What Is Cloud Storage | Features of Cloud Storage Services

1. What is cloud storage?

Cloud storage is a new concept extended and developed on the concept of cloud computing. Cloud computing is the development of distributed processing, parallel processing and grid computing. It automatically splits a huge computing processing program into countless smaller subroutines through a network, and then sends it to a huge system composed of multiple servers for processing. After the calculation and analysis, the processing results are sent back to the user. Through cloud computing technology, network service providers can process tens of millions or even billions of information within seconds to achieve the same powerful network services as "supercomputers".
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The concept of cloud storage is similar to cloud computing. It refers to the collection of a large number of different types of storage devices in the network through application software through cluster applications, grid technology or distributed file systems and other functions to work together to provide data to the outside world. A system of storage and business access functions.
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Cloud storage is not storage, but a service.

Just like the cloud-like WAN and the Internet, cloud storage does not refer to a specific device for users, but to a collection of many storage devices and servers. When users use cloud storage, they do not use a certain storage device, but a data access service brought by the entire cloud storage system. So strictly speaking, cloud storage is not storage, but a service. The core of cloud storage is the combination of application software and storage devices, and the transformation from storage devices to storage services is realized through application software.

2. How does cloud storage work?

Data can be manipulated like short-term memory or archived like long-term memory. Short-term memory is handled by random access memory (RAM), which is responsible for processing and remembering all the requests and operations that occur while the computer is processing a particular computation (ie, task). After all computations are complete, the relevant data can be stored in long-term memory on different storage volumes, some of which may exist in the cloud. However, all cloud storage volumes are storage resources abstracted from physical hardware. Virtualization technology is an abstraction that abstracts the required storage space from more than a dozen different servers (commercial or proprietary). Such virtual storage spaces can all be pooled together into so-called data lakes. Users can then access the data lake as a single repository. If these data lakes are connected to the internet, cloud storage is formed.

3. Features of cloud storage services

(1) cost saving
Cloud data storage is affordable and also helps to back up data without resorting to additional data centers, and data can be automatically replicated from public to private clouds. Costs associated with its hardware and maintenance, disaster recovery, etc. have also been reduced.

(2) Data security
With cloud computing, the business of confidential and sensitive information is more secure. The data is protected during transmission and the transmission is stable. Cloud data is backed up to multiple servers, and if any one server crashes, the data is safe on the other servers.

(3) Scalability
In online cloud storage services, there is no need to predict how much storage space will be required, the available resources can be adjusted, and cloud storage service providers and businesses only need to pay for their current needs. Cloud storage also has the ability to add more capacity, improve performance, and new nodes to be added to the cloud and achieve goals.

(4) Accessibility
With more and more devices in use today, cloud storage services can be accessed through tablets, smartphones, netbooks, and desktops. Users can access accounts from any Internet connection, such as a mobile browser, or a desktop system in the workplace.

(5) Synchronization
This ensures that saved data and files are automatically updated on all devices. Therefore, the latest version of the file saved on the desktop can be used on the smartphone.

(6) Disaster recovery
Cloud storage is also good for disaster recovery. Cloud storage always has a business-ready contingency backup plan as it provides a second copy of important files. These files are saved and stored in remote locations and are accessible from anywhere and anytime via an internet connection.