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Cloud Storage Models
These models encompass the public cloud, private cloud, hybrid cloud, and multi-cloud.
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Types of Cloud Storage
The three main types of cloud storage are file, block, and object storage.
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Who Needs Cloud Storage?
For businesses, the biggest benefit to using cloud storage is that it is scalable.
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Common Use Cases for Cloud Storage
Cloud storage serves various purposes across industries and personal use.
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Advantages of Cloud Storage
There are many advantages and some considerations when choosing cloud storage over local data storage, especially when storing important business files that require safe storage, constant backups and easy access.
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Considerations When Implementing Cloud Storage
Learn about the key considerations when implementing cloud storage.
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Cloud Backup
In addition to the benefits that cloud storage offers for everyday file and information sharing, cloud-based backup can also be a great option for a disaster recovery plan.
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Types of Cloud Backup
Before you can make a choice about a cloud-based backup solution, you need to understand the various types available.
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What is Backup and Restore?
Backup and restore refers to the process of using available backups to recover lost data or access a previous version of data before it was corrupted or deleted.
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Tips for Effective Cloud Storage Management
Tips to make the most of your cloud storage solution.
March 11, 2021
What is Cloud Storage and How Does it Work?
The definition of cloud storage is housing your data on an internet-based platform instead of local devices. Read about cloud storage advantages and disadvantages.
What is Cloud Storage?
Users of computers, smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices have most likely heard of "the cloud" and "cloud computing," but you might be at a loss to describe it. To put it simply, the cloud is an internet data center where software and services reside, instead of being stored on local hardware such as your computer or other electronic device. Cloud computing harnesses the power of the internet to outsource tasks, such as housing software or file storage.
Cloud storage refers to the process of saving data to an offsite storage system not found on your electronic device. This doesn’t involve saving items to a folder on your desktop or transferring items onto a thumb drive. Cloud storage systems are maintained by a third party, and you save your files to a remote database thanks to the power of the internet. This allows you to back up and access your files from any device that is connected to the internet.
Cloud Storage Models
In today's digital landscape, cloud storage has evolved to offer diverse models tailored to the unique needs of organizations and individuals. These models encompass the public, private, hybrid, and multicloud. Each model presents its own set of advantages, trade-offs, and use cases, enabling businesses to craft storage solutions that align perfectly with their data management requirements. Let's delve into these cloud models' distinct characteristics and benefits, empowering you to decide on the most fitting approach for your storage and computing needs.
Public Cloud
Public cloud storage is a cloud computing model where cloud resources, including storage, are owned and operated by a third-party cloud service provider and made available to the public over the Internet. In this model, businesses and individuals can use the provider's infrastructure on a pay-as-you-go basis. Public cloud storage is cost-effective, scalable, and requires no on-premises infrastructure management. Popular public cloud providers include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). It's ideal for businesses seeking flexible, affordable, and easily scalable storage solutions without the need to manage their own data centers.
Private Cloud
Private cloud storage, on the other hand, is a cloud computing model where a single organization or enterprise exclusively uses cloud resources. It can be hosted on-premises or by a third-party provider. Private cloud storage is favored by organizations that require enhanced control over their data, as it offers greater security and customization options. It's particularly suitable for industries with strict data compliance requirements, like healthcare or finance. Private cloud provides more predictable costs and the ability to tailor the infrastructure to specific business needs.
Hybrid Cloud
Hybrid cloud storage is a model that combines elements of both public and private clouds. It allows organizations to maintain some data and applications in a private cloud environment while utilizing public cloud resources for other aspects. The primary advantage of hybrid cloud is its flexibility. It enables seamless data and workload mobility between private and public clouds. Businesses can leverage the scalability of the public cloud while keeping sensitive or critical data in a secure private cloud. Hybrid cloud is a strategic choice for optimizing costs, performance, and data management.
