Cloud Source

Why Enterprises Embrace the Cloud for Data

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For more than a decade, enterprises have been grappling with both the benefits and challenges of Big Data. While data provides meaningful insights into business processes and customer behavior, there’s just so much of it. Enterprises are turning to the cloud to achieve a scalable, manageable data solution.

As machine learning and artificial intelligence spur the increase of data both in terms of volume and variety, enterprises struggle to innovate their infrastructure and data storage and analysis solutions fast enough or with enough capacity. Even as they recognize the value that can be pulled from structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data, most of the data gathered by the typical enterprise goes unused.

Enterprises are interested in capitalizing on the investment they’ve made in data collection through the development of new revenue streams, and many are finding that the solution to Big Data is the cloud.

The cloud presents a way to process workloads in a scalable model that accommodates rapidly changing compute and storage needs. Flexible cloud data solutions allow for this kind of elasticity, which guarantees that the levels of computing and data storage necessary under different types of scenarios are available.

Scalability for Varying Data Access Requirements: For instance, some types of businesses require data workflows to process high levels of volume at certain times, such as a social media site during evening hours. These businesses need a scalable environment that allows flexibility in usage but doesn’t require them to pay for the servers and compute when they are not at these peak usage times.

E-commerce retailers are also accessing high-volume data processing and analytics in order to present customers with targeted shopping experiences that occur in real-time with personalized recommendations. A spike in website traffic always occurs on Cyber Monday, and rather than deploying a host of physical servers to support this activity on a single day, cloud data solutions allow for the necessary elasticity to accommodate the demand. After Cyber Monday, the retailer goes back to its normal usage and only pays for what it uses.

For enterprises that work in a highly regulated industry or that have a core value that celebrates consumer privacy, embracing a hybrid cloud model may be ideal. Rather than worry about data protection in the cloud, these enterprises move some workloads to the cloud while retaining sensitive workloads on-premises for heightened protection. In some cases, enterprises initially plan a full shift to the cloud but eventually recognize that a hybrid solution is the right mix of security, innovation, and cost savings.

For more information about the benefits of shifting your data storage, processing, and analysis to the cloud, contact us at Cloud Source. We can help you leverage the best solution to meet your specific business goals.

Enterprise Storage Trends for 2016

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shutterstock_174578783Enterprise IT today is changing dramatically. Shifts in device management, networking, and storage are just a few areas of transformation, with many others in the infancy of their evolution. A few trends have begun to rise to the top and are predicted to be significant movers in the field of enterprise storage in 2016.

IoT Stands up to Be Counted

Big data has been a common topic over the past year, and will continue making headlines. The next trend will be the inclusion of analytics from Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Considering the variety of “things” that now produce data, this presents interesting new knowledge of user routines and patterns.

Since so much data will be coming from so many sources, data management will quickly experience elevated importance. Storage of these huge data sets must be highly accurate and speedily accessible. Data may also need to be retained nearly indefinitely. Storage methods that can manage such a complex network of data collection and analytics will be in high demand.

Greater Flash Potential

Flash memory has been around for a while, but costs to allow an enterprise to use it for everything have historically been prohibitive. The next year will bring about a variety of technologies that can use flash more effectively through use of intelligent compression, virtualization, and hybrid caching techniques. In addition, flash prices should see a steady decline. The result will be increased use of flash across the enterprise.

Cloud Optimization

Data is everywhere now, coming from both traditional and unexpected sources. Enterprises are struggling to manage such massive data sets using on-premise hardware. This strategy is being largely abandoned in favor of cloud storage and processing, with this trend growing even stronger in 2016.

Public, private, and hybrid cloud arrangements will allow enterprises to store, move, and analyze data efficiently, whether active or cold. Security is imperative in all cloud, on-premise, and hybrid models. It’s expected that data management will be a key topic over the coming year, with more data centers beginning to specialize in enterprise-grade storage and cloud solutions.

Software Defined Networking

Software-defined networking (SDN) has made controlling multiple devices a much more manageable process than it was in the past. Considering how rapidly device count expands as each minute passes, it would be nearly impossible to reroute traffic, add capacity on the fly, or optimize software delivery without SDN.

