DataDirect Networks is launching a new version of Web Object Scaler, its homegrown scale-out cloud storage system. The 2.5 edition features data protection enhancements and improved connectivity.

WOS 2.5 ships with DDN ObjectAssure, a recovery solution that is being pegged as a highly efficient alternative to dispersal data protection. Instead of replicating across three locations it only replicates two parity-protected objects, which results in a reduced burden on the network as well as faster local recovery. It’s designed to diminish large scale resource failures, and can even mitigate scenarios when an entire site goes offline.

In addition to ObjectAssure, Object Scaler now offers behind-the-firewall storage for internal collaboration. The service supports a wide variety of end points and is joined by a third upgrade: CIFS file sharing connectivity.

“DDN WOS provides unique behind-the-firewall security and easy file access by web browsers and iPhone/iPad clients, providing our researchers and students instant access to the immense amounts of scientific data we are generating,” said Fumikazu Konishi an associate professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology. The university released its DDN case study back in June.

Alongside the new functionality, DataDirect also touting a big performance boost with WOS 2.5. The storage system can deliver up over 8 million file retrievals per second, and has a maximum capacity of 256 billion objects – a big selling point for enterprises that have to deal with massive data-driven workloads.

Staying ahead of the market in terms of specs has traditionally been a very big part of DDN’s business. Last month it came out on top in two separate benchmark tests, one of which measures the performance of DDN SFA 10K-E appliance in conjunction with GRIDScaler. The results: sustained I/O throughput in “excess of 2.5GBps” and peak speeds of nearly 3.6 gigabytes per second.