April 10, 2018 at 12:00Store data in the cloud
Hello, Habr! Today we will focus on file synchronization and file sharing services and object cloud storage. Cloud storage provided by services such as SkyDrive or Dropbox is well known to users of mobile devices and computers. In recent years, they appear in increasing numbers. These services allow users to easily, quickly and at any time get authorized access to files via the Internet.
According to a Statista report, in 2017, more than 1.8 billion people used personal cloud storage in the world. The obvious advantage of storing data in the cloud is device independence, access from anywhere and from any system. Cloud storage is a great way to protect yourself from emergencies. It allows you to access your data from another device if the main one was lost or stolen.
Traditional cloud storage services, such as Google Drive, Amazon Cloud Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft One Drive, Croc Disk, are called file synchronization and sharing services. Usually they are used for personal use: files on the user device are synchronized with the cloud, they can be shared with others. With the Google Drive service, Mail.ru cloud or Yandex.Disk, there is no need to send files by mail - just send the link and open access. Many companies, such as Microsoft and Dropbox, offer free plans for general use, as well as flexible and customizable premium plans "Business" and "Pro".
Here are the most famous services for Russian users:
Most of these cloud services have additional functions - file viewers, built-in document editors, screenshot creation tools, etc. Along with the storage capacity provided for free or for a fee, they make up their main differences. What unites these services is that many of them store files in well-known powerful and scalable object repositories.
Object services are another category of services, for example, Amazon S3 , Google Cloud Storage, Microsoft Blobs Storage. These highly reliable storages are designed to store a large number of files and hundreds of petabytes of data. They are used by many synchronization and file sharing services. Both types of services are in growing demand.
Files in the object storage are accompanied by meta-data that allows you to process these files as objects: documents, videos, projects, photographs, etc. This is a popular service used in a variety of applications. To interact with the cloud object storage, a program interface (API) is used.
In Russia, so far there are not many services of object storage. These are Google Cloud Storage, Amazon S3, MS Blobs Storage, Krok file storage (serving Krok Disk service), Selectel services, Rostelecom, Mail.ru object storage, etc.
According to estimates, in the world object storage now contains up to half of the content Internet. And up to 50% of synchronization and file sharing services store data in Amazon S3, an object storage of unlimited capacity with a simple Web interface. The main access protocol is the S3 API created by Amazon Web Services for the AWS S3 (Simple Storage Service).
Public cloud storage services today attract the attention of not only small and medium-sized businesses, but also large companies. Of course, special requirements are imposed on such storages. The key factors of enterprise-class cloud storage are not only the cost of the service, but also its reliability, security, manageability and ease of administration, speed of access to data in the cloud.
Such storage involves the placement of data on distributed servers. Data is backed up, stored on several servers in secure data centers with a high level of reliability and at several sites. High reliability is achieved, for example, by automatically creating multiple replicas of data on separate independent servers. Reliability at Tier III level means SLA guarantees 99.98% availability over time.
Thus, cloud storage for business allows you to store data fairly reliably and inexpensively, provide access to it regardless of location, and easily scale resources. The costs of creating and maintaining IT infrastructure are reduced, the service helps to increase the flexibility of business processes.
There is no need to purchase your own storage systems and other infrastructure equipment, bear the costs of its administration, updating, security. Permanent access to cloud storage means that you can work with data and files at any time and from anywhere. Employees can quickly and easily receive the necessary information, exchange data during joint activities, work with common documents. It provides encryption during data transfer and storage, setting access rights, recording file operations, monitoring, and protection against threats.
Currently, cloud storage services are offered by the largest Russian hosting providers, system integrators and telecom operators. Outwardly, they differ little from each other: user-configurable folder and file structure, the ability to configure access, a similar interface. However, their internal architecture and the possibilities offered vary.
Similar services are charged according to the principle of actual use or available storage capacity. As a rule, downloading data from Russian services costs several times more profitable than offers from foreign suppliers. In addition, they have a lower latency when accessing data that is closer to the client. Another advantage of domestic cloud storage services is compliance with data storage requirements in Russia. In accordance with 152-FZ "On Personal Data", some data must be stored on the territory of the Russian Federation.