In 2016, data centers will need to be almost completely virtualized and managed via centralized SDN. Every step from provisioning to management will need to be governed via software. Eventually, everything from applications to network and data retention will be provided using as-a-service models that can be implemented nearly instantly.

Expansion of DevOps

DevOps has experienced a major shift in the past few years to become a service and strategy entity rather than simply delivering chunks of code. This will continue to be the case in 2016, allowing enterprises to rapidly deploy new technologies and see a prompt reward in doing so. Innovation efficiency will be the name of the game, and DevOps will play a key role.

If there’s one fact that can be stated of the IT industry, it’s that it changes daily. This time, increased data storage and processing needs have begun to highlight old weaknesses and demand their mitigation. Technology professionals are responding loudly with innovative solutions and tools. The coming year will show major advances in storage methods, helping to finally address the data boom in effective ways.

Data Centers and Optical Network Interconnection

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shutterstock_175933586The upsurge of data in recent years has sparked a need for and rise in the number of data centers and data interconnected projects around the world. Service providers and enterprises have new obstacles when providing large bandwidth to virtually everybody, compared to a select few clients or individuals in the past.

Companies have been able to utilize more data storage to accommodate this change due to a decrease in the cost of storing data, an increase in available cloud storage, and the ease of transferring data across networks today.

With data centers at the epicenter of technology and the connectivity between data centers being a vital part of a businesses agility, it is important to consider the the following factors when looking at data center connectivity.

Key Factors Affecting Data Center Interconnection

Businesses should seek an effective solution that will match data demand and adapt as the system grows.

1.) Space, Power, and the Data Center Environment

When choosing a data center, a space that can handle a large amount of power along with appropriate cooling is vital. The environment needs to have sufficient power and be able to handle the transfer speeds and amount of data required. The ability to maintain interconnection between data centers with maximum efficiency should be analyzed.

2.) Achieving a Low Latency

Most data center interconnections that are connected with fiber optics are attempting to achieve the lowest latency possible. The speed of a fiber optic network is quite fast, but the distance between data centers is something that must be considered.

Using optical amplifiers and dispersion adds latency to a fiber even if the distance is short or direct. This must be considered in order to achieve the lowest latency possible and ensure that delaying the transfer of data will be at a minimum. The shortest routes between data centers must be evaluated in order to keep latency low.

3.) Managing the Future with a Network

Scalability of a network is vitally important because of the constant growth of technology, traffic, speed, and other factors. Data centers today handle a wide variety of technologies and protocols, including Ethernet and Fiber Channels along with application–specific protocols.

The interconnection of some data center networks can be uncomplicated, while others can be more complex and difficult to interpret. There is a large amount of variance between how one data center operates compared to another depending on data volumes along with a variety of other factors. Networks have differing costs, geographic areas, and maintenance requirements, making each data center interconnect project unique.

9 Benefits of the Cloud for Data and Infrastructure

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shutterstock_137418530Cloud computing has been around for a while, and in use by a variety of businesses. Why? There are many reasons to consider the cloud or hybrid cloud approach. Here are the top nine benefits to cloud computing, no matter what your business.

Collaboration

With technology making the world smaller in terms of communication, many businesses – and their employees – are becoming more geographically diverse. With the use of cloud computing, all levels of the business can access important files or communicate with each other no matter their physical location.

Competition

Competition makes for a healthier enterprise market, and cloud computing helps to provide that competition. Size of a business no longer matters as much, with smaller businesses able to compete with the larger companies due to the reduced costs of cloud computing as compared to more traditional – and expensive – on-premises solutions.

Environmental Benefits

Cloud computing allows businesses to use only the server space they require, instead of being forced to use a large server on-premise. This results in not only increased efficiency, but also lower carbon emissions.

Flexibility

On-premise solutions can be costly to upgrade or overhaul if a business needs changes. With cloud computing, a business has the tools and software they need to react quickly to these changes. Whether it’s increased storage space or more bandwidth to serve customers, cloud providers can give the business an immediate solution.

