DOCCFS Mount vs DOCC Catalog Volume
DOCC platform provides two distinct approaches for accessing cloud storage. This comprehensive comparison helps you choose the right approach for your organization.
Quick Comparison
| Aspect | DOCCFS Mount | DOCC Catalog Volume |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Direct storage mounting | Governed storage access |
| Credential Management | Per-mount credentials | Centralized credential management |
| Governance | Limited | Enterprise-grade governance |
| Access Control | Basic | Workspace-level controls |
| Audit Trail | Basic logging | Comprehensive audit logging |
| Best For | Simple use cases | Enterprise environments |
| Learning Curve | Easy | Moderate |
DOCCFS Mount (Traditional Approach)
What is DOCCFS Mount?
DOCCFS Mount is the traditional approach where you directly mount cloud storage (S3, Azure Blob, GCS) as a virtual filesystem. Each mount contains its own credentials and configuration, providing immediate access to your data.
Key Characteristics
Direct Access Model
- Each mount is self-contained with its own credentials
- Direct mapping between mount point and storage location
- Immediate access once configured
Simple Configuration
- Single-step setup process
- All configuration in one place
- Quick to get started
Basic Security
- Credentials stored per mount
- Simple read/write permissions
- Basic encryption support
When to Use DOCCFS Mount
Ideal for:
- Development and Testing: Quick setup for development environments
- Small Teams: Simple access patterns without complex governance needs
- Proof of Concepts: Rapid prototyping and experimentation
- Single-Purpose Access: Dedicated access to specific storage locations
- Legacy Integrations: Existing systems that expect direct mount points
Use Cases:
- Data science experimentation
- Development environment data access
- Simple ETL processes
- Personal or team-specific data storage
- Migration from traditional file systems
Configuration Example
{
"name": "analytics-data",
"basePath": "/doccfs/analytics",
"provider": "S3",
"config": {
"bucketName": "company-analytics",
"region": "us-east-1",
"prefix": "datasets/"
},
"authConfig": {
"accessKeyId": "AKIA...",
"secretAccessKey": "..."
},
"policyConfig": {
"allowRead": true,
"allowWrite": true,
"quotaGB": 100
}
}DOCC Catalog Volume (Modern Governance Approach)
What is DOCC Catalog Volume?
DOCC Catalog Volume is a modern, governance-first approach that separates credential management from storage access. It provides enterprise-grade controls, audit trails, and centralized management of storage resources.
Key Characteristics
Separation of Concerns
- Storage Credentials: Centralized, reusable authentication
- External Locations: Governed pointers to storage paths
- Clear separation between "how to authenticate" and "what to access"
Enterprise Governance
- Workspace-level access controls
- Comprehensive audit logging
- Policy enforcement
- Compliance-ready features
Advanced Security
- Centralized credential management
- Role-based access control
- Cross-account access patterns
- Credential rotation without downtime
When to Use DOCC Catalog Volume
Ideal for:
- Production Environments: Enterprise-grade governance and security
- Large Organizations: Multiple teams with different access needs
- Compliance Requirements: Audit trails and governance controls
- Multi-Workspace Environments: Different access patterns per workspace
- Credential Management: Centralized security and rotation
Use Cases:
- Production data lakes
- Multi-tenant environments
- Regulated industries (finance, healthcare)
- Cross-team data sharing
- Enterprise data governance
- Data mesh architectures
Detailed Feature Comparison
Credential Management
DOCCFS Mount
- Credentials embedded in each mount configuration
- Manual credential rotation requires updating each mount
- Limited credential sharing between mounts
- Basic security practices
DOCC Catalog Volume
- Centralized credential repository
- Single credential can serve multiple locations
- Zero-downtime credential rotation
- Advanced authentication patterns (assume role, cross-account)
- Credential validation and health monitoring
Access Control & Governance
DOCCFS Mount
- Basic read/write permissions
- Mount-level access control
- Limited audit capabilities
- Simple quota management
DOCC Catalog Volume
- Workspace-level access control
- Fine-grained permissions per workspace
- Comprehensive audit logging
- Policy enforcement
- Compliance reporting
- Data lineage tracking
Scalability & Management
DOCCFS Mount
- Each mount managed independently
- Manual configuration for each storage location
- Limited visibility across mounts
- Suitable for smaller deployments
DOCC Catalog Volume
- Centralized management console
- Bulk operations and automation
- Cross-location visibility and monitoring
- Enterprise-scale deployments
- Health monitoring and alerting
Decision Framework
Choose DOCCFS Mount When:
- Simplicity is key: You need quick, straightforward access
- Small scale: Limited number of storage locations
- Development focus: Non-production environments
- Legacy compatibility: Existing systems expect direct mounts
- Resource constraints: Limited time for governance setup
Choose DOCC Catalog Volume When:
- Governance is required: Compliance and audit requirements
- Enterprise scale: Multiple teams and workspaces
- Security focus: Advanced authentication and access controls
- Production workloads: Mission-critical data access
- Future growth: Planning for organizational scaling
Migration from DOCCFS Mount to DOCC Catalog Volume
Migration Benefits
- Enhanced security and governance
- Centralized credential management
- Better audit and compliance capabilities
- Improved scalability
Migration Process
1
Assessment
Inventory existing mounts and access patterns
2
Credential Consolidation
Create storage credentials for common patterns
3
Location Mapping
Convert mount paths to external locations
4
Access Policy Migration
Map mount permissions to workspace controls
5
Testing & Validation
Validate access patterns in non-production
6
Gradual Rollout
Migrate applications incrementally
7
Decommission
Remove legacy mounts after validation
Migration Timeline
- Small deployments: 1-2 weeks
- Medium deployments: 1-2 months
- Large enterprises: 3-6 months
Recommendations
Both DOCCFS Mount and DOCC Catalog Volume have their place in modern data architectures:
- DOCCFS Mount excels in simplicity and speed, making it perfect for development, testing, and straightforward use cases
- DOCC Catalog Volume provides enterprise-grade governance, security, and scalability for production environments
Recommended Strategy:
- Start with DOCCFS Mount for development and simple use cases
- Migrate to DOCC Catalog Volume as your governance and scale requirements grow
- Use DOCC Catalog Volume from the beginning for production workloads in regulated industries
Many organizations successfully use both approaches in different contexts, with DOCCFS Mount for development and experimentation, and DOCC Catalog Volume for production and governed data access.