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Although cloud storage has matured, enterprise IT departments still need to weigh the risks and benefits of local storage and cloud storage, especially when it comes to the organization's most critical data. In the view of many enterprises, cloud storage has both advantages and disadvantages.

However, the explosive growth of data often requires enterprises to use cloud storage solutions. Moreover, the increasing use of cloud-based software applications means that cloud solutions are replacing traditional storage solutions over time.

Before choosing a storage method, enterprises should understand the key differences between local storage and cloud storage.

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Local storage vs cloud storage

Local storage and cloud storage are located in two different locations. Local storage uses local hardware and software, that is, the hardware is owned and managed by the enterprise, not the cloud service provider.

Cloud storage resides on remote servers, either across cities or across the country. It is usually provided by large cloud computing companies.

Key differences between local storage and cloud storage

A key difference between local storage and cloud storage is financial. Cloud-based software and cloud resources are often classified as operating expenses (OpEx), which are part of operating expenses because they are leased on a monthly basis.

In contrast, local software and hardware are seen as capital expenditures (CapEx), which are usually purchased once as capital expenditure.

One of the benefits of private cloud storage is that it combines local control of infrastructure, security, and data with the flexibility of cloud technology. Like public cloud storage, private cloud storage provides the ability to dynamically scale resources as needed.

Unlike public cloud storage, customers do not need to worry about the possible performance degradation caused by the use of remote data centers, because private cloud storage is placed in the enterprise's data center.

Source: EBC Group

The details are as follows:

Local Stora

Storage resources are purchased, owned and managed by enterprises.

The enterprise is responsible for protecting storage resources and data.

Storage resources are still owned by the company.

The investment type is classified as CapEx, which is a typical high-cost project.

Cloud Stora

Storage resources are owned and managed by a third party.

Storage resources can be purchased on a prepaid or on-demand basis.

Storage resources can be shared in a multi-tenant environment.

As part of the subscription, the software is kept up to date.

There is no need to install software updates and patches.

The type of investment is classified as OpEx and the monthly cost is low.

Cost comparison between cloud storage and local storage

Comparing the cost of cloud storage with that of local storage can be misleading, mainly because of false assumptions. For example, it is widely believed that public clouds are cheaper than local storage. However, many enterprises will face some unpredictable situations. First of all, you shouldn't assume the pricing of cloud storage yourself-- you should study it very carefully.

"cost" can also have different meanings. For example, there is a difference between buying local resources and using cloud resources. For local storage, it is wise to identify underutilized storage resources before determining how much capacity is required, because underpurchase or overpurchase of assets is a common problem.

Pay-on-demand may seem attractive to the public cloud in terms of cost, but it is clearly not appropriate for unused resources, such as virtual machines, to run unmonitored for hours, days, weeks, or even months. Similarly, prepaid public cloud capacity looks attractive because it is often cheaper than pay-on-demand. However, the prepayment of unused resources often leads to unnecessary costs.

In addition, cost comparisons between local and cloud storage are not always one-to-one. If it is necessary to make such a comparison, it can be done from the following aspects:

Number of virtual machines

Number of CPU

RAM for each virtual machine

Storage capacity of each virtual machine

In addition, public cloud storage also has a cost advantage in terms of available life. If a VM, server, or data center is down or destroyed, it does not affect the cost of the end user. However, when local equipment fails, the enterprise needs to replace it.

The required human resources should also be taken into account. Managing local storage requires more IT personnel than managing public cloud storage. Although there are similarities between local storage management software and cloud storage management software, in addition to software, there are many physical devices for local storage to manage.

Use cases are also important. Highly regulated companies tend to divide storage space into local storage and cloud storage. Sensitive data, such as patient health records, is stored locally, rather than in the public cloud.

When considering what to store locally or in the cloud, you should also consider storage-independent costs. For example, if the public cloud goes down, and if the data is not available, what is the cost downstream? If a natural disaster destroys a company's data center, can the company do business as usual?

At a lower data level, cloud storage is much cheaper than local storage. But with the increase of the total amount of storage, the total cost is also increasing.

Hybrid cloud storage strategy is popular

Most enterprises have some type of hybrid storage strategy, including some combination of local storage and cloud storage. It does not seem feasible or cost-effective to store all data locally, given the amount of data that enterprises must manage.

Conversely, if there are privacy and security issues, it is best to store the data locally, and it may not make sense to store all the data in the cloud.

Most organizations use a hot-warm-cold hierarchical method to store data and store it accordingly. This ensures that data that needs to be accessed immediately is available and that data that needs to be retained for legal reasons but not otherwise used can be stored in a cheaper way.

Original author: Lisa Morgan Source: Enterprise Storage

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