Earlier this month, I posted an article about data loss due to natural disasters. With the impending Hurricane Earl paying New England a visit this evening, I figured now would be a great time to reiterate the importance of having a backup disaster recovery system in place.
Although the major cause of data loss is due to human error combined with the fact that naturally occurring disasters only account for roughly 3% of all data loss; it is important to note this form of data loss is the most severe.
Lightening Doesn’t Strike Twice
Park Oskar, a freelance writer for StellarInfo.com, posted an online article in September of 2006 profiling the different types of non-human data loss. He recommends keeping data in an offsite backup as it is “statistically unlikely for natural disasters to occur in two locations simultaneously.
Utilizing the Cloud (No Pun Intended)
Oskar’s article was published four years ago. Since then, the Cloud has become a viable option for seamless offsite data backup. As part of your organization’s Backup Disaster Recovery (BDR) program, you can set up a Cloud to send data offsite continuously.
One of the major benefits of utilizing the Cloud is that it can be accessed anywhere via an internet connection.
Always Be Prepared
So say for instance (Worst Case Scenario here) Earl’s winds damages your office. Some of your equipment is ruined and you can’t work in the office until repairs are made. Luckily because your data is backed-up in the Cloud, you can access the Cloud from your home computer and within minutes, it is business as usual.
Again, even though the probability of losing data due to an “Act of God” is incredibly slim, the aftermath of such an event can be detrimental to an organization. In this case, it is better to be safe than sorry.
The Benefits of Public Cloud Computing
Simplicity and efficiency are the overarching benefits of having a public cloud. Public clouds are offered as a service, usually over an Internet connection. An off-site third party provider hosts and manages the system. Users connect to the system via web applications or services. Public clouds usually charge a monthly usage fee per gigabyte and bandwidth transfer charges.
Cost: Having a cloud computing model in place, organizations can trim their IT budgets because they don't have to purchase physical hardware (which also saves on energy costs), as the servers are virtual - hosted at a third party. Organizations can customize their clouds with specific storage parameters, applications, and security options so that they only pay for what they need. Since the cloud is hosted by a third party, the organization doesn't need to spend money to have an employee monitor the system; it is taken care of by the host.
Time: In house servers take time to maintain. If hardware or software configurations need to be altered, or if a server crashes or needs to be restarted, the process can often take a couple of hours or a couple of days depending on the situation. With cloud computing, because everything is virtualized, reconfiguring the cloud takes minutes.[1]Also - because the servers are hosted on the cloud, if one server fails, another can instantly be activated, reducing down time.
Maintenance: Due to the fact that the public cloud system is hosted off site, internal employees are not responsible for maintaining the system. The design lets users update or introduce technologies into the system at a much faster rate as everything is managed at the host company. Having a virtualized public cloud means never having to deal with a physical server; it can be maintained from a simple configuration screen.[2]
Disadvantages of a Public Cloud
Lack of Control: Due to the fact that third party providers are in charge of storing and maintaining the data systems, many feel as if they don't have enough control over their personal data.
Speed: Public Clouds are based on internet connections, meaning the data transfer rate is limited to that of the Internet Service Provider (ISP), which is usually no more than 10mbps. If an organization is storing and transferring large amounts of data (high definition video for example), a public cloud may not be the best bet.
Lack of Investment: Although a great cost saving method by reducing the need to invest upfront, renting the service from an outside provider also means that there is little capital gained. Having items such as servers and network equipment can pay off in the long run as assets and tax advantages.
The Benefits of Private Cloud Computing
Private clouds are built from software that runs on a piece of hardware at the organization. The difference between a public cloud and a private cloud is that a private cloud is controlled by the organization. The benefits of this system are that although an investment due to the fact hardware is required, it costs considerably less than traditional data management systems. The cost savings is due to virtualization in which one physical server acts as host to several virtual servers, each of which runs on a layer of software.[3]
Control: Due to the fact that the hardware is on-site, organizations have more control over their data. The organization is in charge of monitoring and maintaining the data giving them complete oversight of their data.
