In addition to the many challenges surrounding massive-scale archive migration initiatives, there are often complex workflows, systems, and devices which evolved around the Legacy Archive system and remain core to existing operational workflows which cannot be interrupted. Unfortunately, changing or upgrading all these systems (MAM, automation, supply chain, etc.) before commencing what is often a lengthy archive migration project introduces significant risk and expense, and can extend archive migration timelines indefinitely.

Cloudfirst API-Emulator (API-E) is a scalable API abstraction platform which decouples these existing applications to simplify the archive transformation process and eliminate all potential user and operational risks along the way.

Rather than forcing clients to deal with upgrading applications and human-facing systems which surround the Legacy Archive system prior to commencing migration, our API-E platform intercepts all communications between systems ensuring transparent compatibility and seamless operation during and after a Legacy Archive migration. Our API-E is an advanced abstraction platform, offering compatibility with most traditional user-facing applications (MAM, automation, etc.) as well as leading Legacy Archive systems and next-generation storage platforms and services (object storage, public cloud). The API-E platform “tricks” each of these existing applications into believing they are remain directly integrated into the Legacy Archive platform, however all API commands are intercepted and intelligently routed to the desired platform (Legacy Archive system, object stores, clouds).

Our API-E sits above the Legacy Archive system as well as any next-generation archive platform whether on-premises, cloud or hybrid and orchestrates the control of each for all current systems and devices connected to the Legacy Archive platform. External systems will see the Legacy Archive system and the next-generation platform (cloud, object store, etc.) as a single, federated “archive system”. It automatically handles the complex control, command routing and integration task allowing seamless deployment without any system or application upgrades. Existing applications and human-facing systems (MAM, automation, newsroom systems, etc.) are simply reconfigured to connect directly to the API-E rather than communicating directly to the Legacy Archive system. These systems will believe they are communicating directly with the Legacy Archive system but will now have full control of your Legacy Archive system as well as your next-generation platform(s). The API-E intelligently routes archive, restore, partial restore, etc. commands to the best platform to service these requests while Rapid Migrate continues your parallel archive migration in the background.

Our API-E decouples these applications from the underlying archive storage systems to abstract complexities during migration and alleviate the necessity to change these existing systems until well into or even following the migration process. Once your Legacy Archive migration is complete, you can choose to maintain the API-E to continue to make your next-generation archive solution, whether on-premises or cloud, appear and operate like a single Legacy Archive, allowing your existing system to gracefully “age out” of the environment. This enables you to continue avoid transformational risk for these complex applications and control systems until the time is right, while empowering your risk-free Legacy Archive transformation.