Current Filter: Network>>>>>Opinion>

   

It is easy to get confused between virtualisation and private cloud-based storage, but actually these two storage systems are not interchangeable and the difference between them can be stark, depending on the nature of your business.

Imagine you store the same piece of data in both a private cloud system and a virtual data centre. This data is sensitive, priceless, and incredibly important for the future and integrity of your business. Storing it on a virtual data centre is essentially storing it on one single physical server which is split between a numbers of users, perhaps between those in a single department in your organisation. The data stored on the private cloud, however, is distributed across multiple physical servers, but you interact with these servers as one consolidated storage space. It is still shared across departments, but thanks to the multiple systems behind your single system, there is built-in resilience to handle hardware failure.

While the data is stored on physical devices, in both cases, another major difference is the location of the server. Files stored using a virtual data centre are hosted on a server at an offsite location, usually that of a third party web hosting provider. Despite it being a physical object there is no way you can touch it or have any control over its location. On the other hand, your data residing in the private cloud is going to be stored at your own on-site data centre, or at a location of your choosing.

You'll also find a difference in flexibility when it comes to storing your data. If your file is constantly being updated you will eventually need to expand to another database, or you might require another server altogether. With your own hardware, you just bring another server online. Expanding your hosted private cloud will require very little effort and will most likely only involve a few clicks on your PC. However, any modification to your virtual data centre will not be quite as easy as you will need to send your request off to the provider, call technical support and deal with company administration before you can deliver the server update.

For businesses the cost of the server can be a big consideration and there is also the issue of cost versus value. Well, the control supplied by your own private cloud system will set you back a fair bit more than the virtual data centre, due to the costs of the hardware, installation, set-up, and maintenance. This can be lowered if you choose to go via a company who will host your cloud server for you, but you will lose an element of control. On the other hand, a virtual data centre is considerably cheaper than a private cloud based server, mainly thanks to the fact that none of the hardware or installation is shouldered by the business and it does not need to be maintained on site.

In contrast, the virtual data centre is less accessible in terms of physical access and bespoke modification, but the system is cheaper. It is only one single resource and one server that is shared by everybody in your company, or at the very least everybody in your department. What this does mean is that there are more risks when it comes to loss or corruption of data and making any modifications will need to pass through a series of time delaying steps. Hence, the payoff is between price and comfort.

This choice should be made depending on the sensitivity of your data, but no business should take this decision without understanding the differences between the options and the impact on their business.