FEATURE
Balancing cloud and
on-prem storage
the cloud effectively but others could
be racking up high costs due to size
expansion or breaking GDPR or other
compliance rules due to the sensitivity and
storage of information collected.
Rod Harrison, CTO of Nexsan, a StorCentric
Company, discusses the time and place for
cloud, and the benefits of a hybrid middle
ground of cloud and on-prem.
With the excessive amounts of data
circulating in modern organisations, the
importance of finding a perfect storage
solution that can safeguard data, is
deemed more imperative than ever.
As data generation shows no signs of
slowing down, it’s necessary to realise
and accept that neither backup nor cloud
alone will likely be a sufficient storage
and disaster recovery plan to protect all
that data. Moving forward, companies will
need to find a perfect balance between
cloud and on-premises storage to fit their
unique needs.
When disaster strikes…
Organisations are storing and retaining
more information each day than ever
before. In fact, the global datasphere is
expected to grow from 33 Zettabytes
in 2018 to 175 Zettabytes by 2025. As
the digital age continues to evolve,
companies can more easily capture
increasing amounts of data to drive
insight and business decisions. They
are taking advantage of the latest
developments to support analytics, drive
sales and identify what customers are
looking for.
MOVING
FORWARD,
COMPANIES WILL
NEED TO FIND A
PERFECT BALANCE
BETWEEN CLOUD
AND ON-PREMISES
STORAGE TO
FIT THEIR
UNIQUE NEEDS.
38
Issue 04
Rod Harrison, CTO of Nexsan, a
StorCentric Company
With this much important data
coming in, businesses need to ensure
its safety in case of a disaster that
could cause downtime and data loss.
Anything ranging from ransomware and
cybersecurity attacks, to user error to
natural disasters like hurricanes, fires,
tornadoes and floods are all potential
threats to data storage – but they’re all
threats that can be overcome with the
proper protection.
Most organisations today are utilising
cloud services in some form or another.
Cloud computing not only offers flexibility
but also elasticity with the rapid growth
of data. Although this may be suitable for
some data, highly sensitive information
needs additional layers of protection and
may not be suitable for just the cloud alone.
Organisations need to consider what data
is being stored and where – a ‘one size
fits all’ is not always the best approach.
Although it’s important to leverage the
benefits of the cloud for flexibility and
freedom, combining this with an on-
premises solution for archiving cold data
or to add extra layers of data protection
will allow businesses to create a more
fine-tuned architecture. In addition,
businesses can still enjoy the flexibility of
the cloud by utilising on-premises storage
that leaves links or stubs in the cloud for
easy access.
Despite the plethora of business
benefits the cloud provides, it’s key for
organisations to find the right ‘cloud
balance.’ Some businesses may be using
For many organisations creating a
balanced infrastructure is essential – with
a hybrid middle ground, businesses can
utilise the best of both public cloud and
on-premises solutions. Once the right
balance is found, the next step is to ensure
disaster recovery and business continuity.
After all, data can be one of the most
valuable business assets.
No need for fear…
Organisations should aim for a solution
that safeguards data, meets regulatory
demands and offers protection against
ransomware and data corruption,
whether accidental or malicious.
With these DR features running in the
background there will be no user impact
and if data is lost or corrupted it can be
reinstalled instantly.
Many organisations implement backup as a
way to recover from a breach or data loss.
Doing so remains fundamentally important.
But with comprehensive disaster recovery
and data protection capabilities in place,
organisations can go a step further and
ensure business continuity.
The future for technology is full
of incredible amounts of data and
organisations have a duty to protect
and safeguard this information. While
some data may be suited to the cloud,
other data needs to remain on-premises
whether it’s due to capacity concerns or
data sensitivity. Even archived data needs
to be offered the same level of protection
and not simply discarded.
By implementing a hybrid approach,
organisations can bring sensitive,
data-intensive or cold data on-premises
– freeing up valuable cloud storage
space. Not only will there be a cost
incentive by reducing those monthly
cloud service bills but with on-premises,
storage security can be heightened and
organisations can meet GDPR and many
other compliance regulations. ◊
www.intelligentdatacentres.com