Multicloud
Multicloud storage is a model in which an organization uses multiple public cloud providers for its storage and computing needs. Unlike hybrid cloud, where two or more deployment models are integrated, multicloud involves utilizing separate cloud providers for different purposes, often independently. The rationale behind multicloud is to avoid vendor lock-in, enhance redundancy, and leverage best-of-breed services from different providers. This model allows businesses to select the most suitable cloud provider for each application or workload, optimizing performance and cost. However, it also introduces data management and coordination challenges across multiple platforms.
Each cloud storage model offers distinct advantages and caters to different organizational requirements. The choice among them depends on data sensitivity, scalability needs, regulatory compliance, and budget constraints. Many businesses also value combining these models, adapting to their evolving storage and computing needs over time.
Types of Cloud Storage
There are three types of cloud storage: file storage, block storage, and object storage.
File Storage
File storage is a cloud storage type that organizes data into a hierarchical structure, resembling a typical file system with directories and files. It is designed for storing and managing files and documents, making it suitable for sharing and collaborating on data. File storage is commonly used in scenarios where multiple users need access to the same files and where data needs to be organized with a user-friendly structure. Users can read, write, and modify files directly, and it's particularly well-suited for document management and content collaboration, as it maintains the file's metadata and attributes.
Block Storage
Block storage is a cloud storage type that divides data into fixed-sized blocks, typically ranging from 512 bytes to several megabytes. It functions at a lower level than file storage and doesn't have a file structure. Block storage is suitable for applications that require fast and direct data access and control, such as databases and virtual machines. Each block can be individually managed, making it highly efficient for random read and write operations. Block storage is often used when applications demand high performance and data consistency, as it allows for low-level control over data storage.
Object Storage
Object storage is a cloud storage type that treats data as individual objects, each with its unique identifier and metadata. Unlike file and block storage, object storage doesn't organize data into a file hierarchy or break it into blocks; instead, it stores data and metadata together in a flat address space. Object storage is highly scalable, making it ideal for storing large volumes of unstructured data, such as multimedia files, backups, and archives. It excels at content delivery, backup, and data retention, as it offers durability and redundancy, enabling data to be stored securely and retrieved quickly. Object storage is cost-effective, and its simplicity and scalability make it a popular choice for modern cloud applications and services.
Who Needs Cloud Storage?
The better question might be, “Who doesn’t need cloud storage?” In today’s world, there is a tendency to accumulate a large quantity of digital files— whether these are work files, personal photos on cell phones, research data for a dissertation, et cetera. It’s one issue if your electronic device has the space to store those files. It’s another if your storage space is running low and your computer’s performance is suffering as a result.
For businesses, the most significant benefit to using cloud storage solutions is that it is scalable. It is no longer necessary to purchase thousands of dollars of hardware, software, and server space for a “just in case” scenario. Businesses tended to overbuy, and the data storage space and equipment remained used until the technology became obsolete.
For personal users of technology, cloud storage can solve a daily moral dilemma — which pictures and apps do you need to delete off your smartphone to take one new photo of your kids, pets or friends? Saving photos to the cloud provides an easy way to free up space and ensure that your photos are backed up and saved in case of catastrophic electronic failure. Hardware such as thumb drives or external hard drives could become broken or lost, but the cloud will still be there without fail.
Common Use Cases for Cloud Storage
Cloud storage serves various purposes across industries and personal use. Here are some common scenarios where cloud storage proves invaluable:
- File Backup and Recovery: Cloud storage acts as a safety net, ensuring that your critical files are backed up and can be easily recovered in case of data loss due to hardware failures or other unforeseen circumstances.
- Collaborative Work: Teams working on projects benefit from cloud storage's ability to provide real-time access to shared documents, fostering collaboration among members regardless of their geographical locations.
- Data Synchronization: Cloud storage allows you to keep your files synchronized across multiple devices. Make changes on one device, and they'll be reflected on all others, ensuring you always have the most up-to-date information.
- Scalable Data Storage: Businesses can scale their storage needs up or down effortlessly as their data requirements change. This scalability eliminates the need for expensive upfront investments in hardware.
Advantages of Cloud Storage
There are many advantages and some considerations when choosing cloud storage over local data storage, especially when storing important business files that require safe storage, constant backups and easy access.
