Pictures, videos, documents, files, softwares are now a part of our life. Data is one of the most important assets of our lives. But it is also important to store this data in an efficient manner. One study reported that 2.5 quintillion data is generated per day. To store this data, we need huge storage options, but it’s not that easy to manage many physical hard drives on site for your individual or organizational work. It takes lots of money, space, power, supervision to manage this huge storage. A simple solution to all these problems is Cloud Storage.
What is Cloud Storage?
Cloud storage providers provide an option for storage ranging from small amounts of data to even the entire warehouse of an organization.
Users may pay the cloud storage provider for what they use and how much they have transferred to cloud storage. Fundamentally, the cloud storage user copies the data to one of the cloud storage provider’s data servers. That copy of data will be made available to all the other data servers of the cloud storage provider featuring redundancy in the availability which ensures that the data of the user is safe even anything goes wrong. Most systems store the same information on servers that are using different power supplies.
What are the benefits of Cloud storage over traditional methods?
Following are the benefits of cloud storage over traditional methods:
- Cost efficient: No need to invest any capital on storage devices.
- Simple: No technical expertise are needed to maintain the storage, backup, replication and importantly disaster management.
- Accessibility: You can access your data on cloud from anywhere with just an internet connection. Allowing others to access your data will help in collaborative working style instead of individual work.
- Usability: Cloud storage offers a simple interface for better usability. For example, You can use Google’s google drive or Apple’s iDrive easily without any expert knowledge.
- Security: All the data in cloud storage is encrypted and backups at multiple data centers are kept for the sake of disaster recovery.
- Automation: It works like a hard disk on your system, and if you want to store any file in the cloud, it will not affect any ongoing task. It will not affect the performance even if multiple users are using it at the same time.
- Synchronization: With synchronization, you can sync the cloud storage data with any device you want.
How cloud storage works?
A cloud storage service necessitates the use of at least one internet-connected data server. A client delivers copies of files to the data server over the Internet, which preserves them. When the client wants to get this information, he or she uses a Web-based interface to connect to the data server. After that, the server either transmits the files back to the client or lets the client access and change the files on the server. The majority of cloud storage solutions rely on a large number of data servers. Because computers need to be serviced or repaired from time to time, it’s important to keep the same data in multiple locations.
This is referred to as redundancy. Without redundancy, a cloud storage system cannot guarantee that clients will be able to access their data at any time. The majority of systems store identical data on servers with separate power supplies. Clients will be able to access their data even if one of the power supplies fails.
Not every cloud storage user is concerned about running out of space. They make backups of their data using cloud storage. The data is saved off-site in the event that the client’s computer system fails. It’s a modern take on the old adage “don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” The following are some examples of how data is kept in the cloud:
- Block Storage: Large amounts of data are divided into smaller parts called blocks in block storage. Each block has its own unique identity and is stored on one of the system’s hard discs. Block storage is quick, efficient, and provides the low latency that databases and high-performance workloads demand.
- File storage organizes data in a hierarchical system of files and folders. It’s widely utilized with hard drives and network-attached storage (NAS). As a file storage system, data is stored in files, which are then organized into folders. To organize folders and find files and data, subdirectories and directories are used. With this hierarchical style being recognizable to users and required by some applications, a file storage-based cloud can make data access and retrieval easier.
- Object storage: data is saved as objects in object storage, which are made up of three parts: data stored in a file, metadata connected with the file, and a unique identifier. An object storage protocol that uses the RestFul API stores a file and its associated metadata as a single object and assigns it an ID number. The user gives the ID to the system to obtain content, and the content is combined with all of its metadata, authentication, and security. Metadata can be changed in object-based storage systems, making data access and analysis easier. Data can be saved in its native format with huge scalability in object storage.
What are the types of cloud storage?
- Private cloud storage: As the name implies, private cloud storage services are tailored to the needs of an organization or an individual. This cloud storage system can be divided into two types: on-premise cloud storage and cloud storage hosted by third parties. The system gives you more administrative power and allows you to do whatever you want with your business records.
- Public cloud storage: This system is designed to be less administratively particular and can be accessed by an anonymous user that you permit. This solution has the same level of security as private cloud storage, but it does not require any maintenance or strict connection with your organization.
- Hybrid cloud storage: Hybrid cloud storage combines public and private storage services, allowing you to fulfil your demands by customizing your features and utilizing the resources that you have access to. Your sensitive information and more critical data can be saved in the private cloud, while less important data can be stored in public cloud storage. This system helps you save both time and money.
Who are the top cloud service providers?
Amazon web services (aws) has the most (32%) market share in the cloud market, followed by Microsoft Azure (19%) and Google Cloud (7%) as of 2021.
How much cloud storage costs?
Here is a glimpse of cloud storage pricing of different providers on a monthly basis:
How secure is it to store data in the cloud storage?
The password is the most commonly used security credential. Other methods of data protection are used by cloud storage security suppliers. Here are a few examples:
- Advanced Firewalls: All types of firewalls analyze data packets as they transit. Simple ones merely look at the data from the source and destination. Advanced ones check the content integrity of packets. The contents of the packets are then mapped to known security threats by these programs.
- Intrusion Detection: Online safe storage may accommodate a large number of users at once. Successful cloud security systems must be able to detect attempts to breach into the system. Cloud vendors can even halt intruders who get past the network’s basic security thanks to many tiers of detection.
- Event Logging: Security analysts use event logs to better understand risks. These logs keep track of network activity. This information is used by analysts to create a narrative about network occurrences. This enables them to anticipate and avoid security problems.
- Internal Firewalls: Data saved in the cloud should not be accessible to all accounts. Internal firewalls that restrict secure cloud access improve security. This ensures that even if an account is compromised, it will not be able to get complete access.
- Encryption: Encryption protects data from prying eyes. Without a secret key, an attacker who steals an encrypted file is denied access. Anyone who does not have the key has no access to the information.
- Physical Security: Cloud data centers are incredibly secure in terms of physical security. Data centers that are certified feature 24-hour surveillance, fingerprint locks, and armed guards. Almost all on-site data centers are less secure than these locations. For each of these characteristics, different cloud companies take different approaches. Some cloud storage services, for example, keep user encryption keys hidden from their users. Others provide its users the encryption keys.
The best-in-class cloud architecture ensures that users have the right combination of access and security. Users may mistakenly offer their keys to an unauthorized individual if you trust them with their own keys. A cloud security framework can be built in a variety of ways. The user must follow guidelines in the cloud security policy when using the cloud.
For a security system to be complete, users must adhere to a security awareness training program. Even the most advanced security system cannot compensate for negligent users.
> What challenges could you face while using Cloud storage?
Though there are many advantages and benefits of using cloud storage, there are few disadvantages/challenges you may face while using cloud storage such as using cloud storage for individual usage may seem costly, you need a good internet connection to access your data on the cloud, you should not share your credentials of cloud storage with anyone.
> Summery
Cloud storage is simply the process of storing data in a remote datacenter using a web-based interface. It is affordable, accessible, and usable, as well as secure. With a good internet connection, one can access his or her data from the cloud from anywhere in the globe. There are a variety of cloud storage providers, including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, and others. There are three types of cloud storage: private, public, and hybrid. Data stored in the cloud is safe because it is protected by encryption, firewalls, and access control systems. Cloud storage has a lot of potential in the near future, as it is rapidly displacing traditional data storage techniques.
