Product Overview: Backblaze B2
Backblaze B2 is a cloud storage service designed primarily for business users, offering scalable, affordable, and easy-to-use infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) solutions.
What it Does
Backblaze B2 allows users to store unlimited data in the cloud, making it an ideal solution for businesses and large organizations needing extensive storage capabilities. The service is not tied to a specific computer or limited by an operating system, providing flexibility and accessibility from any browser.
Key Features
Storage and Pricing
- Backblaze B2 offers 10GB of free storage without any time limits, making it a viable option for users with lower storage needs.
- The pricing model is simple and cost-effective, charging $0.005 per GB per month for stored data and $0.01 per GB per month for downloads.
Bucket Management
- Data is stored in buckets, which can be created and managed through the Backblaze web interface or the B2 command line tool. Bucket names must be unique, alphanumeric, and between 6 and 50 characters long, with the option to include hyphens.
- Buckets can be set to private or public, with customizable access permissions using application keys. Encryption can be enabled, and object lock can protect files from modification or deletion.
File Versioning and Lifecycle
- Backblaze B2 supports file versioning, allowing users to view and revert to previous versions of files. This feature must be enabled within the bucket settings.
- Users can specify bucket lifecycle rules to hide or delete files after a certain number of days.
Large File Uploads and Transfers
- The service supports large file uploads by splitting files into 100MB chunks and using multiple connections. Uploads can be resumed if interrupted, and the system uses multi-threading to optimize transfer speeds.
- For large-scale data migrations, Backblaze offers the Fireball rapid ingest device, a 96TB external hard drive that can be used to transfer data quickly.
Integration and Compatibility
- Backblaze B2 provides APIs for integration, including the B2 Cloud Storage API and the S3 Compatible API, allowing seamless integration with existing S3 integrations and SDKs.
- The service can be used as an origin with other platforms like Fastly, with special discounts eliminating egress costs and a migration program to offset data transfer costs.
Additional Features
- Backblaze B2 includes features such as snapshots, which allow downloading multiple files in a zip format from a specified point in time. The service also offers reports, caps, and alerts to monitor data transactions and storage.
- Cloud replication is available, automatically copying data from one bucket to another for redundancy.
Functionality
- Ease of Setup: Backblaze B2 is designed for ease of setup and can be up and running in minutes. It supports various migration methods, including cloud-to-cloud, on-premises to cloud, and from tape media.
- Workflow Friendly: The service is optimized for media storage, ensuring files are always accessible without the delays associated with tape or offline storage solutions. It easily connects with NAS, SAN, and MAM configurations.
- Support and Reliability: Backblaze B2 offers multiple support options and is known for its reliability, making it a trustworthy choice for business cloud storage needs.
In summary, Backblaze B2 is a cost-effective, scalable, and user-friendly cloud storage solution tailored for businesses, offering robust features and functionalities to manage and protect large amounts of data efficiently.