Accessibility
One main benefit is that your files are accessible from any device with an internet connection. You don’t have to be on your work laptop in order to access the software or file you need. Customer presentations do not have to be brought in on a specific laptop or thumb drive — they can be easily accessed through the cloud.
Cloud storage is also a great option for enabling a remote workforce: Employees can access their files, data and information from anywhere. Workers can also instantly share documents with one another— ideal for teams working on projects that need to share information and project managers that need to monitor the progress of their teams in real time by accessing ongoing documents and communication.
Ease of Use
Another point in the pro column is that many cloud storage options have their own applications, allowing you to drag and drop your files from one location on your smartphone or computer into the cloud. Some make storage backup automatic, so you can set it and forget it.
Scalability
With the cloud, it is easy to scale your storage based on your data needs. If you add another user and need more storage, that’s no problem. If you lose a few users and suddenly have way too much storage, it is easy to scale down and save some money. This is an advantage over external storage infrastructure where you can’t receive any money back if you have purchased too much storage space.
Disaster Recovery
One of the biggest advantages of cloud storage is the peace of mind that comes from constant storage backups made to a secure offsite location. If your on-premise storage infrastructure breaks down or your hardware fails, the cloud makes disaster recovery much simpler.
No On-Site Server Maintenance Required
Another advantage to cloud storage is that it eliminates the need for on-site server maintenance. With cloud storage, you don’t need to hire employees to run and maintain serves, which saves money on both hardware and salary expenses. By outsourcing server maintenance to the cloud, you eliminate the hassle and extra expense that comes from maintaining an on-prem server.
Considerations When Implementing Cloud Storage
Here are some of the main considerations when implementing a cloud storage solution.
Privacy and Security Considerations
Although security is a factor with on-prem storage hardware, organizations need to keep security top of mind with cloud storage as well. When saving sensitive files and customer data to the cloud, you’ll want to make sure to implement security measures that protect your business’s information. Fortunately, most cloud storage options come equipped with security features that allow you to do just that.
Many cloud storage applications implement multifactor identification upon login. These programs verify two or more times that a user is authorized before providing access to securely stored files. For example, cloud storage users might sync up their accounts with their phone numbers or email addresses so they can verify their login sessions on an additional device. This can prevent unauthorized users from accessing files in the cloud.
Organizations can work with cloud storage providers to create practical security policies for their cloud storage, including the use of private or hybrid cloud storage instead of keeping data on a public cloud. Even with public cloud options, however, security practices like file encryption and multifactor verification at login can help ensure your information is safely stored in the cloud.
Data and File Management
You can easily migrate your files over to a cloud storage system, but it might be difficult to replicate your folder structure or hierarchy in the new system. This could be a concern for businesses that have their own storage management system and structure.
Fortunately, cloud storage providers are becoming increasingly more sophisticated in their capacity to organize files in the cloud. For example, both Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform offer a variety of ways in which you can organize files online. While you may not be able to replicate your existing file storage system exactly in the cloud, cloud storage solutions offer plenty of opportunity for file storage customization.
Cloud Backup
In addition to the benefits that cloud storage offers for everyday file and information sharing, cloud-based backup can also be a great option for a disaster recovery plan. Because you can seamlessly save files, cloud-based backup can be an easy and automated option for securing sensitive information and ensuring your valuable work is never lost.
Cloud backup involves installing a program on your computer, then directing it to keep specific files backed up online. Cloud backup services will upload any file changes you make so the most recent version is always stored online. This can be a good way to recover information in the event that your computer stops working, as it guarantees that your most important files will still live in the cloud.
Types of Cloud Backup
Before you can make a choice about a cloud-based backup solution, you need to understand the various types available. Whether you use a backup service from a free cloud provider like Google Drive, or you pay for extra or unlimited storage, it's important to understand the different kinds of cloud backups that can be performed. Let’s walk through some of the most common types of cloud backup services.
Full Backup
Just like the name implies, this type of backup is a complete copy of all your media and data, but it also requires more storage space than other types of data retention. Constantly overwriting every file you own makes restoring files easy, but it can be an inefficient use of storage space to run a full backup every time. Because of the upload size of this type of backup, this online backup service is normally run on a select schedule instead of daily.
