What is hybrid cloud storage?
Cloud-based storage is hardly a new technology. It’s been a common IT solution for a number of years. For the most part, cloud storage is seen as a practical, convenient, flexible solution. However, despite its advantages, not everyone is convinced.
That’s because some still have concerns about the speed of access to data hosted in the cloud, possible latency, and security and compliance challenges. To address these fears, a new solution is now available – hybrid cloud storage.
How does hybrid cloud storage work?
Hybrid cloud storage is essentially a mix of off-site (cloud) and on-site storage. You keep some data in one place and some data in the other. This blended approach makes sense for several reasons.
Flexible Options
With hybrid cloud storage, you have multiple options for data storage. Your information can reside in an on-premise server, in a public cloud server, or in a private cloud server.
On-site storage works well for quick access. Public cloud servers are convenient, as all the maintenance is taken care of on your behalf. Private cloud servers require more effort on your part but come with a higher level of control and security.
The good news is that hybrid cloud solutions give you the ability to choose the blend that’s right for your company.
Strategic Storage
How do you know what data should go where? That’s a matter of your overall IT strategy.
For example, a financial firm might decide to store critical data (such as customers’ financial details) on its own local servers, while less sensitive data might be stored in a public cloud server. Alternately, a company might use both the private and public cloud, leaning on the latter for data archiving, backup, disaster recovery, workflow sharing and distribution and the former for high-security data.
You don’t have to go all-in on a single type of storage. Rather, you can mix and match according to your needs and requirements.
Scalable Growth
Many companies use hybrid cloud storage to supplement internal storage. This makes sense, particularly as a part of your growth strategy. If your business is expanding, it can be difficult to keep up with storage needs. However, cloud servers give you an easy way to add storage space quickly.
Use your local storage for the data you access more frequently and relegate data archives to the cloud. In that way, hybrid cloud storage can really take the bite out of some normal growing pains.
Cost-effective
There’s one final benefit. For a lot of organizations, there are some real cost savings to a hybrid cloud approach.
No, that’s not a guarantee that your company will save money. However, the cost of purchasing and maintaining all your own server space can be prohibitive for small businesses. A hybrid storage strategy allows for options to lower those expenses, limiting the amount of onsite storage you need while still meeting your company’s storage needs.
The challenge of hybrid storage.
The main challenge for companies interested in a hybrid storage solution is knowing which options to choose. You can’t capitalize on the advantages of the hybrid cloud if you don’t deploy your infrastructure the right way. Luckily, CCS Technology can help.
CSS Technology has years of experience setting up hybrid cloud storage solutions. We’re here to make sure you enjoy all the benefits of the hybrid cloud without any headaches. If you’d like to learn more about how a hybrid cloud approach might work for your business, give us a call. We’ll be happy to put our expertise to work for you.
