Cloud Storage Works and Types of Cloud Storage Database SQL

Cloud storage is a service model in which data is maintained, managed, backed up remotely and made available to users over a network (typically the Internet). Users generally pay for their cloud data storage on a per-consumption, monthly rate. Although the per-gigabyte cost has been radically driven down, cloud storage providers have added operating expenses that can make the technology more expensive than users bargained for. Cloud security continues to be a concern among users. Providers have tried to deal with those fears by building security capabilities, such as encryption and authentication, into their services.

Cloud storage is defined as "the storage of data online in the cloud," wherein a company's data is stored in and accessible from multiple distributed and connected resources that comprise a cloud.

Cloud storage can provide the benefits of greater accessibility and reliability; rapid deployment; strong protection for data backup, archival and disaster recovery purposes; and lower overall storage costs as a result of not having to purchase, manage and maintain expensive hardware. There are many benefits to using cloud storage, however, cloud storage does have the potential for security and compliance concerns that are not associated with traditional storage systems.

Types of Cloud Storage
There are four main types of cloud storage — personal, public, private and hybrid;

1. Personal Cloud Storage
Also known as mobile cloud storage, personal cloud storage is a subset of public cloud storage that applies to storing an individual's data in the cloud and providing the individual with access to the data from anywhere. It also provides data syncing and sharing capabilities across multiple devices. Apple's iCloud is an example of personal cloud storage.

2. Public Cloud Storage
Public cloud storage is where the enterprise and storage service provider are separate and there aren't any cloud resources stored in the enterprise's data center. The cloud storage provider fully manages the enterprise's public cloud storage.

3. Private Cloud Storage
A form of cloud storage where the enterprise and cloud storage provider are integrated in the enterprise's data center. In private cloud storage, the storage provider has infrastructure in the enterprise's data center that is typically managed by the storage provider. Private cloud storage helps resolve the potential for security and performance concerns while still offering the advantages of cloud storage.

4. Hybrid Cloud Storage
Hybrid cloud storage is a combination of public and private cloud storage where some critical data resides in the enterprise's private cloud while other data is stored and accessible from a public cloud storage provider.

Benefits and Disadvantages of Cloud Storage
There are many benefits to using cloud storage, most notable is file accessibility. Files stored in the cloud can be accessed at any time from any place so long as you have Internet access. Another benefit is that cloud storage provides organizations with off-site (remote) backups of data which reduces costs associated with disaster recovery .

Unfortunately, the biggest disadvantage to cloud storage is that users are limited by bandwidth. If your Internet connection is slow or unstable, you might have problems accessing or sharing your files. Organizations that require a large amount of storage may also find costs increase significantly after the first few gigabytes of data stored.

Common cloud storage use cases
The most common use cases are cloud backup, disaster recovery and archiving infrequently accessed data. A greater number of customers also use cloud storage services for DevOps as a capital cost-cutting measure. They can just spin up the compute and storage resources for the duration of the project and then spin them down when it ends.

Market leaders
The cloud-based storage market is dominated by Amazon Web Services, Google and Microsoft Azure, but traditional storage vendors like EMC, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Hitachi Data Systems, IBM and NetApp also operate in the space with products for both enterprise and small business owners that include self-service portals to provision and monitor use.

Continue Reading About cloud storage
Learn about the latest cloud data storage technologies in this free guide from SearchCloudStorage.com.
Watch a video on key cloud storage concepts
Cloud storage options: Public vs. private vs. hybrid cloud storage
Why the cloud is becoming the place to park data, applications
Understanding cloud storage services: A guide for beginners

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