19 As backup data explodes—driven by AI datasets, 4K video, and massive sensor logs—the old answer of buying a bigger appliance no longer works. A modern Scalable Backup Target Architecture uses scale-out, software-defined object storage to deliver near-limitless capacity, near-linear performance as you grow, and built-in cyber resilience so backups remain recoverable even under sophisticated ransomware attacks. This is the blueprint enterprise backup teams need to meet today’s RTO, RPO, and compliance requirements. Why the legacy “scale-up” appliance model fails The traditional appliance model—two controller heads attached to disk shelves—hits hard limits. Controller CPU and memory are fixed, performance per TB declines as shelves are added, and growth forces multiple independent systems that create management silos and stranded capacity. That approach isn’t sustainable in the petabyte and exabyte era. In contrast, a scale-out cluster of standard x86 nodes adds storage and compute with every node, delivering near-linear performance growth and a single namespace that expands from terabytes to tens of petabytes without forks or silos. Core principles of a Scalable Backup Target Architecture To be truly scalable and resilient, an architecture must follow a small set of non-negotiable principles: 1) Shared-nothing, distributed design A shared-nothing architecture eliminates central bottlenecks and single points of failure. Data is sliced into chunks and distributed across nodes using erasure coding or other distributed-data algorithms. This ensures durability while allowing every node to contribute CPU, memory, and network capacity so performance scales as you add hardware. Parallel read/write access across nodes lets backup software saturate modern 100GbE fabrics and dramatically shrink backup and restore windows. 2) S3 API as the canonical interface — plus SOSAPI Object storage accessed through the S3 API is the right interface for modern backups. A flat namespace handles billions of objects without file system metadata bloat. Critically, a modern backup target supports SOSAPI (Smart Object Storage API)—a protocol extension in which the storage system communicates capacity and load status to the backup server. SOSAPI enables the backup application to route streams to the least busy nodes and distribute work for optimal throughput, rather than relying solely on basic PUT/GET semantics. 3) Multi-tier efficiency (performance + capacity) Scale and cost efficiency require tiering inside the same system. A recommended pattern is: Performance Tier (Flash/NVMe): Cache recent backups for 7–14 days to enable instant recoveries and fast synthetic fulls. Capacity Tier (High-density HDD): Economical long-term retention on 20TB+ drives. Lifecycle Management: Automatic, policy-driven movement between tiers so backups and restores are transparent to the application. This hybrid tiering gives you instant operational recovery while keeping long-term TCO under control. 4) Scale-out security layer: immutability, geo-redundancy and zero trust Scalability must enhance security. Key elements include distributed immutability enforced at the cluster level (so a compromised node cannot remove immutable backups), S3 Object Lock in Compliance Mode, and the ability to stretch a namespace across sites for geo-redundancy. Pair that with zero-trust administrative controls, MFA, and strict IAM for storage administration to minimize attack pathways. These capabilities are the backbone of ransomware-resistant backup targets. Technical building blocks explained Erasure coding & distributed fragments Erasure coding breaks objects into fragments and stores them across nodes, enabling efficient durability with less storage overhead than full replication. Because fragments are spread cluster-wide, losing one or more servers does not jeopardize data availability, and rebuilds are parallelized for speed. Parallel access and massive throughput The backup application should write in parallel to many nodes rather than to a single head. Parallel streams allow full utilization of modern 100GbE fabrics and deliver the hundreds of GB/s throughput required for petabyte-scale restores and short RTOs. SOSAPI: capacity-aware, load-balanced transfers SOSAPI lets storage advertise capacity and load to backup servers so writes are routed intelligently. This reduces failed jobs and avoids overloading any single node, improving both reliability and speed—a must for modern enterprise backup integrations. Security & ransomware resilience: design for recovery Ransomware has changed the definition of backup: it’s now the last line of defense. True resilience requires immutable