The release enhances the OpenStack External Replication Agent with a storage-agnostic changed block tracking (CBT) mechanism for incremental replication, adds Direct2Target support for disaster-recovery scenarios, and migrates Acura's internal database from MariaDB to PostgreSQL.
SUNNYVALE, Calif., Aug. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- has released Hystax Acura 4.6, expanding the platform's replication and disaster recovery architecture while modernizing key internal components. The release focuses on broader infrastructure compatibility, more flexible data transfer paths, and improvements to migration, disaster recovery, and backup workflows.
"OpenStack environments can use very different storage backends, which makes storage-specific replication approaches difficult to apply consistently," said Edwin Kuss, Director of Global Sales at Hystax. "Removing the dependency on direct Ceph access gives customers a more flexible replication approach across compatible OpenStack environments. Extending Direct2Target to disaster recovery provides another option where API-based integration with the target platform is unavailable."
Storage-Agnostic Incremental Replication for OpenStack
In previous versions of Hystax Acura, OpenStack external replication depended on direct access to Ceph. Acura 4.6 introduces a storage-agnostic changed block tracking (CBT) mechanism for QEMU/KVM that removes this requirement, making the replication approach applicable across OpenStack environments running different Cinder storage backends.
Changed disk ranges are identified at the QEMU/KVM layer using QEMU dirty bitmaps, without installing replication software inside the protected guest operating system. The first replication remains full; subsequent cycles can transfer only the changed disk ranges, provided the source virtual machine remains running, and its QEMU process is not stopped or recreated.
This reduces dependency on the underlying storage technology and provides a more consistent incremental replication architecture for compatible OpenStack environments.
"Identifying changed blocks at the QEMU/KVM layer instead of relying on a specific storage backend's API is a meaningful shift," said Max Bozhenko, CTO of Hystax. "It allows the same replication approach to be used across compatible OpenStack environments with different Cinder storage backends, without installing software inside the guest OS."
Direct2Target Adds Support for Disaster Recovery Scenarios
Hystax introduced to migrate virtual machines without relying on a target platform's management API. Acura 4.6 extends Direct2Target beyond migration by adding support for disaster recovery scenarios, giving organizations another way to prepare a recovery target in environments where API-based integration with the destination platform is unavailable.
The release also extends to D2T workflows, allowing Replication Agents to send data directly to D2T Agents rather than routing through the Acura Controller, and adds support for multiple D2T Agent formats – raw, qcow2, VMDK, OVA, and ISO – along with stability and UI improvements.
Internal Database Migration to PostgreSQL
Acura 4.6 migrates the platform's internal database from MariaDB to PostgreSQL, modernizing a core internal component and providing a more extensible foundation for future product development and long-term maintainability. For Hystax Acura customers, this is a behind-the-scenes change that does not introduce a new workflow or require a different way of using the platform.
Additional compatibility, backup, and security updates
Acura 4.6 adds support for thick-provisioned disks when VMware is used as the target cloud, and the File Backup Agent receives performance and stability improvements. The release also expands support for newer Linux distributions and kernels, including RHEL 9.8, RHEL 10.2, and Ubuntu 26.04, and includes general security updates.
About Hystax
Hystax develops enterprise-grade cloud migration, disaster recovery, and backup software for KVM-based platforms. Hystax Acura helps organizations migrate, protect, and recover virtual machines and applications across private, public, and hybrid cloud environments. More information: or contact us at [email protected].
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Media Contact
Edwin Kuss, Hystax, 1 628 25 11 280, [email protected],
SOURCE Hystax
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