We’re pleased to announce the release of Jungle Disk 2.60a, which adds support for our second cloud storage service, Rackspace Cloud Files. Cloud Files is an online storage service similar to Amazon S3 and operated by Rackspace, the parent company of Jungle Disk. Rackspace is the largest hosting provider in the world and has a reputation built on Fanatical Support. We discussed Cloud Files in more detail in our previous blog post, including the pricing for the service – a flat $0.15 per gigabyte with no additional charges for bandwidth or requests. Jungle Disk customers can now choose to store their data with Amazon S3 or Rackspace, or even both.
We’ve also added support for Jungle Disk-Managed Amazon S3 accounts, which we announced plans for last year. New customers can choose to use their personal Amazon S3 account or an Amazon S3 account managed by Jungle Disk. Using a Jungle Disk managed account eliminates the need for a separate signup process and manual copying of S3 account keys. This feature won’t be very useful for our existing users who already have their own S3 accounts, but it will greatly simplify the signup and install process for new users who aren’t familiar with Amazon Web Services.
The full list of changes and fixes in Jungle Disk 2.6 is below.
- Added support for Rackspace Cloud Files service
- “Buckets” now referred to as “Online Disks”
- Added support for managed Amazon S3 accounts, with usage billed by Jungle Disk
- Improved support for using multiple Amazon S3 accounts in Desktop Edition
- Added support for multiple Amazon S3 accounts in Workgroup Edition
- Added new Background Process manager to Mac version
- Added ability to enable and disable web access in the Desktop configuration dialog
- Improved handling for changed passwords
- Fixed installation issues with Jungle Disk service
- Fixed issue connecting to some UNC network shares
- Fixed timestamp issue on Linux network drive
- Fixed RequestTimeTooSkewed errors when local clock is wrong
- Fixed issue that prevented Macs from sleeping in some cases
- Fixed “run missed backup” option behavior when offline at scheduled time
- Fixed problem where a failure to obtain a directory listing would cause duplicate backups
- Fixed high CPU usage with large backup log files
Because of the number of fixes included, we recommend all users upgrade even if you aren’t planning to use Cloud Files or the other new features. Use the links below to download the new version now!
A mini-FAQ on Cloud Files and Amazon S3 managed accounts is included below:
What happened to Buckets?
Buckets are now known as Online Disks in Jungle Disk. Rackspace Cloud Files uses the term containers instead of buckets, but rather than confuse users with two terms for the same concept, we decided to move to a service-agnostic description. We now refer to both buckets and containers as Online Disks, a term which we feel gives users a clearer picture of what they represent.
How do I start using Cloud Files?
For Desktop Users, after upgrading to Jungle Disk 2.6, create a new Online Disk using the link on the left hand side of the configuration dialog (make sure Advanced Options are enabled). In the Create Online Disk dialog, change the location from Amazon S3 to Rackspace Cloud Files. Complete the dialog and you can then configure automatic backups or the network drive on your new Cloud Files online disk.
For Workgroup Users, you can create new Online Disks using the Web Management interface and select the location as Rackspace Cloud Files.
In the future, we are planning on offering a service to migrate data from Amazon S3 if desired, however for now you will need to re-upload your data to Cloud Files if you decide to make the switch.
How is Cloud Files Usage billed?
Cloud Files usage is billed at $0.15 per gigabyte-month. There are no additional charges for bandwidth or requests. Your Cloud Files usage charges will be included on your monthly Jungle Disk invoice (if you have Jungle Disk Plus or the Workgroup Edition). If you don’t have Jungle Disk Plus or Workgroup Edition, you will receive an e-mail asking you to update your payment information to allow us to bill you for Cloud Files usage. All our billing is currently done through Amazon Payments.
Does Cloud Files support Jungle Disk Plus?
Yes, all the Jungle Disk Plus features including upload resume, block-level updates and web access are supported by Cloud Files. There are no bandwidth charges for Jungle Disk Plus when used with Cloud Files.
What is the Managed Amazon S3 Account?
When creating an Amazon S3 online disk, you will have the option to use a Jungle Disk-managed Amazon S3 account or your personal S3 account. If you select a personal S3 account, you are responsible for signing up for the Amazon S3 service and paying the monthly charges directly to Amazon. If you select a Jungle Disk managed account, Jungle Disk will manage your S3 account and your usage charges will be billed on your monthly Jungle Disk invoice. For existing customers with personal S3 accounts already we recommend you continue to use your own account.