The most diverse scenarios for using this cloud storage are possible. For example, archiving, file storage and collaboration with them. Tasks can be very different: the main storage for cloud applications, the storage of big data, the data repository for analytics and, of course, they are convenient to use for backup and disaster recovery.
Object storage can be used, for example, in the following scenarios: storing backups, posting content of websites and letters (photos, videos, files for downloading), storing video surveillance records, archives, storing and distributing media content (video, music), as well as storage for document management systems, game content, big data and IoT data. A wide range of devices is supported for accessing the storage and downloading data.
A popular service today is backup to the cloud. Most backup systems can be connected to our cloud storage via the S3 API. It also supports working with built-in backup applications.
Another typical task is hosting static website content. In principle, such storage can be used for any data that is usually stored once and may be needed in the future, whether it is legal documents, medical records, digital assets and media files, various documents. For example, broadcasters and media companies need large repositories for media materials.
The data warehouse is only part of Amazon Web Services (AWS), which also includes management, development, security, and more. AWS is focused on the enterprise sector, but Amazon Glacier’s cloud-based file storage provides users with 10 GB for free.
AWS is characterized by increased reliability, compliance with enhanced data protection standards,
unlimited capacity (expansion for a fee), ease of use and flexibility of settings, integration with other Amazon Web Services. There are domestic counterparts.
“Russian” object stores are usually created based on Ceph or Swift solutions with connectors for the S3 API. Not all of them provide full support for the S3 API. For users, this may mean a compatibility issue for applications that are written with full S3 commands in mind, or limited functionality. S3 API is supported by a large number of applications, in particular, almost all backup systems and content management systems (CMS).
There are also 100% compatible with S3 services. For example, the Technoserv Cloud object storage is built using S3 technologies and supports a full range of S3 API commands, including advanced: access control, authentication, version control, multi-threaded downloads, and others. Software-defined object storage based on Technoserv is deployed on the basis of Cloudian software. There is no single point of failure in SDS; all components are backed up. The declared level of reliability of the physical platform is 99.999999%. To access the cloud storage, the Internet or a secure VPN channel is used, connecting the provider's cloud with the office or client data center.
Examples of Russian cloud storage for business
Cloud storages usually provide the ability to configure a corporate data storage policy, as well as version storage, which can be used to save, retrieve and restore previous versions of objects. The management portal allows the administrator to create user accounts and assign rights, manage user quotas, view statistics.
Business Cloud Storage Benefits
Analysts predict that by 2020, the cloud storage market will grow to $ 3.5 billion, with an annual growth of 31%. Users and companies choose online storage because it is convenient, convenient, safe and economical. They store their files in such clouds as Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage and Dropbox - depending on their needs. Although Amazon leads in popularity, Azure and Dropbox are ahead of its growth rate.
Cloud storage is becoming cheaper as storage equipment prices go down, coupled with platform-wide savings. More than 75% of commercial companies use public cloud services to transfer and store important commercial information (according to a Symantec study). At the same time, 40% of them faced the disclosure of company data containing confidential information. Another 40% reported the loss of data stored in the cloud and had to restore it from backups.
Meanwhile, according to the report of DN Capital, only over the past two years, 90% of world data has been created. With the growth of mobile and user content, the development of broadband access (including 4G / 5G), there is no reason to expect that these rates will slow down. And that means cloud storage has a great future.
According to a Statista report, in 2017, more than 1.8 billion people used personal cloud storage in the world. The obvious advantage of storing data in the cloud is device independence, access from anywhere and from any system. Cloud storage is a great way to protect yourself from emergencies. It allows you to access your data from another device if the main one was lost or stolen.