Performance: The private cloud is deployed inside the firewall on an organization's intranet, meaning that transfer rates are dramatically increased. Read access off of private clouds can be as fast as 100mbps, or even more if the organization has a gigabit Ethernet connection. Storage capacity is also higher with a private cloud. Private clouds usually start with a few terabytes and can be increased by adding additional disks.[4]
Disadvantages of a Private Cloud
Cost: Private clouds are more expensive than public because they require both hardware and maintenance personnel. To build a private cloud, an organization needs to invest in hardware or use already existing systems whereas a public cloud is all handled off site. Private clouds also require system administrators. However, one system administrator could easily manage a 100-node cloud with a part-time effort. [5]
Maintenance: Since the private cloud is hosted on sight, the organization needs to provide adequate power, cooling, and general maintenance. The host organization also runs the risk of data loss due to physical damage of the unit (i.e. fire, power surge, water damage).
[1] "Seeding the Clouds: Key Infrastructure Elements for Cloud Computing." IBM. Feb.2009. IBM Corporation. 26 Feb. 2010. <http://www-935.ibm.com/services/in/cio/pdf/oiw03022usen.pdf>.
[2] Fogarty, Kevin. "Cloud Computing Definitions and Solutions." CIO 10 Sep. 2009.Wed. 27 Feb 2010. <http://www.cio.com/article/501814/Cloud_Computing_Definitions_and_Solutions>.
[3] Ibid
[4] "Cloud Computing Public or Private? How to Choose Cloud Storage." Sys-Con Media. Sys-Con Media, 2008. Web. 26 Feb 2010. <http://www.sys-con.com/node/707840>.
[5] Ibid
The Hype of the Cloud
2009 could be called "The Year of the Cloud." The information technology sector has been buzzing with terminology such as "cloud computing" and "virtualization". So what is all the hype about? In order to see why cloud computing has taken the technology world by storm (pun intended); we need to know what it is, how it works, and why it can be beneficial.
What is Cloud Computing?
"Cloud Computing" isn't a technology, but rather a model of computing.[1]A cloud consists of servers, networks, and applications that are available to end users via a network (usually the Internet). So anytime "cloud" is mentioned, it is referring to hardware, software, or services that are accessible from virtually anywhere, with a simple network connection.
"Virtualization" is usually in reference to server virtualization where one physical server actually hosts several virtual servers. In cloud computing, one stand alone server can make an entire data-center complete with servers, networking devices, systems management, storage, and security, look like a single computer. This lets companies buy exactly the amount of storage and security they need.[2]
Public Cloud
Public clouds are offered as a service, usually over an Internet connection. An off-site third party provider hosts and manages the system. Users connect to the system via web applications or services. Public clouds usually charge a monthly usage fee per gigabyte and bandwidth transfer charges.[3] The service is on-demand and users can add or subtract the amount of storage in their cloud simply by contacting the host provider.
Private Cloud
Private clouds are built from software that runs on a piece of hardware at the organization. The difference from a public cloud is that this system is controlled by the organization. The benefits of this system are that a private cloud, although an investment due to the fact hardware is required, costs considerably less than traditional data management systems. Deployments of a private cloud are easier as they are software based, and the system is more secure as the system is within the organization's firewall and managed locally.
Why Go Virtual
There are a multitude of factors as to why a company would want to become virtualized. The most common reason why businesses adapt the cloud model is efficiency. Cloud computing drastically reduces the amount of time, money, and maintenance needed to operate a traditional data management system. With traditional systems; a company has to buy equipment; dedicate space within the office, while providing specific power and cooling needs to house the hardware; and hire administrators to install, secure, and maintain the data system. [4]
The cloud computing model helps to maximize efficiency and minimize cost.
[1] Fogarty, Kevin. "Cloud Computing Definitions and Solutions." CIO 10 Sep. 2009:Web. 27 Feb 2010. <http://www.cio.com/article/501814/Cloud_Computing_Definitions_and_Solutions>.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Maxey, Mike. "Cloud Computing Public or Private? How to Choose Cloud Storage."Cloud Computing Journal (2009): Web. 2 Mar 2010. <http://cloudcomputing.sys-con.com/node/707840>.
[4] "Seeding the Clouds: Key Infrastructure Elements for Cloud Computing." IBM. Feb.2009. IBM Corporation. 26 Feb. 2010. <http://www-935.ibm.com/services/in/cio/pdf/oiw03022usen.pdf>.