Ocarina Networks
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Data storage, Data compression |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | Murli Thirumale, Carter George, Goutham Rao |
| Fate | Acquired by Dell |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Ocarina Appliance/Reader, Ocarina Optimizer series 2400, 3400, 4600, Ocarina Reader software |
| Parent | Dell |
Ocarina Networks specialized in delivering a combined hardware and software solution designed to minimize data storage footprints through intelligent, file-aware optimization techniques. As a Dell subsidiary, their premier offering—the Ocarina Appliance/Reader—debuted in April 2008, utilizing proprietary data compression technologies such as record linkage and context-driven lossless compression. The product lineup featured hardware compression units—the Ocarina Optimizer series 2400, 3400, and 4600—alongside the software-based Ocarina Reader, which performed real-time decompression.
History
The company was established by a team including
- Murli Thirumale, previously vice president and general manager at Citrix Systems;
- Carter George, who formerly served as vice president and co-founder of PolyServe (later acquired by HP); and
- Goutham Rao, ex-CTO and Chief Architect of Citrix Systems' Advanced Solutions Group.
Ocarina’s technology detected redundancies across the global file system layer, deploying specialized algorithms customized for various data categories such as images, text documents, executables, seismic information, and other forms of "unstructured data." Their Optimizer devices seamlessly integrated with existing storage infrastructures using standard protocols like NFS or through strategic partnerships.
On July 19, 2010, Dell revealed its intention to acquire Ocarina Networks, completing the acquisition by July 31, 2010. By the end of that year, Ocarina’s original optimizer hardware was phased out to concentrate efforts on embedding deduplication and compression capabilities within Dell’s broader storage solutions. Notable integrations included Dell’s DR-series deduplication appliances introduced in 2012 and the incorporation of deduplication features into Dell's Fluid File System.
Technology
Ocarina’s ECOsystem (Extract, Correlate, Optimize) represented a data reduction platform merging content-aware data compression with deduplication in a scalable framework governed by policies. The ECOsystem consisted of three core elements: an optimizer, a reader, and a management/reporting system—available as either software or appliance formats depending on client requirements and storage setups.
Functioning predominantly as a post-process operation, ECOsystem initially stored files in their original state. Administrators set policies to determine which files would undergo optimization based on criteria such as file age, location, or type while specifying compression parameters. These policies generally excluded files under active modification. Additionally, the system supported migration of optimized data to cost-effective secondary storage tiers for archival retention.
Compression and deduplication algorithms
The ECOsystem employed content-aware techniques that selected compression algorithms based on actual data content rather than relying solely on file extensions. It recursively analyzed compound files to isolate fundamental elements—such as text segments, media components, or binary data. At the heart of the optimizer was a context-weighted neural network that identified the most efficient compression approach for each element and preserved optimal settings for similar files encountered later.
This methodology facilitated effective compression across new or proprietary formats as well as already compressed media like JPEG images and MPEG4 video streams. To date, Ocarina’s technology has processed more than 600 distinct file types.
ECOmax and NFO workflows
Ocarina provided two distinct post-processing methods:
- ECOmax applied every available compression strategy, including fine-tuning on-disk data layouts to maximize the efficiency of physical storage blocks. This process required the ECOreader application for seamless decoding during data retrieval and was compatible with all file formats, including those used in specialized industries.
- Native Format Optimization (NFO) was designed specifically for media firms operating online. It preserved media files such as JPEGs in their original format to eliminate decoding delays, allowing for data reduction advantages across various stages like web distribution (minimizing bandwidth consumption) and long-term storage. NFO achieved "visually indistinguishable" compression by adjusting image attributes based on the Human Visual System Model, maintaining perceived image quality without loss.
Several functionalities of the ECOsystem were not integrated into later Dell offerings.
Funding
- In 2007, Ocarina Networks obtained $12 million in Series A financing from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers along with Highland Capital Partners.
- Two years later, in 2009, the company raised an additional $20 million from these investors plus Jafco Ventures, fueling its expansion in data compression and storage technologies.