In this interview, we sit down with Nikolay Fesliyski, a Technical Sales Representative at Tiger Technology, to discuss how Tiger Bridge offers distinct advantages over other hybrid cloud data management options. Nikolay delves into how Tiger Bridge seamlessly integrates with existing infrastructures, scales storage, and supports cloud migrations, all while ensuring minimal disruption to day-to-day operations. Whether you're tackling data capacity issues or managing complex hybrid IT systems, this conversation reveals how Tiger Bridge stands out as a superior choice for simplifying and future-proofing your storage strategy.
Q1: From working with numerous clients, could you tell us about the primary challenges organizations face with storage systems and how Tiger Bridge helps solve them?
Nikolay Fesliyski: Every storage system has its limits. When an organization’s storage system reaches capacity, it starts to slow down. The storage can't handle the increased demand, especially when multiple people are trying to access it simultaneously. Typically, the response is to buy more storage, but this introduces complexity. New data ends up in a new location, and unifying everything into one place becomes impossible. You also face the issue of having to change how people work with their files. What Tiger Bridge does is extend the file system indefinitely, without requiring any change. The system remains exactly the same for the users, and we provide seamless integration without disruption. Our solution eliminates the need for complex migrations, allowing you to scale your storage infinitely without the typical headaches.
Q2: How does Tiger Bridge differ from other solutions that require new hardware or systems to manage storage?
Nikolay Fesliyski: Unlike other solutions, Tiger Bridge doesn’t introduce new hardware or devices into the environment. Many competing solutions involve bringing in a new device and users must access their data through a new system. This can disrupt workflows, require significant reconfiguration, and often leads to downtime, as the administrator must redirect all the user traffic to the new device. The risk of mix-ups and the disruption to daily operations is very real. With Tiger Bridge, we integrate directly with the existing infrastructure, whether it’s a file server or a NAS. We don’t interfere with how users access their files. Users continue working as usual, while we quietly offload inactive data to the cloud, seamlessly freeing up space without any interruption.
Q3: Can you explain how Tiger Bridge works with cloud storage and why it’s advantageous over competing solutions?
Nikolay Fesliyski: Tiger Bridge allows organizations to use cloud storage without the need for a full migration or redesigning workflows. We install our software directly on the existing Windows-based server, and it starts monitoring which files are inactive. The system moves this data to the cloud, replacing them with stub files—essentially pointers—so that users can continue accessing their files like they always have. The difference is, with Tiger Bridge, users aren’t aware that the files are in the cloud. In competing solutions, you’re typically required to access the data through a separate server, creating potential bottlenecks. This extra layer often makes data retrieval slower and introduces more points of failure. Tiger Bridge, on the other hand, works transparently and doesn’t add any extra traffic between servers, keeping things fast and efficient.
Q4: What are the specific cost-saving advantages that Tiger Bridge offers?
Nikolay Fesliyski: The immediate benefit is that Tiger Bridge helps you free up space on your existing storage. If your server is full, we move the inactive data to the cloud without needing to purchase new storage or disks. In the long term, once your data is in the cloud, you’re no longer reliant on local storage. While there may be cloud costs, it’s often more cost-effective than buying additional storage. Plus, Tiger Bridge offers flexibility in choosing your storage targets—whether it’s public cloud, private cloud, or even on-premises solutions like tape libraries. Many other solutions that don’t integrate with tape force you to abandon older, cost-effective infrastructure. With Tiger Bridge, you can still leverage tape storage without having to redesign your whole backup strategy.
Q5: Can you elaborate on how Tiger Bridge supports hybrid IT environments?
