Cloud storage: What is it and how does it work

By Special Guest
Albert Tuman
  |  August 21, 2019



Are you using Dropbox or Google (News - Alert) Drive? If you’re, congratulations, you’re cloud user.

However, "cloud storage" doesn’t just help you store personal data and files. Most organizations use it to store critical information. The term ‘cloud’ itself denotes something wider. A lot of applications are tested over the cloud. Most games that you play online, including the best nj online casinos happen over the cloud too.

More enterprises are looking for better storage solutions, and have turned to the cloud. It is providing better storage options for individuals and businesses. If you are still in the dark about the cloud storage phenomenon here is everything you need to know.

What is the cloud?

The cloud is a platform that provides users with storage resources via the internet. Unlike traditional storage devices, cloud storage does not require physical memory devices. Instead, they are located on external servers from particular providers which you can control online. Some of the features of the  cloud include;

  1. Virtualization
  2. Multi-tenancy
  3. Scalability
  4. Elasticity.

Cloud computing is not only limited to big tech giants such as Google and Amazon. Every individual who has used the internet has interacted with the cloud. For instance, every time that you use platforms such as Facebook (News - Alert), Gmail, and Twitter, you interact with it.

How does the cloud work?

There are different types of cloud storage systems which works separately. For example, there are some which are used to store specific digital information while others store general digital data. However, each cloud storage is connected to a data center. A user will need a reliable internet connection to communicate to at least one data server.  If you want to send files to the cloud storage, you will send them manually over the internet to the server which will then forward the data to multiple servers.

When a client wants to access the data, they can use a web-interface.

The best thing about cloud storage is reliability. This is because it uses multiple servers; thus, when one data server is down the data is replicated to another data server. Therefore a user is assured that all the digital information is safe. Also, cloud storage is using a form of creating backup data.  For instance, in the event, your computer or gadget fails the data is not lost, but it will be available offside.

If you are looking for cloud storage, there are a lot of providers on the internet. Some, like the Microsoft (News - Alert) OneDrive, even offer as much as 1 TB in storage, for as many as six people, in less than $100 a year!

Are you choosing the right one for your needs?


 
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