Cloud storage is a model that saves data on the internet. Cloud computing solutions are involved in managing and operating data storage.
What is cloud storage? (1)
Cloud storage is a method to secure data online. Consumers and businesses can access their data anywhere at any time. They are also allowed to share their information with individuals who have permission. Off-site recovery of deleted data is also possible by using cloud storage. In current times, people have access to several cloud storage solutions such as Dropbox and Google Drive. These solutions provide extra cloud services and wider storage sizes. They conserve data integrity, avoid identity and file theft, and prevent hacking attempts.
Working of cloud storage
Cloud storage permits client smartphones, tablets, or computer to online send and receives data to and from data servers. This data is also stored on other servers simultaneously. This allows a client to access his data even if one of the servers lost it. For example, if a person has lost his laptop having personal pictures, then he can restore them from the cloud and hard drive. Cloud storage is capable of providing general or particular storage types. Particular storage includes digital music or photo files, whereas general storage includes spreadsheets, presentations, text documents, audio files, and photos.
Categories of cloud storage
Cloud storage offers three categories to store data. These are block storage, file storage, and object storage. Each of them has its use and benefit.
- Block storage
Some enterprise applications such as ERP systems or databases need low latency and dedicated storage for every host. This is equivalent to Storage Area Network (SAN) or directs attached storage (DAS).Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS) is an example of block storage that provides clients ultra-low latency to perform workloads efficiently.
- File storage
Some applications need a file storage system to access shared files. A Network Attached Storage (NAS) server supports this storage category. Amazon Elastic File System (EFS) is a file storage solution that is suitable for use cases such as development environments, user home directories, media stores, or large content repositories.
- Object storage
Several cloud-based applications take benefit from the metadata characteristics and vast scalability of object storage. Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) is a type of this category that is suitable for generating those advanced applications that require flexibility and scalability. These applications import data stores for backups, archives, or analytics.
Different Methods to use cloud storage
Recovery and backup
Recovery and backup is an important part to ensure the protection and accessibility of data. But meeting enhancing capacity requirements is a constant challenge. Cloud storage brings extreme scale, low cost, and high durability to recovery and backup solutions. Amazon S3 object lifecycle management is an embedded data management policy that automatically shifts data to less expensive tiers according to timing or frequency settings. Archival vaults can be generated to comply with regulatory and legal requirements. Several industries like media, healthcare, and financial services can enjoy incredible scale possibilities with such benefits of cloud storage.
Software testing and development
Such environments need independent, separate, and duplicate storage settings to be created, supervised, and decommissioned. Some of the most valuable and largest enterprises in the world have developed applications by leveraging the performance, flexibility, and less costly cloud storage. Developers are shifting to pay-as-you-go storage choices to remove scale and management headaches.
Cloud data migration
The durability, availability, and cost advantages of cloud storage can be persuasive to business owners. But conventional IT functional proprietors such as security, networking, backup, storage, and compliance administrators are more concerned to transport the bulk of data to the cloud. AWS Import/export snowball is an example of a cloud data migration service that simplifies the transport of storage data to the cloud by mentioning long migration times, high network prices, and security concerns.
Top cloud storage providers 2021 (2)
- pCloud
This solution is considered best to store bulk files. It allows the user to access his data from any device.
Features
- It ensures data protection by providing TLS/SSL encryption.
- With pCloud, one can complete file management by using web, mobiles, or desktop
- It gives more than one file-sharing options
- It allows photo backups from Picasa, Instagram, and Facebook
- OS platforms: android, iOS, Linux, Mac, and Windows
Price
- Free storage for up to 10 GB data storage
- $3.99/month for 500 GB data storage
- $7.99/month for 2 TB data storage
- com
This solution is considered best for its easy-to-use features and providing data protection.
Features:
- To ensure data security it provides different features such as 365 days history, restricting downloads, advanced share control, password-secured sharing, etc.
- It offers productivity features like offline access, auto camera upload, document previews, file requests, etc.
- It ensures data security through end-to-end encryption, PIPEDA compliance, GDPR compliance, HIPAA compliance, and third-party tracking.
- OS platforms: web, Android, iPad, iPhone, Mac, and Windows.
Price:
- The standard plan costs $5/user/month
- Plus plan costs $8/user/month
- Advanced plan costs $15/user/month
- Livedrive
This solution is considered best for business as well as personal use. It allows the backup of unlimited files.
Features
- The briefcase feature of livedrive allows a consumer to access and modify a file from any device such as a laptop, computer, or smartphone, etc.
- It helps in transferring files to UK data centers by using powerful available encryption.
- It prevents unauthorized access to data by using a two-factor authentication format.
- It allows employees to access their data from any location
- Team folders promote collaboration among workers and ensure their efficient working.
- OS platforms: windows mobile phones, iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows.
Price
- A free trial for fourteen days
- Business express plan costs $50/month
- The business standard plan costs $160/month.
- Icedrive
It is considered best for its impressive security encryption and easy-to-use features.
Features:
- Streamlined and modern user interface
- Two fish client-side encryption
- Great iOS and android mobiles
- Responsive support
- Multiple file-sharing options
- OS platforms: android, iOS, Linux, Mac, and Windows.
Price:
- Offers free storage for up to 10GB storage
- Lite costs $1.67/month/150GB
- Pro costs $4.17/month/1TB
- Pro + costs $15/month/5TB
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