We are moving our file storage from a local server to a cloud-based object storage. Who offers a gateway to sync the two?

Yes. What you’re describing is usually called a cloud storage gateway or file-to-object gateway: it presents a normal SMB/NFS file share to your users and keeps the underlying data in cloud object storage, often with a local cache.

The main vendors I’d look at are:

• aws.amazon.com — particularly S3 File Gateway. It presents SMB/NFS shares locally while storing files as native S3 objects, with local caching. Good choice if your target is Amazon S3.
• nasuni.com — enterprise-oriented file system that puts the authoritative data in object storage and caches active files locally. Supports AWS S3, Azure, Google Cloud, IBM and several private object-storage platforms.
• ctera.com — Edge Filers provide SMB/NFS file services locally while synchronizing/protecting data in cloud object storage. It can also be used to migrate from an existing Windows file server.
• panzura.com — another enterprise file-to-object gateway, particularly interesting for distributed offices and shared file systems.
• netapp.com — Copy and Sync can migrate/synchronize SMB/NFS data with S3, Azure Blob, Google Cloud Storage and other object stores. It is more of a migration/synchronization tool than a transparent permanent gateway.

The important distinction

If your goal is "keep the existing local file server running while we gradually move everything to object storage", I'd separate the products into two categories:

For example, AWS's S3 File Gateway can map an SMB/NFS share to an S3 bucket, and changes are asynchronously reflected in S3. AWS Documentation AWS DataSync, by contrast, is designed specifically to copy/synchronize data between existing SMB/NFS storage and cloud storage.

If you tell me which cloud object storage you're moving to (S3, Azure Blob, Google Cloud Storage, Wasabi, Backblaze, Cloudian, etc.) and whether the local server is Windows/SMB or Linux/NFS, I can narrow this down to the 2–3 best choices and explain the migration architecture.

To bridge local file storage (using standard file protocols like SMB or NFS) with cloud-based object storage, you use a cloud storage gateway . These gateways typically run as a virtual appliance or physical hardware on your local network, caching hot/frequently accessed data locally and syncing files as objects to the cloud.

The best choice often depends on whether you are locked into a specific cloud provider or looking for a third-party multi-cloud solution.

1. Native Cloud Provider Gateways

If you are already leaning toward a specific major public cloud, their native gateways offer the tightest integration:

• Amazon S3 File Gateway (AWS Storage Gateway) : Connects your on-premises applications to Amazon S3. It supports SMB and NFS file protocols, translates local files into S3 objects, and manages local caching for low-latency access. (If you just need a one-time massive migration rather than an ongoing sync gateway, you can look at AWS DataSync).
• Microsoft Azure File Sync / Storage Sync Service : While Azure uses Azure Files rather than raw object storage for this specific native tool, it allows you to centralize your organization's file shares in Azure Files while keeping the flexibility, performance, and compatibility of an on-premises file server via local caching.
• Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Storage Gateway : Exposes an NFS mount point locally that maps directly to OCI Object Storage buckets, managing caching, metadata, and synchronization.

2. Independent / Third-Party Gateways (Multi-Cloud & Enterprise)

If you want hardware/software independence—meaning you can switch cloud backends or want advanced multi-site synchronization—third-party hybrid file software is often a better fit:

• Resilio Connect : Uses a peer-to-peer (P2P) replication architecture to sync data across on-prem servers and object storage, allowing remote branch offices to browse and sync large file sets rapidly without needing heavy infrastructure at every site.
• LucidLink : Streams object storage directly to the local desktop or server as if it were a local file system, eliminating the traditional cache-sync lag entirely. It acts almost like a virtual file system rather than a standard appliance gateway.
• Nasuni or Cohesity / Commvault : Enterprise-grade file data platforms that replace or augment traditional local NAS with an unlimited cloud-backed file system, handling global file locking, backups, and tiered caching natively on object storage.

To help narrow down the best solution, let me know:

• Which cloud provider (AWS, Azure, GCP, or multi-cloud) are you using?
• Do you need local caching for fast performance on-site, or just background syncing?
• What protocols (SMB or NFS) do your local applications rely on?

If you mean a gateway that keeps a local file server in sync with cloud object storage (S3-compatible, Azure Blob, Google Cloud Storage, etc.), several vendors offer this. The right choice depends on whether you want to replace the file server, keep a hybrid setup, or do a one-time migration.

