FAQ

Diskover has been proven to index billions of files and petabytes of unstructured data across diverse storage systems—on-prem, cloud, or hybrid environments—while maintaining search performance and metadata accuracy.

Diskover builds one searchable index of every file you own, across every storage system, and it builds that index from metadata alone, so your data stays where it is.

That single index is the difference. Storage platforms each report on themselves, which means most teams answer estate-wide questions one system at a time. Diskover reads PowerScale, ONTAP, S3, Azure Blob and the rest into one place, so you ask one question and get one answer for everything.

Three things follow from that. Indexing works from file attributes rather than file contents, which keeps it fast and light enough for restricted environments. It scales on file count rather than capacity, which is what matters once an estate passes a billion files. And 37+ metadata enrichment plugins add the business context that lives outside the file system, such as project, owner, format detail and retention class.

Every subscription includes unlimited users, so the people who create the data can see it alongside the team that stores it. Standard APIs and open plugin interfaces mean Diskover fits the tools you already run, and your files stay in formats you control.

Yes, we offer flexible options to fit your use cases! Whether you just need help finding your data or you’re tackling advanced projects like AI-readiness, data lakes, and lakehouses, we’ve got you covered.

The AI connector lets you interact with your data in a whole new way—just ask questions in natural language. Whether you’re looking for large unused files, planning a migration, or investigating storage costs, the AI connector helps you analyze and take action faster.

Diskover is not a data lake or lakehouse itself, but it plays a critical role in making them work better. By indexing and enriching metadata across all your storage, Diskover helps you identify high-quality, relevant data that’s ready for analytics and AI.

Whether you’re feeding curated datasets into a data lakehouse or using AI to classify and manage unstructured data, Diskover streamlines the process—delivering visibility, control, and automation at scale. It’s a powerful foundation for smarter, AI-ready data architectures.

No, Diskover doesn’t store your files nor do you need to move them. Instead, Diskover scans your date estate and creates an index, a detailed metadata catalog, of your existing data across various storage systems. This index allows you to search, analyze, automate, and manage your data without moving or copying the actual files, ensuring they remain securely in their original locations.

Yes. Diskover integrates with Dell PowerScale, ECS, Dell Data Lakehouse, Dell AI Factory, SmartPools, and SmartSync; Snowflake; NetApp; OCI, and many other platforms through its flexible plugin framework. These integrations enable metadata-driven automation, tiering, and AI/BI pipeline readiness.

Diskover indexes file and object storage from any vendor that presents data over NFS, SMB or the S3 API, which covers most on-premises and cloud storage in use today. Named platforms include Dell PowerScale, Dell ECS and the Dell Data Lakehouse, with others added through the plugin framework.

File type works differently. Diskover reads the standard attributes of every file whatever its format, and format-aware plugins read deeper structural detail for the formats they support, such as duration and codec in a video or read counts in a sequencing file. That deeper reading works from file structure rather than file contents.

Yes, with policy-driven agentic workflows, Diskover can automate movement, curation, and lifecycle management across storage tiers and clouds. It’s ideal for intelligent tiering, cleanup, or AI data preparation.

We recommend scheduling a call with our team. We’ll help you size your environment, understand your specific use cases, and guide you toward the solution that fits you best.

Absolutely! Diskover is designed to be user-friendly and accessible to anyone, whether you’re a tech expert or just someone who wants to better understand and manage their data. From small teams to large enterprises, Diskover can be tailored to meet your needs, no matter your technical background or data challenges.

Diskover provides a suite of online support tools and a dedicated support team, ensuring you have everything you need to succeed in your data journey.

Diskover allows you to view and analyze your data, but it doesn’t allow you to open or modify a file located on your storage system. Instead, it creates an index of your files’ metadata so you can search and gain insights without changing the original files. Any modifications to your actual files need to be done within your existing storage systems.

Diskover runs entirely through any web browser. There’s no need to install special software, so you can connect to it from anywhere with a browser and start managing your data seamlessly.

Yes, Diskover is designed with security at its core. While Diskover focuses on indexing and analyzing your data without modifying it, certain plugins can move, copy, or delete files when configured. These actions are always under your control, ensuring they align with your specific workflows and permissions.

Rest assured, Diskover adheres to industry best practices and secure protocols to protect your data throughout its processes.

Diskover uses role-based access control, encrypted communications, and authentication that integrates with existing enterprise systems (e.g., LDAP, SSO). No files are moved or copied unless a File Action plugin is explicitly used, ensuring data remains secure in its native location.

Yes, Diskover can help you gain a clear understanding of storage usage and costs, making it easier to determine how much to charge your clients. By indexing your data and providing detailed insights, including file sizes, usage patterns, and storage locations, Diskover gives you the tools to calculate costs accurately and allocate them fairly to your clients.

Diskover shows you who owns each file and when it was last read, across every system it indexes. Both come from file metadata, so you can group an estate by owner, by department or by project, then see which areas are growing and which have gone quiet. Ownership recorded by a file system drifts as people change roles, so Diskover can also derive ownership from path, project or an enrichment rule, which is what makes the answer usable years after the files were created.

Data is an asset because it holds immense value, both in its creation and its potential. Someone took time and resources to produce it, and some data—like a movie clip involving costly actors, props, and production—carries even greater value due to the factors involved in its creation.

Additionally, the cost of storing data makes it an asset. As more businesses charge clients for the space their files occupy, the importance of both data and its storage becomes clear.

By treating data as an asset, Diskover helps you manage, protect, and maximize its value, turning raw information into a powerful resource for your business.