Types of storage in the cloud
1. Types of storage in the cloud
Deciding where to store something has everything to do with what's being stored. Here’s an example. Let’s say you just made some iced tea. You’d most likely put it inside a liquid container with a tight-fitting lid, not a flimsy paper take-out box. Or let’s say you went to the store and bought a twelve-pack of paper towels. You wouldn’t keep them all on your kitchen counter. You’d probably put one roll in a dispenser, then store the rest in your pantry until you need them. Right? There are lots of different ways to store and use data in the cloud. And just like the liquid iced tea and the bulky paper towels, there are many storage options available in the cloud. Let’s cover the different types of data being stored. This is important to understand because each storage type contains a specific data type. First up is structured data, which is data organized in a certain format, like rows and columns. It’s taken from its native form and transformed into a predefined format. A predefined format means that all submitted data are categorized into specific fields. The data is then stored in a database meant for storing structured data. This makes structured data easy to search. Examples of structured data include names, addresses, credit card numbers, and dates. Next, unstructured data is data that is not organized in any easily identifiable way. It’s stored in its native form and appears in a variety of formats, including images, videos, and documents. These formats aren’t structured at all. For example, think of a doc file. It can contain text, images, or even embedded photos and videos. These data types are unstructured because they can’t fit in the tables and rows of a database, like with structured data. Luckily, there are specific types of storage to accommodate all types of data! Let’s take a rundown of the three main storage types: file, object, and block. To start, let’s examine file storage. File storage uses a hierarchy of files in folders. It keeps data in one place and organizes it in a simple, easy-to-understand way. File storage is ideal for smaller volumes of data that a few people might need access to, like files on a family computer. Each file starts at the home directory, then users can navigate to what they need by following a logical path. File storage is the oldest and most widely used data storage system, but it has some limitations and can only handle so much. File storage is also commonly used in data repositories. Developers rely on repositories as a centralized place to store, download, and share data. All right, let’s move on to object storage. Object storage holds unstructured data in something called a bucket. A bucket is a virtual container that holds objects. Each bucket is assigned a unique name. These buckets can be public, meaning that anyone can access the objects inside, or private, so only certain people have access. Using buckets is a great way to organize large amounts of unstructured data. When storing data in block storage format on the cloud, data is split into smaller blocks, each stored in different locations to maximize efficiency. Each block is given a unique ID, and when users ask to retrieve their data, the smaller blocks are connected together again based on these IDs. Block storage is flexible and efficient, as it can be accessed by any operating system and any virtual machine system. Great work learning all about data types and storage options. With this information, you now know how to use the cloud to properly store data. This brings you one step closer to protecting information in the cloud. Bye for now!2. Let's practice!
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