Cloud Storage: What it is, and Isn't

Clod storage is many things, but it isn't a disk array that you own, lease, or manage. This CIO Today report takes an in-depth look at cloud storage and discusses what services are offered by different vendors and pricing considerations for using a cloud storage model.

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"In cloud storage the data is accessed over the Internet, thereby it will not offer the same performance characteristics of local storage. Therefore cloud storage would not be appropriate for large data sets that are constantly sent to and read from storage, such as databases. As a result cloud storage is appropriate for backups and persistent data . Backup systems are well known to everyone; and, persistent data is that data that you have to keep around (often for legal reasons) but would not actively manage.

"When it comes to backup, SMBs are the first to benefit from cloud storage, as they do not create the amount of backups that enterprises create, so there are few bandwidth concerns for backups or restores.

"In case of enterprises, cloud storage is perhaps not the best place to store backups for very large data centers. However, small remote sites of enterprises can use cloud storage for backup."

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