Cloud computing has taken the digital world by storm. It is seen making its mark in all sorts of work ecosystems. Archiving files is also looking up to this technology for the seamless execution and maintenance. So, let’s find out what Hybrid Cloud Solutions means, what the various types are and how it is beneficial.
Understanding Cloud Archiving
Cloud archive is a storage solution that is provided as a service. It is useful for retaining the data for fairly long time. Archiving to the cloud involves a remote target storage solution which is located on a web. Thus, the possibilities of the cloud archiving are limitless. The storage space is exceptionally expandable, scalable as well as flexible. And the archive is secured in a password protected environment too. Moreover, the cloud archive can be optimized as per the compliance regulations.
The presence of cloud archive eliminated the need for buying separate hard disk or some other storage solution for retaining mammoth data which is not of any use to the current agencies at work. Thus, it adds to the cost-effectiveness of the organization and offers easy solution for maintaining archives which sometimes can be accessed directly from the cloud. One can eliminate the process of bringing back the data from cloud for access too. Thus, the time is saved and the performance level of the resources is increased too.
Considerations for choosing cloud archiving
Cloud archiving can become success when you have paid attention to some crucial requirements, such as:
- Amount of data to be migrated
When you have worked for about 3 years, it generates quantum of data almost three-fourth of which is not of any use at the present. So, to get the correct amount to be migrated, one can make use of time period for which the work is going on. This, though, cannot be the sole criteria on the basis of which amount of data can be decided.
Because the amount of work done may vary from project to project or department to department, thus, the quantum should be decided on the basis of bytes generated. Since the data is to be migrated via an internet connection, one must understand that file size is calculated in MB (megabytes), while the internet speed is measured in Megabits (Mbs). Thus, to arrive upon the correct figure supported by your internet connection, you can convert Mbs into MBs by dividing the former by 8. This helps in deciding the amount of data that can be sent to the remote storage.
- Internet line speed
Archiving files means moving obsolete data to a safe, remote location. When the cloud is the remote connection, then the line speed does matter. You cannot wait for whole of one or batch of multiple work days to devote to archiving job.
So, cloud archiving becomes successful only over a fast speed network like broadband strengthened Wi-Fi and similar others. Since the data sent to cloud archive may be required to be called back too when needed, the to and fro movement can be given seamlessness only with the help of high speed of the line.
- Size of the largest file to be migrated
Setting limits on the size of the file to be migrated can speed up the process and thus, save lot of time and power. Sometimes, most of the files are of smaller size and very few cross monumental size. Thus, choosing files in a batch on the basis of the size brings uniformity to the transfer and the process is completed without many questions asked by the server.
The second situation which is defined by abundance of huge sized files may not be easy to handle if the internet speed is slow. For such cases, instead of choosing cloud or internet as a medium, the onsite NAS device is recommended.
How cloud services make use of VPN for archiving
Archiving over VPN requires setting both inbound and outbound connections in advance. The cloud VM is the archive where files will be migrated to and stored and the source will be the on-site resources. The archiving software will serve as middle man in this arrangement and its server will require access to both the entities. A few steps involved are explained here:
- The archiving solution leaves a link behind which actually works as routing passage for all the IO from the workstations to the archive or second line of storage. This is true for outbound connections.
- For the retrieval which requires inbound movement of archived files, the connection is to be set between the cloud archive and one of the domain controllers. For this, the cloud archive is also recognized by the domain as one of its own member. This is required for safer movement of data and helps avoid any unwanted leakage.
- Once these connections are established, a test share is created on the archive server. The archiving software server and the users of VPN network should be able to send data across this test data.
- After the completion of testing, it is time to set-up and installs the archiving software so that the manual work of archiving is actually handed over to an automatic solution.
Types of cloud archives
The makers of cloud archiving solution are many and varied are their offerings. Some are offering pure cloud-based archiving tools, while others are experts in hybrid cloud archives. The later make use of both the second tier storage and cloud to get the files archived.
One more specialized archiving solution is available that can work with NAS, SAN, CIFS as well as clouds. Click here to read more about their product.
Advantages of cloud archiving
Look at this to find what you are bargaining for when you are buying a cloud archiving arrangement for your work ecosystem. In a nut shell, the cloud archiving will offer:
- Affordable alternative to private archiving storage system
- It takes away cost, effort as well as maintenance hassles
- The transfer of access rights is easier
- Retrieval and access to cloud archived files is seamless
So, do consider cloud archiving as a solution for managing large amount of data generated by work over the period of time. It can make life easier as compliance issues are tackled head on and work references are also readily available.
