Data Storage. What type do I need?

Data Storage. What type do I need?

data storage what type

I’ll start with a fact – Backing up files and software to a storage device or to the cloud will not automatically preserve and protect them or your business. Nearly everyone who has experienced serious data loss did not think it would happen to them – but it does happen periodically. This means that choosing the right way to store your data is vital for any organisation.

But……before you decide where or how you will store your data, companies first need to understand the amount and type of data they have along with the reason behind storing the information. It is tempting to keep everything, just in case you need it in the future, but keeping all your files for the foreseeable future costs money, and makes it more difficult to find the truly important things.

So, before you put a plan to your data storage conundrums, ask yourself the following questions:
• How soon do I need the data back if lost?
• How fast do I need to access the data?
• How long do I need to retain data?
• How secure does it need to be?
• Are there any regulatory requirements need to be adhered to?

The most prevalent forms of data storage are file storage, block storage and object storage, with each being ideal for different purposes. For example, File storage organises and represents data as a hierarchy of files in folders; block storage chunks data into arbitrarily organised, evenly sized volumes; and object storage manages data and links it to associated metadata.

The 3 core types defined –
1. File storage: Economical and easily structured, data are saved in files and folders. They are usually found on hard a drive, which means that they appear exactly the same for the user and on the hard drive.
2. Block storage: Data are stored in blocks of uniform size. Although more expensive, complex, and less scalable, block storage is ideal for data that needs to be accessed and modified frequently.
3. Object storage: Data is stored as objects with unique metadata and identifiers. Although, in general, this type of storage is less expensive, objects’ storage is only ideal for data that does not require modification.

Our advice is to look for a solution that provides the flexibility to choose where data is stored. Don’t be tempted to buy storage (systems or services) because of large initial discounts. And if you have a mobile workforce, the data management and storage solution you choose should be optimised for mobile and virtual platforms in addition to desktops and laptops. It must provide a consistent experience across any platform and the team of experts at 101 Data Solutions can help and support you.

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