Sync and file sharing services
Traditional cloud storage services, such as Google Drive, Amazon Cloud Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft One Drive, Croc Disk, are called file synchronization and sharing services. Usually they are used for personal use: files on the user device are synchronized with the cloud, they can be shared with others. With the Google Drive service, Mail.ru cloud or Yandex.Disk, there is no need to send files by mail - just send the link and open access. Many companies, such as Microsoft and Dropbox, offer free plans for general use, as well as flexible and customizable premium plans "Business" and "Pro".
Here are the most famous services for Russian users:
| Service | Description |
| Yandex.Disk | A free service for storing files and folders with protection and the ability to expand cloud space. Yandex.Disk, like Google Drive, is integrated with other services, in particular, Yandex-mail, and has a number of useful additions. |
| Cloud Mail.Ru | Cloud file storage with access to a virtual disk and the necessary functions for such a service. It occupies one of the leading places in the ranking of file storage in Russia. In terms of features, it is comparable to Google Drive and Yandex.Disk. There are applications for creating and editing documents, a utility for taking screenshots. The service is integrated with other Mail.ru projects. Advantages - high speed of loading and unloading data for Russian users, there are clients for almost all platforms, including mobile operating systems, support for selective synchronization of folders and files in a folder. |
| Onedrive | Microsoft service for storing and synchronizing files between devices when connected to the Internet. You can expand the capacity. OneDrive makes it easy to share Microsoft Office 365 documents and edit them through Office Online. Features of the service include integration with Hotmail and the Bing search engine. |
| Google Drive | Cloud storage with the option of multi-user access to files and their joint editing. The service is integrated with the office suite Google Docs, where you can edit documents from one account or multiple accounts at the same time. The built-in client for Windows has standard settings, you can select individual folders or a hard drive for synchronization, limit the download speed and change the account for using Google services. |
| Dropbox | Service for automatic synchronization of files of any size. There are advanced settings for the PC application, including synchronization of individual folders and setting the download and upload speed of files, tools for organizing user work with data in the cloud. The difference from most services is storing different versions of files without using space in the cloud, as well as using the DeltaSync method: not the entire object is transferred to the server, but only the changed part, which reduces traffic. |
| CROC Disc | Convenient and secure enterprise-class file sharing service. |
| Brandquad | Centralized system for the creation, storage and distribution of commercial content. |
| iSpring Cloud | View PowerPoint presentations online from any device. |
| Mega (Megasynk) | Cloud storage with a large amount of free disk space - 50 GB. Other features include end-to-end data encryption (the key is not stored on the server) and open source code. The application on the PC supports tracking any folders, setting bandwidth, excluding downloaded files by type and size. |
| Samsung Cloud | Service for owners of smartphones and tablets Samsung. Designed for storing backup copies of data from mobile devices - multimedia content, OS files, etc. |
| Apple iCloud | A free service integrated with other Apple services. The service is intended for storing backup copies of data from iPhone, iPad and iPod, as well as user media files, mail and documents (they are automatically synchronized with the contents of iCloud Drive). |
| Baidu cloud | Not adapted for Russia, but provides users with terabytes of free disk space. Requires installation of the Baidu Cloud mobile app on a phone or tablet. |
| Yunpan.360 | This service of the Chinese company Qihoo 360 Technology also offers 1 TB for new users and another 2.6 TB when installing a mobile client. For Russian users, the location of servers in China means low speed. Well implemented client Russification. There is a saving of version histories, a password protected area, a file sharing system, video and audio playback, software for different OS and mobile platforms. |
| 4shared | The service is intended for sharing files with a total volume of up to 15 GB with a free connection. There are automation of downloading files from GoogleDrive, DropBox and Gmail, advanced file sharing functions and support for the WebDev protocol. |
| Media fire | The free package offers 10 GB. There are versions for PC on different platforms and mobile applications. Integration with social networks (Facebook, Google+, Twitter) and mail allows you to open access to objects to other users. |
| Ozibox | Also gives 10 GB as a gift. There is a client for the PC with a minimum of settings and a Web interface. |
Most of these cloud services have additional functions - file viewers, built-in document editors, screenshot creation tools, etc. Along with the storage capacity provided for free or for a fee, they make up their main differences. What unites these services is that many of them store files in well-known powerful and scalable object repositories.