Nikolay Fesliyski: Absolutely. Tiger Bridge is a game-changer for companies looking to build a hybrid IT environment, whether it's combining on-premises infrastructure with the cloud or managing multiple storage targets. For example, if you’re using both local storage and the cloud, Tiger Bridge allows you to seamlessly manage both, with no need to change how the users interact with their data. You can even have different data targets, like sending specific folders to Azure while storing others on-prem. This flexibility is crucial for organizations that already have a significant investment in on-premises infrastructure but want to take advantage of the cloud. Tiger Bridge allows you to extend your existing storage to the cloud, create hybrid solutions, or back up to the cloud, all without altering the way users access their files. It's a low-touch solution that doesn’t require drastic changes to workflows or policies.
Q6: Could you explain the concept of “single namespace” and how it benefits organizations?
Nikolay Fesliyski: The single namespace concept is one of the key benefits of Tiger Bridge. Traditionally, when storage systems reach their limits, organizations must buy new storage, create a new disk, and move data to a new volume. This involves significant planning, reconfiguring applications, and often leads to disruptions in access. With Tiger Bridge, we create a single, unified namespace, meaning that users always access their files from the same place—whether they’re local, or in the cloud. This eliminates the need for new volumes or disks, and data grows indefinitely within that same namespace. The structure remains the same, but it seamlessly extends to the cloud, so there’s no need for migration or reconfiguration, and users don’t even notice any changes.
Q7: What about legacy infrastructure, like tape storage? How does Tiger Bridge handle that?
Nikolay Fesliyski: Many companies still rely on tape storage because it’s affordable and effective for archiving large amounts of data. Tiger Bridge supports this by integrating directly with your tape infrastructure, allowing you to use tape alongside the cloud, creating a hybrid solution that doesn’t require abandoning legacy systems. With Tiger Bridge, you don’t need to throw away your tape infrastructure. We allow you to continue using it as part of your storage strategy, but with the added benefit of automating the movement of data between on-prem storage, the cloud, and tape. This is a huge advantage for industries that need to maintain tape storage for regulatory or financial reasons but still want the flexibility and scalability of cloud storage.
Q8: How does Tiger Bridge help with cloud migration, especially for companies wary of the risks involved?
Nikolay Fesliyski: One of the biggest hurdles with cloud migration is the fear of disruption, downtime, and the unknown impact on existing applications. With Tiger Bridge, you don’t need to migrate all at once or risk interrupting business operations. The solution works incrementally—users continue accessing files like they always have, while Tiger Bridge quietly moves inactive data to the cloud in the background. We ensure that the migration process doesn’t disrupt workflows. There’s no need to schedule downtime or do a big “cutover” to a new system. You can start offloading data gradually based on policies, and if anything changes, Tiger Bridge picks up where it left off. It’s a smoother, safer way to move to the cloud.
Q9: Can Tiger Bridge be used for both small companies and larger enterprises?
Nikolay Fesliyski: Absolutely. Whether you’re a small company just starting to leverage the cloud or a large enterprise with complex storage needs, Tiger Bridge is scalable and adaptable. For smaller companies, it enables them to access enterprise-level storage infrastructure without a huge upfront cost. Larger organizations can use it to integrate their existing on-prem storage with the cloud, manage large datasets, and ensure that the migration to the cloud doesn’t disrupt daily operations. Tiger Bridge provides a unified solution that fits both small and large environments with minimal impact on operations.
Q10: In summary, what makes Tiger Bridge stand out from other storage solutions?
Nikolay Fesliyski: What makes Tiger Bridge truly unique is its ability to seamlessly integrate with your existing storage infrastructure, extend it to the cloud, and allow you to use any type of storage—whether it’s on-prem, in the cloud, or even on tape—without disrupting your workflows. We enable organizations to grow their storage infinitely, solve capacity problems without the need for complex migrations, and make hybrid IT environments simple to manage. Tiger Bridge is not a vendor lock-in solution so no hidden fees if you want to change to a different vendor. That enables you to use your files with any AI/BI unlocking the true power of your data. All of this is done with minimal intervention, no new hardware required, and with an incredibly smooth user experience. It’s the future of storage management—simplified, flexible, and cloud-enabled.
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