What is EMC Atmos Online?
EMC Atmos Online is a reference architecture and development environment for customers that want to build a cloud storage service and partners that want to integrate to the Atmos API. EMC Atmos Online demonstrates the ability to use Atmos to build a tier N storage resource that is internet-accessible and delivered via a pay-as-you-use model.

What are the key features?
Atmos Online demonstrates the Atmos capability to provide multiple service classes down to the object-level for fine-grained control of the availability and performance. It provides the same REST API as Atmos storage and in addition has a self-service console for managing users, roles, and access privileges.

What is the difference between EMC Atmos and EMC Atmos Online Storage?
Atmos Online is based on EMC Atmos, and allows customers to access storage services over the Internet. EMC Atmos is an on-premise storage system. However, they share a common REST API so that solutions can be built once and used for on-premises as well as online storage.

Who operates EMC Atmos Online and in which geographies?
EMC Atmos Online is currently serviced out of two locations in the continental United States which are managed and operated by EMC.

Are EMC Atmos Online Services available worldwide?
As a development environment, access to Atmos Online is available worldwide.

What kind of technical support is provided?
All Atmos Online users have access to documentation and peer group support through the Atmos Online Developer Community.

Do EMC Atmos Online Services provide resiliency and failover?
Atmos Online stores data redundantly by default and offers additional levels of redundancy and geo-distribution based on the storage policies that you select

Do you guarantee service levels? Are there any operating level or service level agreements? Will you provide any guarantee of accessibility and uptime?
Because it is a development environment, EMC Atmos Online does not provide an availability guarantee.

What type of security is in place to protect data stored in the cloud?
EMC Atmos Online provides enterprise-grade access control at the user and object level in conjunction with web service authentication. Network perimeter security is enforced at multiple levels using firewalls, heuristics and intrusion detection systems. Physical safeguards include multiple levels of user authentication.

What kind of data center security is in place? Who has access to systems housing my data? Are you running employee background checks?
EMC runs an extensive background check on each and every individual employed here. Our Data Centers have SAS 70 type II certifications with 24X7 video surveillance key card entry and 24X7 physical security guard presence. Only employees that have passed the background check have access to these systems and that access is granted through ITIL processes and procedures.

Is there co-mingling of data? Is my data stored with another customer's data?
By default, all tenants are logically separated and cannot view other tenant's data. Access to objects require that users are authenticated and authorized before they have visibility.

If I leave your service, what happens to my data? Is it deleted? Is there drive scrubbing? Will you provide any "certificate" of destruction?
If a customer leaves the service, all access to data is removed after 60 days. Data is then overwritten over time.

Where can I read the latest Website, Terms of Service and other agreements?
As of February 2010, here is the link to the most current services agreement.

Can I "reserve" infrastructure?
You do not need to reserve infrastructure or provision in advance with Atmos Online.

What is the underlying technology?
EMC's Atmos Online shares and benefits from the same technologies as the EMC Atmos product that is sold to enterprises and service providers for their storage cloud deployments.

What are Atmos policies?
Atmos Policies define durability, availability and other data services attributes that will be assigned to an object or group of objects. The attributes currently include: number of copies, distribution of copies, compression of copies and location of copies to hard drives that spin down when they are not being accessed. Storage Policies are designated by the application. If you are a developer and are trying to apply policies, the Atmos Online User Guide will contain the necessary instructions.

Current available policies:

• "200" defines a storage policy for an object or set of objects that provides for multiple copies that are distributed and optimized for use cases that require much more writing than reading of data.
• "400" defines a storage policy for an object or set of objects that provides for multiple copies that are distributed and optimized for balanced write and read workloads.
• "600" defines a storage policy for an object or set of objects that provides for multiple copies that are distributed and optimized for heavy write and read workloads.