Incremental Backup
This type of online backup saves files that are either newly added or have changed since the last backup. The scaled-down backup size, limited to only changed or added data, means this backup may be utilized daily, or performed on the date that files were modified. A differential backup works in much the same manner, but it will continue to save all changed files instead of only the most recently changed.
Real-Time Backup
For this backup type, every change to data on the server is backed up in real time, including all versions of the files. This cloud backup service is sometimes referred to as a continuous backup or continuous data protection (CDP).
Cloud Sync
This type of online backup service is generally application-based and saves files in different locations in folders on the cloud. This method of data retention is ideal for businesses that have both on-premises and remote workers that need to access the same data, rather than storing files on an external hard drive that must be physically accessed. Because of the easily scalable nature of cloud computing, this type of syncing makes it easy to expand storage as your business grows.
What is Backup and Restore?
Backup and restore refers to the process of using available backups to recover lost data or access a previous version of data before it was corrupted or deleted. Most systems allow for policies that automatically run the backups on a regular schedule, which creates restoration point dates you can refer to in case you need to recover information or revert a device to the last viable system backup.
You can also utilize software applications that test the integrity of each backup file as it is run; in the event you need to recover information at a future date, there will no question as to whether or not the data is reliable. Although restoration of data from local sources is possible, cloud backup services can be a nice option for mobile devices, for which data can be recovered automatically, and for businesses that need the extra space for the most up-to-date versions of their data.
Restoring Data
It can be a scary prospect to suddenly encounter a system failure or other cause of data loss, and a local backup may not successfully save your data. Restoration of your data can be assured if you scale up your backup efforts and expand your storage to rely on more than one backup copy.
The "3-2-1" rule for data backup is a good rule of thumb. This means always keeping three copies of your data — one primary copy and two backup copies. One of these backup copies should be a cold copy stored offsite utilizing Data at Rest Encryption (DaRE) for security. In case of a disaster that causes data loss, if you've been backing up your data regularly with DaRE, recovery should be a fairly seamless process with little to no system downtime.
As you can see, there are many options for choosing the best cloud storage and backup solution for your business. Cloud storage offers an easy way for users to back up their files and access them without much hassle. You can effortlessly access, scale and manage your files from any internet-connected device.
A good way to narrow down your choices is to make a list of the types of data you want to store on a regular basis, who will be accessing it and on what types of devices. Depending on your needs, using a cloud storage and backup solution can be a great way to automate data backups to protect your business’s critical information with little maintenance involved. Our experts are available to help you put together a robust cloud storage and backup solution that can grow and expand with your business.
How to Choose the Right Cloud Storage Provider
Selecting the right cloud storage provider is crucial for a seamless experience. Consider the following factors when making your decision:
- Storage Capacity: Assess your current and future storage needs. Ensure the chosen provider offers enough capacity to accommodate your data.
- Security Features: Evaluate the security measures in place, such as encryption, multifactor authentication, and compliance with industry regulations like GDPR or HIPAA, depending on your requirements.
- Integration with Existing Tools: Ensure the cloud storage solution integrates well with the applications and software your organization relies on.
- Pricing and Plans: Compare pricing structures and subscription plans to find the one that aligns with your budget and needs.
- Customer Support: Reliable customer support can be a lifesaver when you encounter issues. Look for providers with responsive support teams.
Tips for Effective Cloud Storage Management
To make the most of your cloud storage solution, consider these management tips:
- Regular Backup Schedule: Establish a regular backup schedule to ensure your data is consistently backed up to the cloud.
- File Organization: Maintain a clear folder structure and file naming conventions to keep your data organized and easily accessible.
- Access Control: Set access permissions to restrict who can view, edit, or share your files, enhancing data security.
- Cost Monitoring: Keep an eye on your storage usage with cloud cost management to avoid unnecessary costs. Remove redundant or obsolete files periodically.
- Training and Education: Provide training to users in your organization to ensure they understand how to use cloud storage effectively and securely.