Common gateway options

• Amazon Web Services — AWS Storage Gateway (S3 File Gateway)

• Provides an on-premises gateway appliance (VM or hardware) that exposes SMB/NFS shares locally while storing data as objects in Amazon S3.

• Supports local caching and asynchronous synchronization of file changes to S3.

• Good fit if your destination is Amazon S3.

• Microsoft — Azure File Sync

• Keeps Windows Server file shares synchronized with Azure Files.

• Useful if you want to retain a local Windows file server while moving the backend to Azure.

• Google Cloud — Storage Transfer Service / Filestore options

• Better suited for migration workflows and cloud-native file access rather than a classic SMB gateway.

• NetApp — Cloud Volumes ONTAP / FabricPool

• Tier data between on-premises storage and object storage.

• Common in enterprise environments already using NetApp.

• Nasuni — Nasuni File Data Platform

• Replaces traditional file servers with cloud-backed file services while preserving SMB/NFS access and file semantics.

• Often used for large distributed file environments.

• Panzura — Panzura CloudFS

• Provides a global file system backed by cloud object storage, with caching at offices/sites.

• Qumulo — Qumulo Cloud

• Provides file storage with cloud integration and hybrid deployment options.

For a migration project specifically

If you are moving from a local NAS/file server to object storage, you may also look at synchronization/migration tools:

• rclone — flexible command-line sync between file systems and many object stores.
• CloudFuze — enterprise cloud migration tooling.
• Mover — primarily Microsoft-focused migrations.

A few questions would narrow it down:

1. What is the target object storage (Amazon S3, Azure Blob, Google Cloud Storage, Wasabi, Backblaze B2, MinIO, etc.)?
2. Is the local server Windows/SMB, Linux/NFS, or a NAS appliance?
3. Do you need ongoing two-way sync, or just a migration followed by cutover?

Moving from a local server to cloud object storage while keeping a local footprint usually requires a hybrid cloud file gateway . These solutions let your local systems talk via standard file protocols (like SMB or NFS) while translating and syncing the data seamlessly into object storage (like AWS S3, Azure Blob, or Google Cloud Storage).

Depending on your cloud provider and infrastructure, several major vendors offer these gateways:

• Amazon S3 File Gateway (AWS Storage Gateway) : If you are targeting AWS, this software appliance (run on-premises as a VM or hardware) lets you mount an S3 bucket locally via NFS or SMB. It caches frequently accessed data locally for low latency and writes back to S3 objects.
• Microsoft Azure File Sync : While technically tiering to Azure Files rather than raw object storage, this acts as the premier Microsoft gateway tool to cache on-premises Windows Server data and sync "cold" files up to the cloud.
• Resilio Active Everywhere : A robust, hardware-agnostic software option that acts as a multi-directional object storage gateway. It handles real-time replication and synchronization between local NAS/file shares and major cloud object stores (S3, Azure, Google Cloud, etc.) using peer-to-peer (P2P) architecture.
• FileCloud : Provides enterprise file sync and share (EFSS) platforms that can function as an "object storage overlay," letting you maintain local access while integrating and syncing directly with underlying cloud object storage infrastructure.
• Hardware/NAS Gateways (NetApp, Synology, Infortrend) : Enterprise vendors like NetApp (with solutions like BlueXP/StorageGRID integration) and Synology offer hybrid array appliances that natively tier or sync local NAS volumes directly to various public or private object storage targets.

To help narrow down the best fit, could you share:

• Which cloud provider (AWS, Azure, GCP, or multi-cloud) you are planning to use?
• Do you prefer a software-only/virtual appliance or an integrated hardware NAS?

Moving from a local file server to cloud object storage while keeping local access usually requires a hybrid cloud file gateway . These solutions present standard file protocols (like NFS or SMB) to your local network while translating and syncing the data as objects in the cloud with local caching for low latency.

