Questions related to dataminer.services

Getting started

What is dataminer.services?

dataminer.services is a cloud-based extension of the DataMiner System. Connecting your DataMiner System to dataminer.services allows you to augment it with several features that are otherwise not available:

How do I connect my DataMiner System to dataminer.services?

To connect your DataMiner System to dataminer.services, you need to install the DataMiner Cloud Pack on one or more of your DataMiner Agents. When this is done, you can set up the connection by going to System Center > Cloud in DataMiner Cube and clicking the Connect button on that page.

Tip

For more detailed information, see Connecting your DataMiner System to dataminer.services.

Do all Agents in a DMS have to be connected to dataminer.services?

No, You will have full access to all dataminer.services features even with only a single connected DataMiner Agent. However, there are a couple of advantages to connecting more than one Agent:

  • Redundancy: The Cloud Gateway nodes work independently from each other, which means that as long as one Cloud Gateway node can maintain its connection towards DataMiner.services, your DataMiner System will remain connected to dataminer.services.

  • Load balancing: Having multiple Agents connected to dataminer.services allows dataminer.services to spread incoming requests across multiple Agents. For example, when multiple shared dashboards are accessed simultaneously, the load will be spread across the connected Agents.

  • Streamlined support services: Even though not all Agents need to be connected to dataminer.services for this, the Support Assistant module needs to be installed on all DataMiner Agents to allow our tech support team to carry out automated support actions.

    Note

    At this time, we recommend running 1 to 3 Cloud Gateway nodes in a cluster. Running more Cloud Gateway nodes than that in a cluster would only add an unnecessary extra load on dataminer.services.

Storage as a Service (STaaS)

In STaaS, there's no longer mentioning of Cassandra and ElasticSearch/OpenSearch, it mainly just says ‘storage’?

It's a service, so for the user this is completely transparent and you don't need to worry or care for it. The underlying technology is Azure Cosmos DB, a high performance cloud-native data storage solution from Microsoft.

What about resiliency?

Our solution separately replicates your storage account synchronously across three Azure availability zones (i.e. a group of datacenters in a region, close enough to have a low-latency of < 2ms) in the primary region - each availability zone is a separate physical location in one region with independent power, cooling and networking means you are protected against server, rack, driver failures and physical disasters (such as fire or flooding) within the data center.

See also Zone Redundant Storage.

How fast is the data being stored in the cloud database (our default config)?

The speed is similar as an on-premises DataMiner System with Cassandra. There is a throttling mechanism configured as safety mechanism.

How long is the data stored in the cloud database?

Equal configuration settings are being used as when having an on-premises DataMiner System, based on the 'storage period' and the concurrent number of alarms.

Can I download the data for archiving purposes?

It's not allowed to access the data directly from the database (similar as with an on-premises DataMiner System), however the standard data-offload feature in DataMiner remains fully functional in case you would have to offload data e.g. for archiving/legal purposes.

What type of databases are used in the cloud?

Azure Cosmos DB (NOSQL, fully managed DBaaS) & Azure Table storage.

What is the latency towards any Azure datacenter from within my location?

Please visit Azure Speed Test to measure the latency.

What if I am in Government business, or located in a country with e.g. strict regulations?

There are separated 'Azure Ecosystems' completely isolated from the 'commercial Azure', which are in cooperation with a local/in-country datacenter service provider that has pretty much the full Azure stack available, allowing Skyline Communications to deploy everything over there in a separate URL if that would be needed.

Where does MS Azure has active datacenters deployed?

Please visit Azure Geographies to find out.

What is the cost for the traffic billed by Azure?

No additional cost applicable, our STaaS offering includes both the storage and upload/download Azure traffic costs.

How is the data migrated from an on-premises database to the Azure Cloud Stack?

We support AUTO LIVE-MIGRATION of the data from a Cassandra cluster, a Cassandra single node, as well as from ElasticSearch. MySQL is not automatically supported and needs manual interaction.

What is the TCO of on-premises versus cloud storage?

While it's very difficult to assess and also being different from region to region, as a rule of thumb we could say that a server having an initial cost of €10k purchase price, has an overall TCO of €5k over its lifespan of 5 years.

CapEx vs OpEx?

CapEx investments depreciate over the useful life of the asset whereas cloud server expenses are considered as operational expenses that are deducted from costs supporting the day-to-day operations. From an accounting point of view, these are funds that are used at the end of the accounting period, or within the year they are purchased, meaning they can be deducted in full, from taxes the year they are incurred. CapEx are depreciated, meaning they are deducted over their expected useful life (e.g. an asset purchased for $10.000, for example, might depreciate by $2000 a year, over an expected five years of use).

OpEx purchases, such as cloud storage, require only to pay for items you use. You can scale up or scale down as defined by your actual needs, rather than trying to predict how much capacity you will need in the distant future. It enables more cash at hand and creates a predictable recurring cost structure that aligns with your net income. Also, it's important to understand that capital expenditures typically have to go through several management approvals before they can be purchased. Operational expenditures on the other hand, can typically be procured as long as they are considered within the operating expense budget.

Isn't my on-premises datacenter more secure?

No, looking at nowadays' volatile infrastructure and hardware costs, the quickly evolving technology, and the frequent cybersecurity threats, the likelihood that your on-premises datacenter is not able to keep up with the level of Microsoft, having a team of +3.500 globally distributed cybersecurity experts, is valid.

What is the ROI of cloud storage vs on-premises storage?

Please visit DataMiner STaaS: a game changer.

Can I subscribe to DataMiner, including STaaS, using my own Microsoft Azure Marketplace credit balance?

Yes, it's possible to subscribe directly through MS Marketplace. If interested, please get in touch with your sales representative.

Features

How does live sharing work?

Users can share a dashboard by clicking Share or Start sharing at the top of the dashboard. For more details, see Sharing a dashboard.

The sharing recipients will receive a link via email on the email address specified by the share creator. When they open the link, the recipients will be asked to authenticate as the rightful owner of the email address by logging in to an account from dataminer.services, Microsoft, Google, LinkedIn, or Amazon linked to that email address, or by creating a dedicated dataminer.services account if they do not have any of the formerly mentioned accounts. After successfully authenticating, the recipient will be directed to the dashboard through the dataminer.services tunnel.

The share can be deleted in the same way as it was created. All emailed links will then automatically become unreachable.

Security

Is the connection towards dataminer.services secure?

Yes, all communication from and towards dataminer.services happens over HTTPS and WSS, both using TLS 1.2.

Do I need to allow inbound traffic towards my DMS?

No, only outbound HTTPS traffic needs to be allowed. When a DataMiner Agent is connected to dataminer.services, the Cloud Gateway will send an HTTPS request to dataminer.services with the request to upgrade to a WebSocket. This WebSocket allows bidirectional communication without the need to open up the firewall for inbound traffic.

Tip

For more details, see Cloud connectivity and security.

Will my data be stored in the cloud?

Unless you use Storage as a Service, all data that is collected and processed by your DataMiner System remains stored in your self-hosted databases. Some configuration and analytics data is offloaded or stored in the cloud.

For an exact overview of which data is stored in the cloud, see Cloud data storage policies.