Technologists and business leaders are dealing with a surge of unstructured data both onsite and in the cloud. This means more data sprawl, compliance and security risks, and difficulty gaining meaningful insights. To address these challenges, Panzura has recently released Symphony 2024.4, the latest version of the Panzura Symphony data services platform. 

This significant update introduces a Data Insights subscription tier specifically designed for data stewards. This new subscription gives professionals such as Data Governance Officers, Risk and Compliance Managers, and Information Security Officers the visibility and insights they need to effectively manage and govern unstructured data no matter the underlying infrastructure or where it’s stored. 

Symphony 2024.4 also introduces several powerful new features beyond Data Insights. Chargeback Reporting allows allocation of storage costs to specific departments. Database Export enables seamless integration with business intelligence tools. IT pros and data teams can create custom reports and better understand data trends over time. 

Data Insights Subscription Tier 

The Data Insights subscription helps data stewards find patterns, trends, and anomalies that might otherwise be missed. They can assess data usage, find possible security risks, and make sure they follow relevant regulations. 

One of their main challenges is the large amount of data generated every day. A study by IDC says the global datasphere will hit 175 zettabytes by 2025. That’s 175 trillion gigabytes. This highlights the immense scale associated with storing even a fraction of that data, not to mention its environmental impact. 

Data stewards struggle to get a clear view of where data is stored. They need to know how it is used, who owns it, and who can access it. This can create a “black box” effect making it difficult to assess, manage, and secure data across a mix of on-premises and cloud storage environments. 

Moreover, as data becomes dispersed, ensuring its accuracy, consistency, and timeliness becomes harder. Outdated or inaccurate data undermines business results when it’s used for decision making. Isolated and inaccessible datasets hinder analysis, DevOps and AIOps workflow automation, collaboration, and data sharing.  

Data stewards must also navigate regulatory compliance. Regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA impose stringent data handling, protection, and reporting frameworks. Failure to comply can result in severe financial penalties and reputational damage. This month, Meta received a fine of around $263 million for breaking GDPR rules. Ponemon Institute’s research, as cited by Comply, states that the average cost of noncompliance is $14.82 million. 

While Panzura Symphony is uniquely capable of both assessment and automated action, the Data Insights subscription does not include data movement and tiering functions of the Symphony platform. However, it provides a powerful set of tools for data-driven professionals. 

They can scan file systems and object stores and then create interactive reports on long-term data trends. These reports show details such as data usage by type, user, and Active Directory (AD) groups. 

It also offers financial modeling tools to simulate real-world cost savings based on data demographics. Data stewards can track data growth over time and find the departments that use the most data. Additionally, it helps identify areas of data sprawl. This information is crucial for optimizing storage resources, reducing costs, and preventing data silos. 

Looking at file access patterns and user behavior also helps them zoom in on security and compliance risks. They can then put in place the right safeguards to protect sensitive data and ensure compliance. 

They can also smartly use analytics in their operations to find hidden insights and important details. That includes identifying many of the problems caused by siloed storage systems so teams can better prepare for more advanced analytics initiatives such as automated analysis of AI pipelines and DevOps workflows. 

New Features for Operational Impact 

The data storage market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 26% from 2024 to 2032. This is attributed to rapid digitization, the rise of AI in the enterprise, and the increasing need for scalable, secure, and cost-effective storage solutions. Optimizing storage usage and implementing efficient data management strategies can significantly reduce overall IT expenses. 

The Panzura team has listened to hundreds of hours of customer feedback. With Symphony 2024.4, they have created new features that make data management easier and reduce storage costs. Key features in this release address common challenges such as tracking storage costs, analyzing large datasets, managing file permissions, and identifying storage inefficiencies. 

Chargeback Reporting 
Managing and allocating storage costs is complex and time consuming. It’s challenging to accurately determine which departments, groups, or locations are responsible for storage consumption. This lack of visibility leads to inefficient resource allocation and unexpected costs. Symphony 2024.4 addresses this dilemma with the Chargeback Reporting feature. 

Leveraging AD group information, this feature provides a granular breakdown of storage usage by department or other designated groups. It is quick and simple to assign storage costs to the right cost centers. This gives the needed clarity to match business goals with operations. By finding departments that use a lot of storage, IT teams can better allocate resources. They can also use strategies to cut down on unnecessary storage use such as data deduplication or archiving. 

Database Export 
Traditional data analysis methods, which often rely on static snapshots, limit insights into data trends and patterns over time. The Database Export feature allows technologists to export detailed metadata for each file and object. They can send this data to enterprise databases like SQL Server, Oracle, or Snowflake. 

Organizing this metadata systematically, IT pros can perform detailed analyses, monitor historical data, and identify trends. This enables them to better understand data growth, usage patterns, and security risks. As a result, they can make informed decisions about storage capacity planning, data retention policies, and data migration strategies. 

Data sherpas across DevOps, DevSecOps, and AIOps can leverage this detailed metadata to automate workflows, identify anomalies, and proactively address potential issues. This empowers them to optimize data pipelines, enhance security posture, and drive operational efficiency. 

Automated File Ownership 
Panzura Symphony has a new feature that provides policy-based Automated File Ownership. It sets file ownership based on a range of available criteria, removing the need for manual work, reducing administrative tasks and lowering the chance of human error. 

This new approach also helps fix file ownership problems such as identification and resolution of orphaned files, which can present a significant risk if retained without visibility. It addresses issues like lost or wrong permissions. IT teams can use this feature to automate file ownership and quarantine, reducing the likelihood of unauthorized access to sensitive data. 

Directory Usage Breakdown 
Directory Usage Breakdown provides granular visibility into storage usage and consumption at the directory level. Teams can identify major capacity consumers, optimize storage allocation, and proactively address potential storage bottlenecks. 

This feature, when combined with the ability to export scan data to an enterprise database, also allows teams to generate insightful trends and reports. They can identify growth patterns, predict future storage needs, and make informed decisions about capacity planning and resource allocation. This ensures that important applications and data have the resources they need and reduces the risk of under-allocated storage and performance degradation. 

Duplicate File Estimation 
Data growth can quickly escalate to storage inefficiencies and increased costs. One big challenge is duplicate files. They take up valuable storage space and make data management harder. The Duplicate File Estimation feature makes it possible to identify and quantify duplicate files so they can be resolved. 

The Duplicate File Estimation feature also helps IT teams find data quality issues such as inconsistent or outdated files. Steps can then be taken to fix these problems and ensure data integrity.  

Achieving Real Business Outcomes 

Symphony 2024.4 represents a step forward in the evolution of hybrid cloud data management. We know that Symphony customers benefit greatly from the data insights it unlocks. The latest version of the platform extends this value to organizations that do not need the data movement and orchestration capabilities of Panzura Symphony. 

The new Digital Insights subscription to Symphony empowers data stewards to make informed decisions that bolster data governance and drive operational success. For today’s data-driven enterprise, where mistakes can lead to significant and costly repercussions, these features are crucial. 

The expanded capabilities of Symphony 2024.4 provide teams with more control over their unstructured data, ensuring that they can manage, access, and protect their data estate more effectively than ever before. 

We are excited for our customers to start using these new capabilities and we look forward to their feedback on which features drive the most value in their data operations. They can expect even more advanced analytics and data insights from the Panzura Symphony data services platform in the future.