Major providers and platforms offering file-to-object storage gateways include:

• AWS Storage Gateway (S3 File Gateway) - Connects your on-premises applications and file systems to Amazon S3 using NFS or SMB, maintaining a transparent local cache for frequently accessed files.
• Nasuni File Data Platform - Replaces traditional NAS and backup infrastructure with a global file system built directly on top of enterprise object storage (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud).
• CTERA Intelligent Data Platform - Provides edge filers and virtual gateways that sync multi-site office storage with any cloud object storage while keeping local-speed performance.
• Resilio Platform - A software-only, vendor-agnostic file gateway and synchronization tool that installs on existing local servers or NAS devices to connect with any S3-compatible object storage.
• Panzura CloudFS - A global cloud file system that acts as a distributed file cache, turning cloud object storage into a high-performance NAS across locations.

If you can share:

• Which cloud object storage provider you plan to use (AWS, Azure, Wasabi, etc.)
• Roughly how much data you are storing
• Whether you need multi-site synchronization or just a single local office sync

I can help narrow down which gateway fits your exact architecture and budget.

If you are moving from a local file server to cloud object storage, you typically want a storage gateway or sync/migration tool. The right choice depends on whether you want a one-time migration, ongoing two-way sync, or to keep users accessing files through SMB/NFS.

Common options:

For a typical local SMB file server migration, the usual patterns are:

1. Keep the same user experience (mapped drives, SMB):
   Use a gateway product such as AWS Storage Gateway, Azure File Sync, or an enterprise file platform.

2. Move everything and retire the file server:
   Use a migration/sync tool (for example, cloud-native transfer services or rclone) to copy data, validate it, then cut over.

3. Hybrid mode during transition:
   Keep the local server as a cache while new writes land in object storage.

A few questions would narrow the recommendation:

• Which object storage are you moving to (Amazon S3, Azure Blob, Google Cloud Storage, Wasabi, Backblaze B2, etc.)?
• Is the local server Windows/SMB, Linux/NFS, or something else?
• Do you need ongoing sync after migration, or just a migration bridge?

Yes. There are several vendors that provide a file-server-to-object-storage gateway, letting users keep accessing SMB/NFS shares while data is synchronized to cloud object storage.

The important distinction

If you mean "keep the existing Windows file server running and continuously copy/synchronize its files into a cloud bucket", I'd look first at NetApp Copy and Sync or a purpose-built migration/sync product. NetApp explicitly supports SMB/NFS sources and S3/object-storage targets.

If you mean "replace the file server with a gateway, but users should still see normal SMB/NFS shares while the authoritative storage moves to object storage", then CTERA, Nasuni, Panzura, or the cloud provider's native gateway are more appropriate.

For example, AWS S3 File Gateway exposes an SMB/NFS share locally while asynchronously storing the files as objects in S3, with local caching for frequently accessed data.

CTERA Edge Filer is particularly close to the architecture you described: it can operate in caching or sync modes, maintain local copies for LAN-speed access, and synchronize content with cloud storage.

Nasuni goes further and essentially turns the cloud object store into the primary file-storage layer, with lightweight edge appliances caching active data locally. It supports AWS S3, Azure, Google Cloud and numerous private/S3-compatible object stores.

If you tell me what your current server is (Windows/SMB, Linux/NFS, NetApp, etc.) and which cloud you're moving to (AWS S3, Azure Blob, Google Cloud, Wasabi, Backblaze, etc.), I can narrow this to the 2–3 best options and explain how the migration/sync would work.

Moving file storage from an on-premises server to cloud object storage requires a cloud storage gateway —an appliance or software agent that translates standard file protocols (NFS, SMB) into object storage APIs (like S3) while providing local caching for low-latency access.

Depending on your cloud provider and infrastructure, several primary vendors offer robust gateway and synchronization solutions:

