One of the definitions of the word “hybrid” is a thing made from two different elements. Hybrid cloud storage is a thing made from two different types of cloud storage...local or private cloud storage and remote or public cloud storage. So, just how do you combine the two to get this thing called hybrid cloud storage?
Well, first you need a local or private storage cloud that has the ability to tier data to a remote or public storage cloud based on rules or policies. Second, the data that is tiered to a remote or public storage cloud should be retrieved automatically when it needs to be accessed. Third, the operation of the hybrid storage cloud should be transparent to users, and easily managed.
OK, why would you want you own hybrid storage cloud? Well, you may be under legal requirements to keep some of your data directly under your control within certain geographic boundaries. Your internal data governance policy may include mitigating the risk of keeping all your data in a public storage cloud. You may not have the budget or Internet bandwidth to keep pace with the growth and expense of storing your data in a public storage cloud.
So, how does having your own hybrid storage cloud address these issues? If your data must be stored within certain geographic boundaries, then having your own hybrid storage cloud allows you to keep your “restricted” data local, and directly under your control. That said, your “unrestricted” data can either be kept local or tiered to a remote or public storage cloud, which could be appropriate for storing your “colder” or archive data.
If you need to avoid the risk of keeping all your data in a public storage cloud, then having your own hybrid storage cloud allows you to keep “warmer” or more frequently accessed data local, and tier it to a remote or public storage cloud as it becomes “colder” or is no longer being accessed. Data tiered to a public storage cloud can also be compressed, which will lower the cost of keeping it there for the long term.
Aside from the risk of keeping all of your unstructured data in a public storage cloud, there is also the expense of keeping it there, and the associated cost of the bandwidth you need to access it. Data tends to be “sticky” and “fork-lifting” it from one place to another usually isn’t done. While the cost of public cloud storage is very low, “touching” your data does increase the cost of keeping it there.
Vendors of private storage clouds typically charge license fees based on how much data you are storing and annual maintenance and/or support fees, but you are not charged for touching your data. This gives you the choice to keep your more important data local, and tier data that is not being used to public cloud storage. Doing this saves you the capital cost and operational expense of “infinitely” expanding the size of your local or private storage cloud, and leaves you in control of where you want to store your data.
Hybrid cloud storage has capabilities you don’t get when using only private cloud storage or public cloud storage. Having the ability to tier data to a remote or a public cloud storage service, like AWS S3 or Glacier, gives you flexibility in determining where your data is stored, and more granular control over the cost of storing your data.
So who can do hybrid cloud storage at scale? The answer is Cloudian, which understands that hybrid cloud storage is essential for anyone building a private storage cloud. MonadCloud is a Cloudian Preferred Partner and ready to work with you on designing and building you own hybrid storage cloud.