New Enterprise Capabilities of MaxCompute: Continuous Data and Service Protection in the Cloud

On June 9, 2020, Alibaba Cloud MaxCompute released new enterprise capabilities that continued to set standards for enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions of cloud-based data warehouses in terms of cost, performance, and security. The new "cloud-based data warehouse plus" mode can provide enterprises with new advantages in the digital economy.

New Enterprise Capabilities of MaxCompute

There are newly released solutions for computing resources. The integration of multiple computing resources combines subscription-based and on-demand modes of resource allocation. Therefore, you can improve cost-effectiveness in real-world scenarios where you have to handle spikes in demands for computing power in addition to stable routine business. Preemptible computing resources are available for scenarios, such as tests and non-urgent jobs. With this solution, you can reduce the cost of your computing resources by 74% compared to the subscription price. New security capabilities include data encryption, continuous backup and recovery, real-time audit logging, and cross-region disaster recovery. These capabilities can effectively improve the security performance of MaxCompute.

MaxCompute, formerly known as Open Data Processing Service (ODPS), is one of the three core components of Alibaba Cloud Apsara. MaxCompute has undergone continuous development over the last decade. It currently supports all the services and stores more than 99% of the data in Alibaba's economy. In addition, it provides more than 95% of the computing power and serves thousands of enterprises across all sectors on Alibaba Cloud.

According to Guan Tao, an Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Researcher and the Director of MaxCompute, big data, which has been around for 10 years, is already generally accessible. We can see the large-scale implementation of big data in a wide range of key procedures in both enterprises and governments. Therefore, the current pain point of big data platforms is not about how to use it. It is about how to find a cost-effective way for large-scale implementation and how to make big data more secure, economical, and convenient for enterprises. MaxCompute was the first to put forward the concept of SaaS cloud-based data warehouses, which leaves the complexity to the system and provides enterprises with out-of-the-box, more economical, and more secure big data computing services.

Understand the Resource Demands of Enterprises and Provide Cost-Effective Computing Solutions

To reduce costs and improve efficiency, we have improved the engine performance of the platform and the efficiency of data governance.

In this release, we have improved the utilization of resources. According to usage analytics, we can conclude four typical modes of needs for enterprise computing power.

The first mode is based on mature platforms and is characterized by stable utilization of resources and slight oscillation in big data computing. A typical example is Alibaba's economy. If you are operating in this mode, subscription-based pricing for resource consumption is ideal for you.

The second mode works for start-ups that have rapid and frequent business changes. If you are operating in this mode, pay-as-you-go pricing is ideal for you. In this way, you do not need to pay for idle resources or concern yourself with the configuration of resources.

The third mode works for enterprises that deal with spikes in demands for computing power along with their stable routine business. If you are operating in this mode, MaxCompute can provide you with computing power solutions that combine subscription-based and pay-as-you-go pricing based on its newly released capabilities. Therefore, you can not only keep the balanced cost of resources but also meet the demands for flexible resources in scenarios, such as major promotion campaigns.

The fourth mode works with test jobs that focus on some consumer needs and the jobs that do not guarantee the service level agreement (SLA.) If you are operating in this mode, MaxCompute can provide you with low-cost computing power solutions. You can pack idle resources into non-reserved packages to reduce the cost of computing resources by 74% compared to the subscription price.

Enhanced Security Capabilities for Continuously Protecting Enterprises in the Cloud

As an asset, our data is faced with a variety of risks. As a cloud-based enterprise data warehouse, MaxCompute provides more than 20 security capabilities at three layers. The underlying layer is the security of infrastructures, such as the security of data centers, networks, and power supplies. The middle layer is the security of platform capabilities. The top layer is the security of access control and privacy protection.

Data Encryption: MaxCompute has launched the Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) feature to meet the demands of your data assets. Then, you can bring your own key to implement end-to-end encryption.
Continuous Backup and Recovery: MaxCompute has provided automatic disaster recovery. You can enable this feature by configuring the system.
Cross-Region Disaster Recovery and Backup: MaxCompute has also provided cross-cluster disaster recovery. Under extreme circumstances, where a data center is unavailable, MaxCompute can protect your data and computing from being affected.
Real-Time Audit Logging: MaxCompute has provided real-time auditing, which allows administrators to track all data changes in real-time.

With these newly released security features, we have further enhanced the security capabilities of MaxCompute to an industry-leading level.

For more information about MaxCompute, visit the official website.

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New Enterprise Capabilities of MaxCompute: Continuous Data and Service Protection in the Cloud