As your business expands, one of the problems you will likely face is the issue of data storage. In today’s world, data is an essential part of every business. It is more than just information, but also what influences certain business decisions.
At some point in your business, you will have to decide on the method of data storage that suits your business the most.
In this article, you will learn the basics of data storage, popular data storage options, their features, and the best way to store your data.
What Is Data Storage?
This is a medium in which data is stored in a secured and accessible manner. The concept of data storage also refers to the act of using physical recording media to keep information obtained from the computer system so that it can be recovered when needed. The means of storing data has changed significantly over the years, from magnetic drums of mainframe computers and to more recent inventions which are solid-state drives (SSDs).
Why Is It Important To Store Data?
Today, data plays a huge role in the growth of businesses and organizations. It is used to make serious business decisions, create better customer experiences, develop new and better products, and many more. Since data is so important, a good data storage medium will prevent data loss, data damage, inaccessibility of the data and also protect it from cyber-attacks.
What Is The Best Way To Store Data?
There are different data storage mediums today with each offering certain features. As an organization, the data storage solution you opt for should align with your needs and capabilities of your computing network. Below are some of the popular data storage media today.
On-Premises
This is considered as the original method for storing company data. Here, data is stored in servers that are owned, maintained, and managed by the company. For larger organizations, these servers are kept in private data center facilities but in most cases, an office in the organization is secluded for keeping servers and other hardware. This is called the data room. The major attribute of an on-premises data storage solution is that the owner takes full responsibility for the management and security. This form of data storage provides organizations with absolute control over their data and network. However, it can be expensive to manage and the organization also has to bear the burden of updating software, providing security, and regulating access to the data. For this reason, many companies do not favor this medium of storing data.
Colocation
This medium of storing data is best for companies that like the idea of exerting total control over their data and equipment but are not prepared to go through the stress of managing the equipment. Cooling and power are essential for storing data and this can be difficult for companies to access on a daily basis. However, a colocation facility provides the organization with the right amount of space and resources to store data while still giving them total control over their data. One of the reasons many organizations prefer colocation to on-premises data storage is because of the top-notch physical security provided by colocation facilities.
Cloud Storage
While a colocation facility may seem like an amazing method of storing data, it makes no sense for small and medium-sized organizations to invest in expensive data storage hardware. In this situation, cloud storage from providers like ServerMania is a more convenient option for these companies. As their data gets bigger, they only need to migrate their operations to a public cloud provider. Cloud storages are known for their scalability and the ease at which data storage space and resources are gotten. The public cloud also allows the organization to gain access and utilize their stored data from anywhere via the internet. Although public clouds offer a great amount of security, the nature of this cloud environment exposes sensitive data to unauthorized access.
If your company works with really sensitive data, a private cloud is a better option. This other cloud environment offers a higher level of security through virtualization and strict encryption protocols. Private clouds have many similarities with a colocation however, it requires no hardware. Here, virtualized servers are offered to the company and these servers offer the same benefits as physical equipment. Other forms of cloud storage used today are hybrid cloud and multi-cloud.
Finally, you should know that the best data storage medium is one that has features that align with your company’s needs.
