Long before the cloud came around, individuals and companies alike were turning to Web based storage and data recovery. With a mix of software and Web based management controls, off-site data backup and recovery was finicky, non-mobile and not too much more cost effective than the on-site tradition.
Now that the cloud is above, the nomenclature of the past no longer applies – cloud storage and cloud data recovery solutions are growing in maturity, offering capabilities in integration, management and control that the old Web based data storage providers just couldn’t offer.
Regardless of the sky-high appeal of cloud storage benefits, it is not wise to turn to cloud driven business continuity haphazardly. While the perceived ease and cost performance of cloud storage and recovery is tempting, cloud storage and backup present considerable challenges.
Transfer of Control
In summing up the main concern with cloud storage – this transfer of control and responsibility – one of the forefathers of modern computer history has this to say:
“I really worry about everything going to the cloud. I think it’s going to be horrendous. I think there are going to be a lot of horrible problems in the next five years,” said Steve ‘Woz’ Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, “The more we transfer everything onto the web, onto the cloud, the less we’re going to have control over it.”
On a business level, the cloud opens up a whole new can of worms for IT and data administrators. Most of these challenges relate to the transfer of control along with the actual physical storage of your data. Once you float your data to the cloud, you are trading the full control of in house management for a vendor relationship. For IT, this means less management of disaster recovery, hardware and physical data itself, and more time spent managing these partnerships.
6 Cloud Backup Concerns
- Is your data secure?
- How is user access managed?
- What security policies are in place, and how do they hold up?
- Is performance guaranteed?
- How complicated is a disaster recovery cycle?
- How does the vendor remain compliant?
Winding it down, the conclusion here is clear – the transfer of physical control that comes along with cloud based DR and data storage is not something to take lightly. The first step is to make a clear assessment of your cloud data recovery and business continuity needs, and contrast them with the benefits and drawbacks of reputable cloud storage providers.