Professionals in the tech sector also refer to public cloud storage as storage-as-a-service. It is a subscription-based online mode of storage. Public cloud storage provides user data storage on a pay-per-use basis as a service model. It is similar to how public utilities such as gas and electric providers offer their services.
According to techopedia, public cloud storage enables companies and individuals to store data in the cloud. It also allows for the management and editing of this data. Public cloud storage exists on a remote server on the cloud. You can access it over the internet.
Storage service providers offer this type of storage. These providers host, manage and source the infrastructure to various users publicly.
Depending on demand, users can source massive storage space over the internet using virtualisation technology. This logically disseminates large storage clusters into multi-tenant cloud architecture. Many users and applications can share this architecture at a go.
Web-based service APIs and thin client applications make the capacity of public cloud storage possible.
- Web-based APIs - utilised by web-based applications requiring scalable storage at run time
- Thin Client Applications allow remote storage of locally stored data backup by users
Examples of thin client applications include:
- Amazon
- Google Cloud
- Oracle Cloud
- Windows Azure
- S3, and
- Mazeo
Benefits of Public Cloud Storage
According to Net App, by using public cloud storage, you can take advantage of various benefits:
- Using a web portal controlled by a cloud service provider, you can easily set up public cloud storage. The public cloud provider manages and maintains the environment. As such, you do not need extensive technical knowledge to use a storage container.
- You can access cloud storage from any location through a web server that allows you to access the cloud storage environment via the internet. Cloud computing providers offer cloud storage services in many different geographic areas worldwide.
The possibility enables users to choose the most convenient region for their company or organisation. It also allows them to meet any geographic or compliance obligations.
Furthermore, most cloud service providers offer a variety of storage options. These options include file services, and object and block storage, to meet most application needs.
- Cloud services offer agility – an ability for users to deploy the service quickly.
- Cloud storage provides this, especially for applications. Storage is another benefit. In an hour, it is possible to do licensing and deploy. This is much faster than hardware acquisition and other processes that use local storage.
- Performance levels for most cloud providers are flexible. The feature ensures that for every application, end-users deploy adequate storage. Cloud storage also allows selection and payment of required performance through selection tiers.
Users can also change these tiers. The change accommodates temporary variations in performance needs.
- Additionally, businesses might need to use more cloud storage services. Having their data close to the compute services provides improved performance. On-premises data storage is costly compared to the price of using cloud storage. This is true for bursty workloads, cyclical and seasonal projects, archiving, and backup.
Best Practices to Implement Public Cloud Storage
When you invest in cloud storage, you need to maximise your investment through a well-planned public cloud strategy.
To achieve this, keep in mind the following best practices:
- Invest in a reliable security system. Security is a big concern in public cloud storage. The risk stems from shared resources that come with various risks from other users hosted on the same platform.
Repeated configuration changes and misconfigurations are also a source of insecurity. A security solution following protocols mimicking on-premise storage secures your data and applications.
- Make use of cloud use data management tools. Overruns in cloud costs and ineffective use of resources are common with public cloud storage. Overruns result from incorrect provisioning of public cloud resources to sync with your business requirements.
Inaccurate prediction of capacities results in poor resource utilisation. Good cloud use management tools allow you to monitor all processes active on the cloud.
These include the consumption of resources in real-time and billing. Examples of these tools include:
- CloudHealth,
- Densify,
- CloudCheckr,
- Microsoft Systems Center when using Azure or
- Amazon CloudWatch if you’re using AWS
- When building out the public cloud storage landscape, working with a systems integrator is essential. Public cloud storage systems require little technical knowledge to set up. However, complexities might arise over time.
These results from;
- Adding more resources
- Deploying more applications, or
- Even the need for more cloud services
- These complexities might cause fragmentation and sprawl during implementation. A system integrator averts these risks.
The integrator designs the end-to-end cloud-based IT system, which determines:
- The storage point of all workloads
- Retrofitting of new and old components
- Identifying potential security threats and vulnerabilities
- Establish a Cloud Center of Excellence (CoE) that combines SaaS and cloud computing. A cloud Center of Excellence combines all tools, procedures, and stakeholders responsible for your public cloud management.
A Center of Excellence eradicates fragmentation of the cloud strategy. It also reduces service utilisation duplication. SaaS is the fastest-growing public cloud component. Ensure that the cloud CoE's blueprint includes software as a service (SaaS) applications.
- Partner with managed service providers to address skill gaps within your organisation to improve the optimisation of the resource in the organisation. MSPs help businesses in value addition.
They bring in enhanced skill sets that may be lacking in-house. This is mostly in non-digital-native companies. MSPs also simplify repetitive management. They do this through remote configuration optimisation, cloud processes monitoring, and troubleshooting errors.
Public clouds provide significant value to small and medium businesses across different industries. The public cloud is mainly responsible for the unprecedented increase in the use of SaaS-based solutions.
Understanding Public Cloud Storage & Its Importance in the Age of Modern Technology
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