storage, rapid recovery, and isolation strategies: S3 Object Lock (Compliance Mode): Prevents deletion or modification of backup objects for the retention period—even by privileged admins—ensuring guaranteed immutable copies. This is the cornerstone of ransomware protection. Logical air gaps / isolated recovery environments: Fast, disk-based isolation provides the security benefits of an air gap without tape-level latency. Keep your backup repository on a segmented network or in an isolated recovery environment (IRE) to prevent lateral infection. Zero trust and least privilege: Enforce strict IAM, multifactor admin controls, and supply-chain hygiene to reduce attack surface. These layers—immutability, isolation, and identity controls—let you defend backups proactively and recover rapidly at enterprise scale. Scality’s blueprint: RING and ARTESCA Scality’s product family maps directly to this architecture: Scality RING is enterprise-scale, software-defined, scale-out object storage that pioneered this model. It supports clusters over 100 PB, delivers near-linear throughput in the hundreds of GB/s, and lets you mix hardware vendors and generations within the same namespace. It supports S3 Object Lock, geo-distribution, and the full suite of scale-out security and performance features enterprises need. Scality ARTESCA is built for simplicity and speed: a lightweight, hardened S3 target for smaller deployments, edge environments, and cyber recovery vaults. It is designed to be secure by default, start small (single-server ~50TB), and scale out while preserving enterprise-grade immutability. Both solutions integrate with leading backup vendors (Veeam, Commvault, Rubrik, Veritas) and support SOSAPI and S3 Object Lock—ensuring optimal performance and ransomware protection for modern backup workflows. Where to place cloud vs on-prem targets (practical guidance) On-prem scale-out object storage is the best primary backup repository when fast restores, sovereignty, and predictable TCO matter. You’ll achieve the lowest RTOs and avoid cloud egress “recovery tax.” Public cloud and alternative cloud platforms remain ideal for long-term retention and offsite copies where elasticity and geographic durability are valuable—but be mindful of egress and restore costs during full recoveries. For many organizations, the optimal pattern is an on-prem performance tier backed by cloud tiering for archive. A practical checklist to implement a Scalable Backup Target Architecture Choose scale-out object storage that is S3 native and SOSAPI-capable. Ensure the storage exposes capacity and load signals to the backup server. Enable cluster-level S3 Object Lock in Compliance Mode. This must be non-bypassable for true immutability. Adopt hybrid tiering inside the cluster. Use NVMe/Flash for recent recoverable backups and HDD for long term. Automate lifecycle movement. Design shared-nothing node count and network fabric to meet parallel throughput needs. Size the fabric (10/25/100GbE) to match anticipated restore windows. Stretch namespaces for geo-redundancy or configure async site replication. Avoid complex replication jobs by letting the cluster manage site protection. Test recovery at scale. Periodically restore large datasets (for example 50–500TB) to validate true RTOs. Adopt a 3-2-1-1 policy. Three copies, two different media, one offsite, and one immutable copy. This is the modern minimum for ransomware resilience. Business outcomes: performance, predictability and resilience A properly implemented Scalable Backup Target Architecture gives you: Linear performance and predictable RTOs as capacity grows. Lower TCO by using commodity servers, mixing hardware generations, and avoiding unnecessary appliance forklift upgrades. Stronger ransomware defense through immutable cluster-level policies, air-gapped recovery environments, and zero-trust admin controls. Operational simplicity: a single global namespace that removes capacity silos and streamlines management. Build for scale and security — not for last decade’s assumptions The proper Scalable Backup Target Architecture replaces fragile appliances with a scale-out, S3-native, security-first design that adapts to exponential data growth while giving you the recovery guarantees your business needs. Whether you start small with ARTESCA or scale to petabytes with RING, the architecture above is the proven way to achieve fast restores, low cost per TB, and unbreakable backup immutability. If you want a practical implementation plan or an assessment of how your current backup target measures up to this blueprint, Scality’s architecture team can help you design a resilient, petabyte-ready backup repository.
