Cloud Computing Storage

Cloud Storage is a service that permits to store data on the offsite storage system, and it is managed by third-party and is made accessible by a web service API.

Storage Devices

Storage devices are of two types:

  1. Block storage device
  2. File storage device

Block storage device: - The block storage devices permit raw storage to the clients. These raw storages are divided to create volumes.

  • File storage device: - The file storage devices provide storage to the clients in the form of files, maintaining its file system. This is achieved as a network attached storage (NAS).

Cloud Storage Classes

Cloud storage can be classified into two categories

  • Managed cloud storage
  • Unmanaged cloud storage

Managed cloud storage: - Managedcloud storage provides online-space-storage. The cloud-managed storage system tends to be a blank disk for the user to be able to partition and format.

 Unmanaged cloud storage: - Unmanaged cloud storage ensures that the customer's data is preconfigured. The consumer cannot format, install their own file system, or alter the properties of the ride.

Creating cloud storage system: - The cloud storage system holds various copies of data on multiple servers at multiple locations. If one system fails, then it is necessary only to change the pointer to the location, where the object is stored.

The cloud providers can use data virtualization software such as Storage-GRID to integrate storage resources into cloud storage systems. It designs a virtualization layer that fetches storage from various storage devices into a single management system. It can also handle information over the network from CIFS and NFS file systems. The following figure shows the storage-GRID virtualizing the storage into the storage cloud.

Virtual Storage Containers

The virtual storage container provides high-performance cloud storage systems. The machine, files, and other objects ' logical unit number (LUN) are generated in virtual storage containers.

 The figure below shows a virtual storage container that defines a domain for cloud storage.

Cloud Storage

Challenges

Storing the data in the cloud is not an easy task. Apart from its flexibility and convenience, it also has various challenges faced by the customers. The customer must be able to:

  • Provide supplementary storage on demand.
  • Know and limit the stored data's physical location.
  • Check how data erased.
  • Have access to a recorded data storage hardware disposal system.
  • Have administration access control over data.