Cloud storage is a fundamental service which is used more and more to backup data and save the extra money by purchasing an expensive physical servers. Cloud computing architectures are categorized on the basis of service it provides like Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Software as a Service(SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS).
- What Exactly The Cloud Storage Is?
The concept of online cloud storage is like a household refrigerator.Let’s say refrigerator as a cloud, the food items stored in it are the files and the family members are the users. we use to keep food items in it. The refrigerator is located at the particular corner in the house and the family members can access it whenever they want to have food item from it. Unlike the refrigerator, cloud storage act as a container of numerous files to store in it. This cloud is operated by the remote server hosted on the Internet and users can easily access the files whenever they want with the help of Internet.
The concept of cloud storage is now utilized by many organizations. It is either private or public in nature.
- Private Cloud
Depending on the category, the privilege to access files from cloud changes. For Example, if an organization called “ABC” owns a cloud storage, the control of the cloud storage is owned and managed by “ABC”. The people within an organization can only access the files from that cloud. This type of clouds are known as private clouds.
- Public Cloud:
It is generally owned and controlled by a service provider but access to the files is granted to all i.e for untrusted parties. For example, the university “XYZ” has cloud storage and has put up files like college brochures, various application forms, university map etc. And the new student visits the university campus and wants to admit in that university. By accessing the cloud service of university, the new student can easily access application forms for admission, map to navigate through the university.Though the student visits the university for the very first time, still he can access the cloud services of the university. This kind of cloud is called public clouds.
- Why Is Cloud Storage In Huge Demand?
Computers and smartphones may handle emails for the user but the centralized cloud can act as a virtual hard drive to handle the important data.
- Easy Availability Of Internet
The Internet innovation has made a big impact on today’s generation. A couple of decades ago, Internet was meant for a commercial and for few entertainment purposes. But today, the Internet is easily available to all the ordinary people. Everybody has the internet available in smartphones and laptops, also free wi-fi zones at colleges, subways, bus-stations, hospitals etc helps to access cloud storage easily as long as the internet connection is available.
It is a safe way to upload the important data on cloud storage to prevent it from corrupting at any time. Even though one has forgotten or lost an important document, still it is virtually available on cloud storage for use.
- Outcasting External Drives:
Magnetic tapes are used by many organizations to backup important data safely. As magnetic tapes have the capacity to store a large amount of data and they are cost-efficient. Though magnetic tapes have good features but it has some following disadvantages.
- Requires large space.
- Needs solid backup plan everytime.
- Can not be protected from disasters like burning.
Online file storage helps to get rid of above disadvantages of magnetic tapes and to keep revenue of the organization.
Also, many users use external hard disk drives(HDD) to store data like photos,movies,music,ebooks etc., when the system (Laptop, Computers) run out of space. Sometimes, these HDD get completely full with the data. At this point, the cloud storage help to store user’s favorite music,videos, ebooks, and other data.
- Cost Efficiency
The cost factor is a vital thing which every organization always take in a count. Every company wants to save money by adapting affordable resources to meet business requirements. Buying online data backup services rather than buying expensive data backup servers is the best way to save extra money for company’s upcoming future.
Cloud services allow a company to backup large amount of data by installing a centralized network. This centralized cloud network requires less maintenance cost than that of physical data backup servers. Normal users can also subscribe to cloud services just by paying nominal fees.
- What Are The Security Issues With Cloud Storage?
Whether it’s a physical storage or a cloud storage, one thing always pop up in mind, what about data security? Online storage provides enormous functionality, but such service always aims to provide the best security policies. The main challenge is to protect data from intruders. Understanding the difficulties and potential security cloud storage provides following important aspects.
- Confidentiality
The user information is kept safe from the service providers. Only user has permission to modify his/her information.
- Data Integrity
The user can easily detect any unauthorized modifications to his/her data. Only user have right to modify/edit his personal data. Also, user can share data with the trusted parties only.
Conclusion:
With advanced networking world and an increase in demand of computer resources, the IT industries have visualized online Document storage as a platform to fulfill their storage and computing needs. It ensures the trustworthy management of data and services of the company.
Cloud storage has envisioned promising services for the Internet by dominating the limited storage capacity for computer resources. Converting paper-based data into an electronic data can provide a reliable data backup. Easy availability, reliability, efficiency and security has driven online storage at it’s best level.
