Article

How Does Cloud Storage Work?

Companies have many different options when it comes to storing data. Many still rely on hard drives, while others prefer the portability of flash drives. But across almost all industries, an increasing number are unleashing new possibilities using secure cloud storage services.

In fact, according to Eurostat, almost half of European businesses purchased new cloud computing services in 2023. Of those, 70 per cent deployed new cloud storage systems. This marks a significant pivot in our approach to storing data, showing a solid transition towards flexible, cost-effective, secure cloud storage.

So, what makes cloud storage such a good choice for modern businesses? In this blog, we’ll explore cloud storage, its inner workings, advantages, and use cases, helping keep your enterprise data reliable, accessible, and protected.

What is cloud storage?

At its core, cloud storage offers a secure and convenient service for saving and accessing data. It eliminates a business’s dependence on physical storage devices, with information instead stored in an off-site data centre maintained by a cloud storage provider. These servers are accessible from anywhere in the world with an internet connection and the right security credentials.

This adaptability makes cloud storage an excellent asset for industries aiming for secure digital transformation. Cloud storage can also meet changing business needs with unmatched flexibility. To ensure utmost security and reliability, the data undergoes encryption and is distributed across multiple servers. This redundancy is critical to safeguarding against data loss and ensuring accessibility even in the event of a hardware failure.

How does cloud storage work?

Cloud providers host storage servers, making them accessible to businesses via an internet connection. There are four primary cloud data storage models available:

Public cloud storage: Open to the general public via the internet, this model offers scalability and efficient storage costs. It’s ideal for those needing wide accessibility, lots of storage space, and ease of management.

Private cloud storage: The private cloud is a storage service tailored for single organisations. It brings dedicated resources that enhance security and control, especially for businesses with sensitive data protection requirements. However, it is usually less flexible and cost-effective.

Hybrid cloud storage: With a strategic blend of public and private models, hybrid cloud provides a balanced mix of security, cost efficiency, and scalability. This model suits organisations looking for flexibility in their cloud deployment.

Multicloud storage: Using multiple cloud services, this model offers flexibility and optimisation for specific workloads. It's best when aiming to avoid vendor lock-in and maximise the benefits of cloud computing, although it can be trickier to manage.

Once you’ve identified the model that suits your workloads best, you can identify the type of cloud storage to match.

The 3 types of cloud storage

There are three primary types of cloud storage. Each offers different advantages, limitations, and use cases.

File cloud storage

File storage takes a traditional approach, organising data in a familiar system of folders and files. This method is similar to personal computing file structures, simplifying the process of locating and retrieving data items. As such, it’s a popular choice for everyday business tasks.

Block cloud storage

For companies needing more control, block storage offers a more granular level of data management. By storing data in unique individual blocks, it ensures quick storage and retrieval. This technique is particularly suited for handling large datasets where low latency is crucial to business operations.

Object cloud storage

Sometimes, businesses don’t require highly structured storage. In this case, object storage offers a solution for managing vast, unstructured data. It stores data in buckets without a directory structure. This flexibility, combined with customisable metadata, makes object storage ideal for cloud-native applications needing scalability and adaptability. It can be cost-effective and easy to manage — but it can also make retrieval less efficient.

Digital Realty offers all three types of cloud storage, ensuring a versatile and comprehensive storage solution for any kind of business needs.

What are the advantages of cloud storage?

There are many benefits of cloud storage, offering solutions that match modern business requirements. The advantages include:

Data accessibility: Users can retrieve and manage their data from any location with internet connectivity, unlike most on-premises solutions.
Scalability: Companies can adjust their data storage capacity to match their needs. This avoids costly over-deployment, while simply rolling out more storage if it’s needed.
Cost-effectiveness: Cloud storage typically involves a pay-as-you-go pricing model, ensuring cost savings for businesses versus upfront equipment expenditure.
Secure storage: Cloud security measures are robust, with encryption, authentication, access controls, and regular backups.
Business continuity: Cloud storage systems are built with redundancy and disaster recovery in mind, protecting data availability no matter what happens.
Environmentally friendly: Cloud storage reduces the reliance on physical hardware and servers, reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions.

Faced with the choice between on-premises and cloud storage, Hybrid IT can offer an optimal strategy for many organisations. It blends flexibility and cost-effectiveness with structured architecture and security, bringing the best of both worlds. Digital Realty offers on-demand data centre services that support the seamless transition to hybrid cloud storage.

How to use cloud storage?

Cloud storage is a versatile option designed to bolster business operations and data management. However, there are specific use cases where cloud storage truly shines.

Data backup and disaster recovery

Firstly, data backup and disaster recovery are pivotal functions of cloud storage. It empowers businesses to recover from data loss or failures swiftly, restoring critical systems and ensuring continuity when it’s most needed.

Data archiving

Equally vital is data archiving. Some cloud storage solutions provide a scalable and cost-efficient method for storing substantial volumes of infrequently accessed data. For many companies, this is crucial for meeting compliance demands or preserving historical records. Such efficiency not only optimises storage management but also supports strategic data retention strategies.

Content distribution

Likewise, content distribution benefits significantly from cloud storage. By spreading files across various cloud locations, businesses achieve rapid and reliable content delivery to a global audience. This strategy, similar to the efficiencies of a Content Delivery Network (CDN), enhances user experience by ensuring swift access to content. For companies, it means efficient data transfers, reliable performance, and cost savings.

Analysis and data processing

Cloud storage also provides a robust platform for analysis and data processing. The capacity to manage and analyse large datasets helps businesses extract valuable insights, driving informed decision-making and strategic planning.

Meet your storage needs with cloud computing

Cloud storage offers a flexible, scalable, and cost-effective way to store and access data over the internet. It improves data security through encryption and access controls, provides easy accessibility from any device, and reduces the environmental impact by minimising physical hardware. Its range of models caters to various business needs — from simple file storage to multi-cloud.

Digital Realty offers a range of cloud storage solutions, ensuring you have swift and secure access to top cloud providers like Google Cloud. By addressing Data Gravity challenges and leveraging the ServiceFabric™ Connect solution, businesses can work with Digital Realty to make the most informed cloud strategies.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is an example of cloud storage?

Google Drive is an example of cloud storage for individual users and small businesses. Public and private cloud providers can also be used to build more secure enterprise solutions. Cloud storage allows users to store, share, and access files from anywhere with an internet connection, enhancing redundancy, cost-effectiveness and security.

Which cloud storage is best?

Deciding on the best cloud storage depends on your specific needs. Individual users might use a solution like Dropbox. Businesses may use public cloud or private solutions. Likewise, companies in highly regulated industries might combine these solutions into a bespoke hybrid cloud environment.

What is the mechanism of cloud storage?

Cloud storage involves uploading data to remote servers operated by a cloud service provider. Depending on the storage type, these servers encrypt and distribute the data across multiple locations for security and redundancy. They then allow secured access from any internet-connected node.

Is it a good Idea to have cloud storage?

Cloud storage can be an excellent business strategy due to its scalability, accessibility and data protection advantages, which create a secure backup solution that mitigates the risk of data loss. It is also often more cost-effective than an on-premises solution.

Why is cloud storage better than local storage?

Cloud storage can be beneficial compared to local storage because it offers high levels of accessibility to users. It also provides enhanced security features, scalable storage options without physical hardware limits, and cost savings on infrastructure and maintenance.