About ShareArchiver
Founded with the mission to help organizations manage and optimize unstructured data, ShareArchiver provides intelligent archiving and data management solutions designed to reduce storage costs and improve system performance.
“At ShareArchiver, we help customers manage data efficiently,” explains Mazhar Lateef, CTO of ShareArchiver. “One of the protocols we rely on is SMB, and that’s what attracted us to Visuality Systems. Their Java-based SMB solution was something that I believe was lacking in the marketplace.”
For several years, ShareArchiver has embedded Visuality Systems’ jNQ SMB client library in its archiving engine, enabling reliable access to file servers across diverse environments and storage platforms to seamlessly scan, archive, and manage data at scale.
The Challenge
Before adopting Visuality Systems’ solution, ShareArchiver relied on open-source SMB implementations. However, the limitations quickly became apparent.
“The lack of support really was the main issue,” recalls Lateef. “There was a library available on open source, but it wasn’t supporting the more recent versions of the SMB protocol. It was limited to only SMB1, which was being deprecated.”
It wasn’t just a matter of moving away from SMB1. ShareArchiver needed a solution that would remain reliable over time, a library that would continue to evolve with every new SMB version and eliminate the risk of falling behind again. By choosing Visuality Systems, the company ensured that its solution would always stay fully up to date and supported, not just once, but continuously.
“We needed someone who could support us if there were any changes required to be made. Visuality did a fantastic job bridging that gap for us.”
Mazhar Lateef – CTO, ShareArchiver
Why ShareArchiver Chose Visuality Systems
When evaluating alternatives, ShareArchiver found that Visuality Systems’ jNQ was the only commercial-grade Java SMB client offering full SMB1-3 support and professional backing.
“There was another open-source option we considered,” Lateef notes, “but we needed a supported platform for our customers, and that’s what led us to make the decision to go ahead with Visuality.”
The team discovered Visuality Systems through their own research. “We found you through Google searches and reached out,” Lateef says. “The support was the main reason we decided to go with Visuality, but also the fact that it supported SMB protocol versions 2 and 3 as well as 1.”
Interoperability with Nutanix and Other Systems
ShareArchiver’s data management engine interacts with various file servers including Nutanix, which provides an SMB interface.
“Nutanix offers an SMB endpoint, and we use the Visuality client to connect to Nutanix as well.”
Mazhar Lateef – CTO, ShareArchiver
This interoperability ensures ShareArchiver’s archiving solution works seamlessly across environments where SMB is the only viable option for accessing and migrating data.
“When it comes to reading data from file servers, which are our primary targets, the SMB protocol is crucial,” Lateef explains. “Some of these systems are closed, so we can’t install anything on them. The only option is to interact through SMB, and Visuality allows us to scan and archive information efficiently.”
The Results
From the initial integration to ongoing maintenance, ShareArchiver’s experience with Visuality Systems has been consistently positive.
“The documentation was clear, and the support we received was excellent,” Lateef says. “Any questions we had were answered clearly, and any guidance we required was provided promptly. We’re very happy with the collaboration and the support.”
Performance and scalability have also exceeded expectations.
“Our customers are happy with the performance, and it was easy for us to scale using Visuality. It’s been a fantastic product in our suite of solutions, it’s one of the major ones, and we couldn’t be happier.”
Mazhar Lateef – CTO, ShareArchiver
Beyond performance, Visuality Systems’ commitment to keeping its SMB implementations current gives ShareArchiver long-term confidence. The company knows that as SMB evolves, its solution will remain fully compatible and supported, ensuring reliability and continuity for years to come.
When asked how he would describe Visuality Systems, Lateef responds without hesitation: “Professional, very good at what they do. They’re excellent at understanding what the SMB protocol entails. Their development skills are exceptional.”
The same applies to jNQ itself: “It’s stable, fantastic, works great, performance is great. It’s definitely something we’re very, very happy with using in our solution.”
On a scale from one to ten, Lateef rates his likelihood of recommending Visuality Systems: “Definitely 10. That’s the only solution I would recommend.”
Looking Ahead
As ShareArchiver continues to expand its integrations and explore new protocols like NFS, its reliance on SMB and on Visuality Systems’ jNQ library remains unwavering.
“I think SMB is not going anywhere,” says Lateef. “We’re going to continue using Visuality products. We’re also exploring NFS, and I’d be interested to know what other integrations Visuality is developing, maybe that would encourage us to integrate our system with other products out there.”
For now, the partnership remains a cornerstone of ShareArchiver’s success.
“Whenever I do have a question, I always reach out to Visuality’s support team. They’re always fantastic at responding in a timely manner with concise and precise answers. I’m very happy.”
Mazhar Lateef – CTO, ShareArchiver
Be Our Next Success Story
If your organization depends on reliable SMB communication for data management, storage, or embedded systems, we’d love to help you achieve similar results. Contact Visuality Systems to learn how our SMB protocol solutions can power your next success story.
Raphael Barki, Head of Marketing, Visuality Systems
