By Matt Pahnke, Senior Marketing Manager of Storage Products, NETGEAR
Storage and backup solutions are just as vital for SMBs as they are for larger organizations, but because of finite IT resources the acquisition and ongoing management of cutting-edge solutions can be difficult. To address the issue, an entire industry has emerged wholly focused on helping SMBs outsource their storage and backup needs so they can concentrate on the business of doing business – not the IT that supports it.
Cloud computing is the enabler of this outsourcing and has seen huge growth in recent years. But like many new trends in the IT space, “the cloud” comes with a healthy dose of hype and misinformation. I’d like to cut through some of that clutter and provide a simple guide to not only the most common types of cloud, but also to the factors that should be part of the decision-making process.
Like any strategic decision, outsourcing back-up and storage to the cloud carries its fair share of risks. It seems not a week goes by without news reports of high-profile outages and data thefts that could cripple an SMB; only serving to reinforce the importance of not cutting corners when deploying the technology.
Having helped numerous customers down this path, these are a few of the questions every SMB should answer before committing to a cloud-based storage or backup solution:
- Linux, Windows or Apple OS: Does your environment require a unified storage solution that supports multiple sources of data?
- Expandability: Does your business expect to grow over time and need a storage solution that can scale as your needs expand as well?
- Performance vs. Price: What features are absolutely mission-critical and do the latest features on the most expensive solution have a practical application for your business?
- Automation: As automated solutions can drastically impact the amount of time needed for management, how much manpower can you devote to a storage solution?
- Redundancy: With the whole point of storage and backup being the need to restore data in case of failure, what levels of redundancy and security are necessary?
If you answered yes to any of the above--or believe you have a need to automate, and to ensure redundancy and security--then a cloud-based solution could fit the bill. If so, the next major decision is whether to establish a private cloud, invest in the public cloud or cobble together a hybrid of the two.
When choosing which cloud option to pursue, think about, workload usage patterns, required service levels, relevant regulatory concerns and which mission-critical applications are being deployed. Private and public clouds each have a unique set of benefits and drawbacks:
- Private cloud: In the private cloud model, companies typically own and manage their own server and storage hardware, which provides increased flexibility when needing to shift workloads to respond to usage spikes. While this option provides a high level of security, it also carries a high upfront investment and ongoing management needs. Private clouds are typically used by entities with highly critical applications or those in heavily regulated compliance environments such as healthcare or finance.
- Public cloud: Amazon Web Services and Mozy are two examples of pure public clouds. These offers can be appealing to companies seeking immediate access to storage and other services via an online portal. Companies like these have relatively few regulatory limitations, a goal of getting to market quickly and data that requires tight integration with other aspects of the business. For example, franchisees, without dedicated IT resources often explore public cloud solutions as it reduces the need for on-site resources and IT staffing. However, public clouds work on a subscription model as the more data being stored, the higher the cost. And without direct access to the storage hardware, security concerns could mount.
- Hybrid Cloud: In the hybrid cloud model companies can designate certain types of data to be housed onsite and other types relegated to the cloud. This helps provide the ability to enjoy heightened security for mission-critical applications, while also exploiting the cost advantage that can be extracted from public cloud services. Many companies eventually decide to employ this model because it provides the best of both private and public clouds.
Just as each company is unique, so too are their various storage requirements. By asking the right questions, SMB IT managers can customize an ideal blend of private and public cloud resources when mapping out the plan to meet their storage needs.
