Computer Advice

Using a file server for data storage is not a recent idea, but it is an idea whose time has come. Storing data on external computers has been a standard business practice for years; in the 1980’s many companies looked for ways to blend a number of workstations and information into a centralized storage database. The required technology was developed initially by the Novell company, which stepped in with their Netware operating system. This system was geared specifically for network file servers in corporate environments.

File servers are ideal for the modern workplace, providing companies the tremendous ability to collaborate on projects between offices across the globe. Storing shared documents online is an elegant solution to the problem of having teams based in various cities, even various continents, work together on the same project. Online storage providers make this once impractical accomplishment as commonplace as surfing the Web.

Online storage providers also give companies a measure of data security. While companies will, of course, maintain locally stored data, using online storage providers allows said data to be backed up with remote servers. This is particularly helpful in light of hardware failures or natural disasters. What could be a calamitous occurrence could turn out to be a mere inconvenience. Having this kind of data insurance gives businesses an incredible sense of stability and security.

There are various online file storage services available, offering a host of conveniences as well as added security. Authorized users can access company files stored on the file server as if it were on their own computers. This ease of use is an incredible time-saving device. Companies can choose from the multitude of online servers, especially with regards to storage solutions. A simple search engine query will pull up a host of results that can meet any company’s specific needs.

Online file storage is the perfect solution for companies who want to stay competitive in today’s around the clock, globally connected business environment. Providing an online file server to employees is a useful asset for any company. Your data needs to be secure, but accessible. Online storage solutions allow your company to access necessary documents and data. In this fast paced world, the speed of access is equitable to the speed of success.

Almost everything that your desktop does can now be done online. That includes data storage. Your hard drive used to be your most secure repository… but it no longer is. It is now cheaper and more reliable to store your data online on a massive web server.

The subject of online storage is, like most others, “an ocean unto itself”. This means that the prudent way to learn about it is to first read knowledgeable literature about it. Here’s an article about it based on firsthand usage.

~~~ Local Storage Will Bite You ~~~

Some of the many reasons for not using local storage (i.e. DVDs, etc.) are:

Every desktop will crash at some point, taking your data with it. Massive web servers have copies of your data running on multiple machines. If one machine fails, your data is safe on another machine, and that machine is pressed into service automatically. The machine is unlikely to fail in the first place because access to it is very strictly controlled (unauthorized, untrained people can never mess around with it).

If you use DVDs or CDs for backup, they can get scratched, lost and thereby rendered useless through careless handling. In all likelihood that’s already happened to you (like it has to me)

If your storage requirements are very large, say more than 1000 GB, you might have to buy an external hard drive of large capacity. These are expensive. The cost per byte stored works out less if you choose the right online server

Whether you use DVDs, CDs or external drives, how on earth do you access them when you travel away from your base location??

~~~ Online Storage Will Stroke You ~~~

Some of the reasons in favor of using online storage on a large server are:

A large online server will actually be a network of servers connected together, all of them belonging to the online storage company. Copies of your data will be stored on many of them. If the primary server crashes, one of the others takes over seamlessly. Since it has a copy of your data on it, you don’t loose a single byte because of the crash

The probability of even the primary server crashing is remote. It’s housed in a building with generator backup power, fire prevention systems, access only to authorized personnel, peripheral security cameras, et al

Suppose your files are accessed hundreds of times a minute. Your desktop would slow down, probably take hours to serve each request. A large online server is, as mentioned earlier, a network of servers with multiple copies of your data. If the primary server starts getting overburdened by download requests, the other servers kick in to start delivering your files (remember, all of them maintain copies of your files). The net result: users do not experience delay when demand is high

You can be anywhere on earth and be able to access your files (assuming that every place on earth has an Internet connection, which is getting to be more true by the second)

On a cost per byte basis, online can be CHEAPER than local storage!

~~~ In Conclusion ~~~

To sum things up, the outstanding reliability and scalability of large online storage servers make them preferable to local storage. Start using them and avoid data loss, server slowdowns and high hardware costs.