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Alibaba Cloud Storage Gateway

alibabacloud.com

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Spec score 8.6 #4 of 26 in Cloud Storage Gateway Software

What it is

Alibaba Cloud Storage Gateway connects on-premises or cloud applications to Alibaba Cloud OSS buckets through standard file and block protocols, without application changes. File gateways provide NFS or SMB access, while iSCSI gateways provide block access. Frequently used file data can be cached locally while OSS supplies storage capacity. Gateways run in a data center or on Alibaba Cloud, including ECS instances, with VMware, Hyper-V, KVM, VHD, Qcow2, and Raw deployment options. Management is available through a web console or API. Resource Access Management grants specific permissions without sharing AccessKey pairs. Data transferred to OSS is encrypted, and customer-managed-key server-side encryption is available. MD5 checks consistency; logs and monitoring metrics record gateway activity. File gateways support POSIX and third-party backup software. Use cases include extending local storage, backup and sharing, cross-data-center access, and disaster recovery. There is no free plan.

Spec sheet

What it does
Cloud Storage Gateway bridges on-premises systems or Alibaba Cloud with OSS object-storage buckets through standard file and block protocols.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Purpose
Cloud Storage Gateway connects on-premises or cloud applications to OSS buckets through standard file and block storage protocols without requiring application changes.Read 5 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Deployment
Gateways can be deployed in a data center or on Alibaba Cloud, and cloud gateways can run on ECS instances.Read 5 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
API
The CSG OpenAPI uses RPC style and supports SDKs for common programming languages plus custom request signing.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Integrations
Related services include Object Storage Service, Elastic Compute Service, CloudMonitor, and File Storage NAS.Read 5 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Security
CSG encrypts data transferred from gateways to OSS, and OSS server-side encryption can be configured with a customer-managed key.Read 5 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Support
The product page advertises 24/7 technical support, presale consultation and six free support tickets per quarter.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Headquarters
Hangzhou, ChinaRead 28 Sep 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Founded
2009Read 28 Sep 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Access control
RAM users and least-privilege permissions control access without sharing account AccessKeys.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Active Directory
File gateways support Active Directory integration for directory and DNS configuration.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
API scope
Documented APIs cover gateway creation, cache disks, tags, logging, synchronization groups and diagnostics.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
API transport
API operations accept GET requests over HTTP or HTTPS.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Archiving
Intelligent archiving can write cold data to OSS Infrequent Access or Archive storage classes.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Backend scale
OSS backend storage has no stated total bucket-capacity or object-count limit.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Backup compatibility
File gateways are compatible with POSIX and third-party backup software.Read 5 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Backup integrations
Alibaba Cloud documents Veeam and NetBackup backup workflows through CSG to OSS.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Cache limits
File-gateway cache capacity ranges from 40GB to 4,096GB for Basic, 8,192GB for Standard and 32,768GB for Enhanced or Performance.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Caching
Intelligent caching keeps hot data locally and uploads colder data to OSS.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Company founded
LinkedIn states Alibaba Cloud was founded in 2009.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
Company headquarters
LinkedIn lists headquarters in Hangzhou, China, with a primary address on West Wen Yi Road.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
Company ownership
Crunchbase identifies Alibaba Cloud as a sub-organization of Alibaba Group and lists Alibaba Group as its funder.Read 15 Oct 2026 · crunchbase.com
Company size
LinkedIn lists Alibaba Cloud at more than 10,001 employees.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
Data consistency
The product page says CSG automatically checks data consistency using the MD5 algorithm.Read 5 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Deployment options
On-premises images support VMware ESXi, Hyper-V, KVM and Xen virtual machines.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Documentation
Official documentation includes product overview, getting started, user guides, security, API reference, Terraform and FAQ sections.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Encryption
CSG encrypts gateway-to-OSS traffic and can use OSS server-side encryption with a customer master key.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
File gateway
