The technology that allows for data to be stored on and transmitted through remote servers is called Cloud Storage. In most cases, it is the users who maintain, manage, and back up the cloud system over a network they are connected to, such as the Internet. The cloud has a virtual storage infrastructure that uses metered resources and near-instant scalability. Most servers are subscription-based, and users pay for monthly use based on the storage space they use.
It is the cloud storage provider that is responsible for managing and maintaining the infrastructure on the server. They are in charge of scaling the cloud’s capacity as the demand for storage increases or decreases. If an organization chooses to use cloud storage for its needs, they typically use dedicated physical facilities where the servers are maintained. One of the reasons both regular users and big enterprises choose cloud storage is due to the reduced hardware and maintenance costs the technology comes with when used right.
There are three main types of cloud storage – object storage, file storage, and block storage.
Object storage serves the needs of enterprises that require extensive storage space for unstructured data such as machine learning data, videos, photos, audio, and sensor data, as well as other types of unstructured web content.
File-based cloud storage uses hierarchical folders and file formats to store data for applications and web stores. Commonly known as a Network-attached storage (NAS) server and is used by the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol on Windows and Network File Systems (NFS) protocol on Linux.
Block storage is suitable for enterprise-level databases and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software. The block cloud storage gives each section of data (block) a unique identifier that allows its quick retrieval. Object storage, File-Based, and Block cloud storage servers all benefit from nearly infinite scalability, advanced security features as well and considerably lower costs than traditional storage servers.