CLOUD BACKUP

CLOUD BACKUP SUMMARY Cloud backup, also known as online backup or remote backup, is a strategy for sending a copy of a physical or virtual file or database to a secondary, off-site location for preservation in case of equipment failure or catastrophe. The secondary server and data storage systems are usually hosted by a third-party service provider, who charges the backup customer a fee based on storage space or capacity used, data transmission bandwidth, number of users, number of servers or number of times data is accessed. Implementing cloud data backup can help bolster an organization's data protection strategy without increasing the workload of information technology (IT) staff. The labor-saving benefit may be significant and enough of a consideration to offset some of the additional costs associated with cloud backup, such as data transmission charges. Most cloud subscriptions run on a monthly or yearly basis. While initially used mainly by consumers and home offices, online backup services are now commonly used by small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) as well as larger enterprises to back up some forms of data. For larger companies, cloud data backup may serve as a supplementary form of backup. What is the cloud? Cloud computing is a general term that refers to hosted services that are delivered over the internet. Different from traditional web hosting, the services on the cloud are sold on demand, are offered in an elastic manner -- meaning the customer can use as much or as little of the service as needed -- and are managed completely by the service provider. Additionally, a cloud can be private or public. A public cloud sells services to anyone on the internet, such as how Amazon Web Services (AWS) operates, while a private cloud supplies hosted services to a limited number of users. How cloud backup works In an organization's data center, a backup application copies data and stores it on different media or another storage system for easy access in the event of a recovery situation. While there are multiple options and approaches to off-site backup, cloud backup serves as the off-site facility for many organizations. In an enterprise, the company might own the off-site server if it hosts its own cloud service, but the chargeback method would be similar if the company uses a service provider to manage the cloud backup environment. Types of backup In addition to the various approaches to cloud backup, there are also multiple backup methods to consider. While cloud backup providers give customers the option to choose the backup method that best fits their needs and applications, it is important to understand the differences among the three main types. Full backups-copy the entire data set every time a backup is initiated. As a result, they provide the highest level of protection. However, most organizations cannot perform full backups frequently because they can be time-consuming and take up too much data storage capacity. Incremental backup- only back up the data that has been changed or updated since the last backup. This method saves time and storage space, but can make it more difficult to perform a complete restore. Incremental is a common form of cloud backup because it tends to use fewer resources. Differential backup-are similar to incremental backups because they only contain data that has been altered. However, differential backups back up data that has changed since the last full backup, rather than the last backup in general. This method solves the problem of difficult restores that can arise with incremental backups. Pros and cons Before choosing cloud backup as a backup strategy, it is important to weigh the potential pros and cons that are associated with using a third-party to store data. The advantages of cloud backup include: • Generally, it is cheaper to back up data using a cloud backup service compared to building and maintaining an in-house backup operation. The associated cloud backup costs will rise as the volume of backup data rises, but the economies are likely to continue to make cloud backup an attractive choice. Some providers may offer free cloud backup, but the amount of backup capacity typically has a storage limit, which makes free backup appropriate for some home users and only the smallest of companies. • The cloud is scalable, so even as a company's data grows, it can still be easily backed up to a cloud backup service. But organizations need to be wary of escalating costs as data volume grows. By weeding out dormant data and sending it to an archive, a company can better manage the amount of data it backs up to the cloud. • Managing cloud backups is simpler because service providers take care of many of the management tasks that are required with other forms of backup. Disadvantages • The backup speed depends on bandwidth and latency. For example, when many organizations are using the internet connection, the backup could be slower. This could be bothersome when backing data up, but could be an even greater issue when it is necessary to recover data from the service. • Costs can escalate when backing up large amounts of data to the cloud. • As with any use of cloud storage, data is moved outside of an organization's buildings and equipment and into the control of an outside provider. Therefore, it is incumbent to learn as much as possible about the cloud backup provider's equipment, physical security procedures, data protection process and fiscal viability. Conclusion Cloud storage is an emerging technology and has a great changing impact on the way businesses and organizations manage their information and data. Cloud storage provides massive scalability, high performance, data resiliency, and 99.999% readability.