File gateways expose OSS data through NFS and SMB shares while caching frequently used data locally.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Gateway types
It provides file gateways using NFS or SMB and iSCSI gateways for block access.Read 5 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Intended use
Alibaba Cloud describes use cases including extending local storage to the cloud, file backup and sharing, cross-data-center access, and disaster recovery.Read 5 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
iSCSI gateway
iSCSI gateways expose OSS-backed volumes as iSCSI targets and support pass-through or local-cache modes.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Licence model
On-premises deployments are charged a gateway software license, indicating a commercial proprietary delivery model.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Limit: Capterra reviewers
Reviewers report difficult setup, weaker support, a steep learning curve, limited integrations and an interface that can be hard to use.Read 15 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
Limit: Gartner reviewers
Gartner displays complaints about high costs, hard-to-find Dutch documentation and unease about storing data with Alibaba Cloud.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gartner.com
Limit: GetApp reviewers
GetApp reviewers mention limited data-center availability and difficulty communicating across time zones.Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Limit: service outage
Reuters reported a nearly two-hour Alibaba Cloud disruption on November 27, 2023 affecting database products across eight regions, following another outage earlier that month.Read 15 Oct 2026 · reddit.com
Management
Gateways can be managed through a web console or API.Read 5 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Monitoring
The product provides activity logs and monitoring metrics for gateway-to-OSS operations.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Praise: Capterra reviewers
Reviewers praise affordable value, flexible billing, multilingual UI, scalability, security and documentation.Read 15 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
Praise: Gartner reviewers
Gartner displays repeated praise for low cost, innovation in AI, reduced cloud spending and improved stability.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gartner.com
Praise: GetApp reviewers
GetApp reviewers repeatedly mention security, file management, monitoring, backup, authentication and value for money.Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Protocols
Supported access protocols are NFS, SMB/CIFS and iSCSI.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Rating on Capterra
4.3 out of 5 from 15 reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
Rating on G2
0.0 out of 5 from 0 reviews on the Alibaba Cloud seller profileRead 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Rating on Gartner Peer Insights
4.5 out of 5 from 115 ratingsRead 15 Oct 2026 · gartner.com
Rating on GetApp
4.3 out of 5 from 15 reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Reliability
Alibaba Cloud states OSS provides designed data reliability of 99.9999999999%.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Synchronization
Features include reverse synchronization, express synchronization and transfer acceleration.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
System prerequisite
Cloud gateway deployment requires an ECS instance, VPC, vSwitch and an OSS bucket.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Terraform integration
The CSG documentation center lists Terraform under its developer reference resources.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Usage limits and additional charges
Gateway use can also incur OSS storage, traffic, request, and retrieval fees, plus applicable SLS, KMS, transfer acceleration, or Message Service charges.Read 5 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com
Virtualization
The product page lists VMware, Hyper-V, KVM, VHD, Qcow2, and Raw virtual machine deployment options.Read 5 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com

Plans and prices

Cloud Storage Gateway Priced on request Cloud gateways: pay-as-you-go by hour or subscription monthly/yearly; price depends on gateway specification, cache, and internet bandwidth. On-premises gateways are charged by software license; VM and cache resources are customer-provided. OSS storage, traffic, requests, and retrieval may incur separate charges · Up to 5 Mbps bandwidth is free Read 5 Oct 2026 · alibabacloud.com

Every Alibaba Cloud Storage Gateway plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • NFS, SMB, and iSCSI protocols
  • Local caching for frequently accessed files
  • Web console and API management
  • MD5 consistency checks and activity logs
  • Supports several virtual machine environments

Limits

  • No free plan
  • OSS storage, traffic, request, and retrieval charges may apply
  • On-premises gateways require a software license
  • Pricing depends on gateway and resource choices

Who it suits

It suits organizations connecting existing applications and storage workflows to Alibaba Cloud OSS. The hybrid deployment model also fits teams needing local caching or on-premises gateways.

Verdict

Alibaba Cloud Storage Gateway provides file and block access to OSS while preserving existing application protocols. Its costs extend beyond the gateway because related storage, traffic, and service charges can apply.

Where Specifiction places it

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