Cloud storage has fast become the new “big thing” in the world of computing, and it is predicted that around a billion people will be using some form of this storage system over the next few years. According to writer Jonathan Strickland, cloud storage refers to:
… saving data to an off-site storage system maintained by a third party.
These days, people tend to try and save so much on their hard drives that it almost becomes a house of cards; if something goes wrong, they lose everything that they have meticulously saved up throughout the years. Cloud storage seems to be the answer to all of the problems associated with the storing of data on a hard drive or local storage device, and people can connect to it through something as simple as an internet connection.
Picking Your Niche
In order to use a cloud storage system, you have to pick from among the many different options available, including those that are very niche-oriented to those that will allow you to store just about anything. With regards to the size of the systems, you can pick from those that offer limited storage to those that fill up warehouses and allows you to store as much as you want to, regardless of your needs.
Storing your Data
Storing data on a “cloud” is pretty straightforward; it’s all about sending a file through the medium of the net to a data server that will then record this information. In order to access the information, you just need to access the data server through the web-based interface. This simple and effective process is quickly revolutionizing the way that people think about data storage, and many major institutions are jumping at the chance to take advantage of it. A recent post by Geeksworld.com stated that Indiana Wesleyan University is one of the many institutions that have made the decision to turn to cloud storage. In fact, the institution saw this as a way to;
…retire its old, overloaded tape-based backup system and easily scale to meet the growing needs of the university.
Obviously companies that specialize in data storage not only have the equipment to deal with the ever-changing needs of larger institutions, such as universities, but they also know what it takes to secure the data that has been so trustingly placed into their “hands”. Does this mean that the data is safe and private? This question, as well as a few other eyebrow-raising concerns, has recently arisen along with the popularity of this storage option.
The Importance of Redundancy
If a cloud is simply a server and computers are vulnerable to failure, how does a business guarantee that a client’s information is safe when stored on their particular “cloud”? Redundancy is the answer, according to a recent article published by tutorialspoint.com;
…cloud storage systems normally depend upon hundreds of data servers to store the same information on multiple machines.
This is called redundancy and it not only aims to preserve clients’ data, but it also goes a long way in ensuring customers can access their information whenever they want to, regardless of whether a specific server is down.
Cloud Computing the Way of the Future
Questions relating to privacy and whether or not the information stored on cloud servers belongs to the owner of the software or the individual storing the information are all being brought up and debated at length, but this is only natural with the rise of something new. Cloud computing might seem like it has been around for decades, but it’s a relatively new option, and with the many pros that it has to offer, it’s only natural that it will raise a few concerns along the way.
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