flexibility
Deployable on qualified hardware from Cisco, HPE, Pure Storage, Dell, Fujitsu, SuperMicro, Intel, and Cohesity, or in public clouds.
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Efficient data management and insights
Includes global file search and indexing, plus integrated applications like ClamAV, Spotlight, and Insight for analytics and anomaly detection.
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Multilayered cyber resiliency
Offers AES-256 encryption, FIPS compliance, immutability with DataLock (WORM), multi-factor authentication, and erasure coding up to 80% efficiency.
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Data reduction up to 96x
Combines global deduplication, Zstandard compression, and small file optimization to dramatically reduce storage capacity requirements.
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Massively scalable platform
Uses Cohesity SpanFS distributed file system for unlimited scalability with non-disruptive upgrades and multi-cluster global management.
Strengths and trade-offs
Strengths
- Supports integration with both public and private cloud environments, including AWS, Azure, GCP, and any S3-compatible cloud.
- Offers wide protocol support, including NFSv4.1, SMB, S3, and OpenStack Swift, enabling compatibility with diverse applications.
- Provides scale-out architecture with unlimited scalability and non-disruptive upgrades, reducing operational overhead.
- Includes built-in encryption, data deduplication, and compression, delivering data reduction up to 96x or more.
Trade-offs
- Lacks comprehensive Azure support and documentation, making deployment and management more difficult in Microsoft-centric environments.
- Requires resource adjustments for backup workloads, as performance issues have been reported by users needing to tune configurations.
- Complexity for large enterprises can be a barrier, requiring dedicated storage administrators or professional services for setup.
- Subscription-based pricing varies by data managed and features, making it difficult to estimate costs without a direct quote from Cohesity.
Pricing context
Subscription-based pricing model; costs vary by amount of data managed and required features. No public tier pricing is available; direct quote from Cohesity is required.
Getting started with SmartFiles
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Sign up for SmartFiles
Contact Cohesity sales to request a subscription quote for SmartFiles. Provide details about your data volume, required features, and deployment environment (on-premises, edge, or cloud) to receive a tailored pricing proposal.
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Deploy the software
Install SmartFiles on qualified hardware from vendors like Cisco, HPE, or Dell, or deploy in a public cloud such as AWS or Azure. Follow Cohesity's deployment guide to set up the SpanFS distributed file system across your nodes.
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Connect data sources
Configure network shares or cloud storage buckets as data sources. Use the SmartFiles management interface to mount NFS, SMB, or S3 endpoints, and set up authentication credentials for each source to enable data ingestion.
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Configure data reduction
Enable global deduplication and compression in the SmartFiles settings. Choose between inline or post-process deduplication, and activate Zstandard compression and small file optimization to achieve up to 96x data reduction.
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Set up cyber resiliency
Turn on AES-256 encryption for data in flight and at rest, and enable DataLock (WORM) for immutability. Configure multi-factor authentication and erasure coding to protect against data loss and unauthorized access.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cohesity SmartFiles used for?
Cohesity SmartFiles is an enterprise-class software-defined file and object storage solution for consolidating unstructured data from silos like digital libraries, archives, rich media, video surveillance, and backups onto a single scalable platform across on-premises, edge, or cloud environments.
What protocols does SmartFiles support?
SmartFiles supports NFS, SMB, S3, and OpenStack Swift natively, enabling compatibility with diverse applications. It integrates with AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and any S3-compatible cloud, providing flexibility for organizations needing multiprotocol access to their data.
How does SmartFiles achieve data reduction up to 96x?
SmartFiles uses global deduplication across all nodes, variable-length inline or post-process deduplication, Zstandard compression, and small file optimization. These techniques combine to deliver data reduction up to 96x or more, significantly lowering storage capacity requirements.
What security features does SmartFiles offer?
SmartFiles provides multilayered cyber resiliency with AES-256 and FIPS-compliant encryption for data in flight and at rest, immutability via DataLock WORM, multi-factor and quorum authentication, and replication with erasure coding achieving up to 80% efficiency.
What are the weaknesses of SmartFiles?
SmartFiles lacks comprehensive Azure support and documentation, requires resource adjustments for backup workloads due to performance issues, and its complexity can be a barrier for large enterprises needing dedicated storage administrators. Pricing is subscription-based and requires a direct quote.
How does SmartFiles pricing work?
SmartFiles uses a subscription-based pricing model where costs vary by the amount of data managed and required features. There is no public tier pricing available, so a direct quote from Cohesity is necessary to estimate costs for specific needs.
Alternatives
How SmartFiles compares
Direct head-to-head against 2 competitors. Picked by 7wData.
SmartFiles
- Pricing
- Subscription-based pricing model; costs vary by amount of data managed and required features. No public tier pricing is available; direct quote from Cohesity is required.
- Target
- Cohesity SmartFiles is an enterprise-class, software-defined, multiprotocol file and object storage solution built on the Cohesity Data Cloud platform.
- Strength
- Supports integration with both public and private cloud environments, including AWS, Azure, GCP, and any S3-compatible cloud.
- Watch for
- Lacks comprehensive Azure support and documentation, making deployment and management more difficult in Microsoft-centric environments.
Dell PowerScale
- Pricing
- Custom pricing based on capacity and nodes; contact sales for quote.
- Target
- Enterprises needing high-performance, scalable NAS for file workloads.
- Deployment
- On-premises, hybrid cloud.
- Strength
- 99.999% uptime on large clusters with sub-1ms latency for NFS.
- Watch for
- Higher total cost of ownership due to hardware lock-in and premium support fees.
Cloudian HyperStore
- Pricing
- Subscription or perpetual license; contact sales for quote.
- Target
- Organizations needing S3-compatible object storage with file access.
- Deployment
- On-premises, hybrid cloud.
- Strength
- Native S3 API with file protocol support and multi-site replication.
- Watch for
- Smaller ecosystem and fewer enterprise integrations than larger vendors.
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Sources
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