How to Choose the Right Cloud Storage Provider

Cloud, Cloud Backup, Data Volume, Security, Speed, Uptime, , , , ,
19
Jun 2018

Storing files in the cloud is becoming increasingly popular for businesses, but how do you choose the right cloud storage provider when there are so many?

There are a wide range of factors to consider when choosing a cloud storage provider, so it’s no surprise that settling on one is difficult. All providers will offer different options and plans, but the good news is that there are set basics which will apply to your business. The first step is making sure you can find a provider who can satisfy your basic needs..

To help you get started, we’re going to look at what these foundations of cloud storage are and how they apply to your organization.

Data Volume

The amount of data that your organization processes is important when it comes to choosing a cloud storage provider. After all, different providers are going to have different capabilities when it comes to storing data. The basic plan available through Dropbox, for example, is 2GB and while that may be fine for an individual running their own business, an organization with 250 employees is going to need a little more. Obviously, numerous pricing plans are available for different providers depending on your storage needs, so it makes sense to calculate your storage needs (and future needs) and compare prices.

Uptime

Cloud servers are not infallible and they can fail just as easily as your own servers can. However, certain service providers’ networks fail more than others. And this can present a serious problem for your operations if your data is unavailable when you need it most. Therefore, you should always ask cloud storage providers to demonstrate their contingency plans in the case of server failure and, more importantly, statistics which show the reliability of their servers in terms of uptime.

Speed

Download speeds are one of the most essential elements of cloud storage for you to consider. The speed at which you can download your data can have a significant impact on your ability to do business. Say, for example, you’ve suffered a data disaster and need your data restored as soon as possible, if your cloud storage provider has a cap on their download speed then it’s going to take longer to get back up and running. That’s why you need to make sure you understand the download speeds that are available from your cloud storage provider.

Security

If your data becomes compromised then cloud storage provides a useful backup. However, there’s no guarantee that your cloud storage provider is safe from security breaches. And, if they are compromised, then the safety net of their backup is suddenly removed. This leaves you in a precarious situation whereby the safety of your data is significantly reduced. Therefore, understanding your cloud storage provider’s security measures are paramount. The main factors to consider are the provider’s physical security of their servers and the level of encryption they apply to stored data.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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How to Enhance Your Backup Process

Backup, Cloud, Cloud Backup, Data Backup, ,
29
May 2018

Backing up data is crucial for any organization, but it’s even more important that a good backup is performed or it may not be worth backing up at all.

Wasting time and resources on the wrong type of data or failing to backup data effectively can spell disaster for your restore options, so it’s essential you maximize the efficiency of your backup process. Understanding how you can improve and enhance your backup process, though, is a major struggle that many organizations face.

Therefore, we’ve put together a few pointers on how you can begin to reorganize your backup process and ensure that the data you need is available when you need it.

Keep Three Copies of Your Backup

The more sure-fire way to protect the availability of your data is by making multiple copies. The minimum you need is three, but what’s most important are the locations these backups are stored in. Naturally, you will want one copy based on site, but to minimize a loss of data you will also want two copies that are based off site. By storing these in, for example, a cloud based server or a remote data center, your organization can rest assured that a successful restore is almost guaranteed in almost all data loss scenarios.

Monitor Your Backups

As data gets bigger and bigger, the complexities behind backups increase accordingly. And this is why monitoring and analyzing your backups is more important than ever. To better understand how your system is coping then you will need to implement systems which can automatically survey servers and monitor how effective your backup process is and list any failures. Performing this kind of analysis manually is incredibly labor intensive and involves a lot of spreadsheets, so investing in specialized, automated software is vital to safeguard future backups.

Cloud Backup is Crucial

Cloud servers provide a highly elastic option for all your backup and restore needs, so there’s no excuse for not integrating them into your backup process. Not only can cloud servers help to counter the rapid increase in data size, but, as a remote system, they deliver fantastic protection from ransomware and other data disasters. Data can be transferred/accessed from cloud servers exceptionally quickly compared to traditional wide-area networks, so a cloud server can get your organization back on track quicker than ever before.

Protect Everything

While Windows is the primary target of most data attacks, it’s impossible to say that other services – such as the virtual application host Citrix – will not become the focus of attacks in the near future. Protecting all your servers and applications, therefore, allows you to keep your defenses fully manned and minimizes the amount of data loss that could occur. It’s important, however, that you don’t complicate your backup process with numerous pieces of software to help backup individual components. Instead, look for an all-in-one solution that can automate all the various backups and keep all your data safe.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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