Mobility

Mobility is one of the biggest benefits of cloud computing, especially for today’s businesses, employees, and customers, who are no longer restricted to one single device. With cloud computing, data and applications can be accessed across multiple devices in real-time, allowing users to seamlessly move from PC to mobile to tablet.

Reduced Costs

Smaller businesses especially may be interested in cloud computing because of its cost benefits. The majority of cloud services are based on an OpEX model, meaning that businesses can pay as they go or pay only based on their operational expenses. With this model, businesses don’t have to pay large upfront costs, or make a lengthy financial commitment.

Scalability

There’s a fine balance between needed business growth and the disruption that it can cause. With cloud computing, businesses can reduce this disruption due to ‘economies of scale’: third-party suppliers offer better rates compared to on-premise solutions, allowing businesses to grow in their own time.

Security

Providers are actively working to reduce the security risks that can come with cloud computing. One major way they’re doing this is by offering, free of charge, encryption that masks the data the business is uploading. Cloud computing is also a good way to backup files and software in case local devices are damaged or lost.

Stability

With on-premise IT, businesses often wait until something breaks before they move to fix it, but this can cause revenue to be lost during the downtime. Cloud computing relies on real-time, meaning that it updates software and can offer crisis management immediately. The provider also keeps stability high, by maintaining the server and software themselves.

Cloud computing is an established technology that businesses increasingly rely on. The reason? The benefits of the cloud satisfy the heart of business needs.

Reasons Why the Cloud Still Provides Secure Storage

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Data securityMany businesses have cloud security concerns because of past hacking incidents. However, many of these events could have been prevented with proper cloud data backup.

Cloud technology is still a secure storage solution for a number of other reasons as well. Companies should look at the security options that providers offer to avoid compromising sensitive data.

There are several reasons to choose cloud services:

Enjoy More Protection

Data kept in data centers is often vulnerable to a number of risks, such as natural disasters and system failures, leaving businesses vulnerable to additional downtime or loss of data. The benefit of cloud technology is that data is stored on multiple data center locations, meaning that if one fails, backup still remains on other servers to avoid disaster.

Retain Full Control Over Storage Locations

Localized data centers can present a few issues for businesses. One would be the concern over unintentionally breaking local compliance laws, and another would be the hassle of purchasing new equipment to relocate a data center when a company moves. With cloud storage, companies can select data centers in several different locations, avoiding the restrictions of local data residency laws. Cloud providers can allow businesses to store data and access it from these various locations when needed.

Get Total Security Coverage

Not only does using a cloud provider strengthen security at data center housing locations, but it also helps ensure that secure network connections are properly established and maintained. Data is also heavily encrypted by using admin credentials on service providers’ encryption keys. There is no event that will allow outsiders access to data because of this encryption.

Cloud Service Providers are Regularly Assessed

To maintain maximum data security, many cloud service providers undergo audits. Every aspect of the infrastructure is examined to prevent compromises, including physical security measures, network setup, storage, and accounts. Customers can see these reports and determine if the vendor is right for them based on the results.

Look for the Right Cloud Vendor

Different cloud service providers work in different ways. Security measures might differ and could conflict with a company’s particular cloud storage requirements. Businesses should have a comprehensive discussion with a cloud service provider before utilizing their services. A good vendor will clearly communicate security measures as well as specific storage locations.

If a company wants to keep data secure at all times on the cloud, it should scrutinize every aspect of the cloud provider’s security measures and storage capabilities. Businesses need to know about controls, storage locations, and encryption steps in order to avoid threats to security. Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are vital for companies to help compare data storage and uptime, with detailed steps about adding and removing data from the cloud.

With the right cloud service provider, there should be no exploitable weak points in data storage. Intrusions should be blocked, and any server failures should be inconsequential with data redundancy in multiple data center locations. Proper cloud security measures ensure that businesses avoid catastrophe.

Contact

328 S. Jefferson St. Suite 603
Chicago, IL 60661
Ph: 312.753.7880
E: info@CloudSourceServices.com

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