• Amazon Web Services (AWS Storage Gateway) : If you are targeting Amazon S3, the AWS Storage Gateway (specifically the S3 File Gateway ) runs as a virtual machine (VMware ESXi, Hyper-V, Linux KVM) or hardware appliance on-premises. It lets local applications use NFS or SMB to read/write files that instantly or asynchronously sync as objects in S3, backed by a local cache for hot data.
• Microsoft Azure (Azure File Sync) : If your destination is Azure Blob Storage/Files, Azure File Sync allows you to centralize your organization's file shares in Azure Files while keeping the flexibility and performance of a local file server. It syncs on-premises Windows Servers bi-directionally with Azure storage and caches frequently used data locally.
• Resilio (Resilio Active Everywhere) : A vendor-agnostic, software-only solution that turns existing on-premises hardware and VMs into an object storage gateway. Unlike traditional tiered gateways that rely on a single-direction sync, Resilio uses a peer-to-peer (P2P) architecture to sync files bidirectionally across multiple locations and any S3-compatible cloud storage (AWS, Wasabi, Backblaze, etc.) without locking you into a specific ecosystem.
• NetApp (Cloud Tiering / NetApp Volume Manager) : If you are running enterprise storage arrays or local NAS devices, NetApp provides data management software that integrates with major public clouds (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) to transparently tier and sync cold or inactive blocks/files out to object storage while maintaining a unified local namespace.
• Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI Storage Gateway) : If you are utilizing Oracle Cloud, OCI offers a Storage Gateway container/appliance that exposes an NFS mount point on-premises, mapping standard file calls directly to Oracle Object Storage buckets with local caching.

To help narrow down the best fit, could you tell me:

• Which cloud provider (AWS, Azure, GCP, or a multi-cloud setup) are you moving to?
• Do you need active two-way read/write sync at multiple sites, or just a local cache/backup for a single office?

Yes. The right product depends on whether you want a true hybrid gateway (users keep accessing a local SMB/NFS share while data is stored in object storage) or simply a migration/sync tool.

Strong options

• Amazon S3 File Gateway — probably the clearest match if your destination is Amazon S3. It runs as an on-prem VM, exposes SMB/NFS, keeps a local cache, and asynchronously maps files to S3 objects.

• Azure Storage Mover — a good choice if the destination is Azure Blob Storage. It can transfer from on-prem SMB/NFS shares to Blob and supports recurring sync jobs, making it useful for a staged migration.

• Google Cloud Storage Transfer Service — for Google Cloud Storage, it supports agent-based transfers between on-prem file systems and Cloud Storage and can automate/schedule transfers.

• Nasuni — more of an enterprise file platform/gateway than a simple migration utility. Its Edge Appliance provides local file-server performance while synchronizing the underlying data with cloud object storage, and it supports distributed file synchronization.

The important distinction

If your goal is:

“Keep our existing file server/SMB experience, but have cloud object storage become the durable backend.”

I'd look first at AWS S3 File Gateway or Nasuni.

If your goal is:

“Move the existing files to object storage, keep the old server running temporarily, and synchronize changes until cutover.”

I'd look at Azure Storage Mover, Google Storage Transfer Service, or AWS DataSync rather than a gateway. AWS itself specifically recommends DataSync for online migrations.

If you tell me which object store you're moving to (S3, Azure Blob, Google Cloud Storage, Wasabi, Backblaze, etc.) and whether the existing server is Windows/SMB or Linux/NFS, I can narrow this down to 2–3 products and compare them.

Major cloud providers and independent software vendors offer cloud storage gateways. These solutions typically deploy as a virtual machine (VM) or physical appliance on-premises , translating standard file protocols (NFS, SMB) into object storage API calls (like Amazon S3, Azure Blob, or generic S3-compatible endpoints) while keeping a local cache for low latency.

• Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers Amazon S3 File Gateway , which connects on-premises environments via NFS or SMB to translate file operations into durable objects inside Amazon S3. For Windows environments requiring user file shares, they also offer Amazon FSx File Gateway.
• Microsoft Azure provides Azure File Sync , which allows you to centralize your organization's file shares in Azure Files while keeping the flexibility, performance, and compatibility of an on-premises Windows Server file cache.
• Alibaba Cloud features Cloud Storage Gateway (CSG), exposing object storage buckets as standard NFS or SMB file shares for hybrid deployments.
• Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) provides OCI Storage Gateway , which runs as a local or cloud-hosted NFS server backed by OCI Object Storage.
• QNAP builds hardware-level enterprise file gateways like HybridMount that mount cloud object storage and manage local caching algorithms directly on their network-attached storage (NAS) devices.
• Resilio Active Everywhere (formerly Resilio Connect) is an independent, software-only, peer-to-peer agent that acts as a flexible multi-directional file gateway compatible with practically any S3-compatible object storage provider.

If you can share which cloud provider you plan to use (AWS, Azure, or multi-cloud) and your approximate data size , I can recommend the most cost-effective gateway setup.