The Increasing Demands of Cloud Storage
With cloud storage quickly becoming the norm in the digital world, for both personal and business users alike, it stands to reason that demands on the systems are increasing. More resources than ever before are required to accommodate not only countless terabytes of data, but also the bandwidth needed to access that data, whether it is to upload to the cloud or retrieve when needed. As the cloud grows to epidemic proportions, the demands are increasing all the way around. The resources spent on the side of the cloud storage services are only half of the cost. There is also time, planning and money spent on the consumer side, especially if it is for a company.
Along with the increase of storage and bandwidth needs, there are also demands on the storage server’s database. As the amount of data stored in the cloud grows, the numbers of entries into the database grows along with it. Every time a file is uploaded to the cloud, an entry into a database is created, including several types of user and file data. That database contains operators that tell the system how and where to access your files, as well as who can access them. As you can imagine, those entries in the database can take up a lot of space in a short amount of time if an entry is created for each file and each user. When you combine that with the processing resources needed to query that database each time someone attempts to access a file, it can put a lot of strain on a system.
When you multiply those things by the amount of users actually working with files each day, this becomes a mind blowing concept, as there are billions and trillions of processes being carried out each day, under the hood, in order to provide a convenient and easy platform people use to store and back their files up. In fact, one of the most brilliant accomplishments of cloud storage, especially when it comes to file security, is how much of a beast is under the hood of a product that appears, on the surface, to be a simple extension of your own device, a simple app that facilitates connection to a remote file server. Most people, especially those who are non technical, could never imagine how complicated and detailed the process really is.
On the consumer side, there are also increasing demands. More data to store in the cloud means more IT planning and management. Since it takes time to upload data due to inevitable bandwidth bottlenecks (a data migration doesn’t occur instantly), there needs to be a plan in place to cycle that data into the cloud in a way that keeps it available to people when needed. Otherwise, an operation comes to a screeching halt and people are sitting around twiddling their thumbs while the migration is being executed. This process requires careful management and coordination by a skilled and experienced IT manager.
Finally, there is cost. With increased storage and bandwidth needs, you will be required to pay more for your cloud storage solution. Need multiple users? This will cost you as well. Although some providers are a lot more reasonably priced than others, there is still increased cost with increased usage and there is no way around that, unless you have purchased an unlimited enterprise plan, which can be costly right out of the gate.
The cloud is a fascinating place and this is a fascinating time. As you can see, there is a lot that goes into making your cloud data so easily and conveniently available across all of your devices, in a way that reduces most processes to a simple click of the mouse or tap of the screen. Once you know all that goes into that process and that product, we are sure you will learn to appreciate it as much as we do.
