Data storage is the collection and retention of digital information—the 1’s and 0’s that make up bits and bytes behind applications, network protocols, emails, documents, media, address books, user preferences, and more….
Storage of data and how it is accessed is now a vital part of everyday life as we have come to rely on it to preserve information ranging from our personal photos to business-critical and sensitive information. The accessibility of your data depends very much on the quality of the storage media and the availability of the relevant data-reading equipment and there are 6 core storage types available.
Software-defined storage
Software-defined storage (SDS) uses abstraction management software to decouple data from hardware before reformating and organising it for network use. SDS works particularly well with container and microservice workloads that use unstructured data, since it can scale in ways hardwired storage solutions simply can’t.
Cloud storage
Cloud storage is the organisation of data kept somewhere that can be accessed through the internet by anyone given the right permissions. You don’t need to be connected to an internal network (that’s known as NAS) and aren’t accessing the data from hardware directly attached to your computer. Popular cloud storage providers include Microsoft, Google, and IBM.
Network-attached storage
Network-attached storage (NAS) makes data more accessible to internal networks by installing a lightweight operating system onto a server that turns it into something called a NAS box, unit, or head. The NAS box becomes an important part of intranets because it processes every single storage request.
Object storage
Object storage breaks data into discrete units and pairs them with metadata to provide context about what’s contained within it. The data stored in these objects are uncompressed and unencrypted, making them accessible at massive scale to quickly moving workloads – like containers.
File storage
File storage arranges data as hierarchical files that users can open and navigate from top to bottom. Since files are stored on back ends and front ends the same way, users can requests files by unique identifiers such as names, locations, or URLs. This is the predominant human-readable storage format.
Block storage
Block storage splits storage volumes into individual instances known as blocks. Each block exists independently, which gives users complete configuration autonomy. Because blocks aren’t burdened with the same unique identifier requirements as files, blocks are a faster storage system – making them ideal formats for rich media databases.
At 101 Solutions we understand that aligning correct technologies is crucial to your success, but that choosing the right solution can be difficult. At 101 Data Solutions we specialise in helping you understand your data: what it is, where it resides, how to protect and store it.
Our friendly team will work closely with you, and strive to really understand your business.