Object Cloud Storage
Object services are another category of services, for example, Amazon S3 , Google Cloud Storage, Microsoft Blobs Storage. These highly reliable storages are designed to store a large number of files and hundreds of petabytes of data. They are used by many synchronization and file sharing services. Both types of services are in growing demand.
Files in the object storage are accompanied by meta-data that allows you to process these files as objects: documents, videos, projects, photographs, etc. This is a popular service used in a variety of applications. To interact with the cloud object storage, a program interface (API) is used.
In Russia, so far there are not many services of object storage. These are Google Cloud Storage, Amazon S3, MS Blobs Storage, Krok file storage (serving Krok Disk service), Selectel services, Rostelecom, Mail.ru object storage, etc.
According to estimates, in the world object storage now contains up to half of the content Internet. And up to 50% of synchronization and file sharing services store data in Amazon S3, an object storage of unlimited capacity with a simple Web interface. The main access protocol is the S3 API created by Amazon Web Services for the AWS S3 (Simple Storage Service).
Cloud Storage for Business
Public cloud storage services today attract the attention of not only small and medium-sized businesses, but also large companies. Of course, special requirements are imposed on such storages. The key factors of enterprise-class cloud storage are not only the cost of the service, but also its reliability, security, manageability and ease of administration, speed of access to data in the cloud.
Such storage involves the placement of data on distributed servers. Data is backed up, stored on several servers in secure data centers with a high level of reliability and at several sites. High reliability is achieved, for example, by automatically creating multiple replicas of data on separate independent servers. Reliability at Tier III level means SLA guarantees 99.98% availability over time.
Thus, cloud storage for business allows you to store data fairly reliably and inexpensively, provide access to it regardless of location, and easily scale resources. The costs of creating and maintaining IT infrastructure are reduced, the service helps to increase the flexibility of business processes.
There is no need to purchase your own storage systems and other infrastructure equipment, bear the costs of its administration, updating, security. Permanent access to cloud storage means that you can work with data and files at any time and from anywhere. Employees can quickly and easily receive the necessary information, exchange data during joint activities, work with common documents. It provides encryption during data transfer and storage, setting access rights, recording file operations, monitoring, and protection against threats.
Currently, cloud storage services are offered by the largest Russian hosting providers, system integrators and telecom operators. Outwardly, they differ little from each other: user-configurable folder and file structure, the ability to configure access, a similar interface. However, their internal architecture and the possibilities offered vary.
Similar services are charged according to the principle of actual use or available storage capacity. As a rule, downloading data from Russian services costs several times more profitable than offers from foreign suppliers. In addition, they have a lower latency when accessing data that is closer to the client. Another advantage of domestic cloud storage services is compliance with data storage requirements in Russia. In accordance with 152-FZ "On Personal Data", some data must be stored on the territory of the Russian Federation.
What is object cloud storage used for?
The most diverse scenarios for using this cloud storage are possible. For example, archiving, file storage and collaboration with them. Tasks can be very different: the main storage for cloud applications, the storage of big data, the data repository for analytics and, of course, they are convenient to use for backup and disaster recovery.
Object storage can be used, for example, in the following scenarios: storing backups, posting content of websites and letters (photos, videos, files for downloading), storing video surveillance records, archives, storing and distributing media content (video, music), as well as storage for document management systems, game content, big data and IoT data. A wide range of devices is supported for accessing the storage and downloading data.
A popular service today is backup to the cloud. Most backup systems can be connected to our cloud storage via the S3 API. It also supports working with built-in backup applications.
Another typical task is hosting static website content. In principle, such storage can be used for any data that is usually stored once and may be needed in the future, whether it is legal documents, medical records, digital assets and media files, various documents. For example, broadcasters and media companies need large repositories for media materials.
AWS and compatible Russian cloud storage for business
The data warehouse is only part of Amazon Web Services (AWS), which also includes management, development, security, and more. AWS is focused on the enterprise sector, but Amazon Glacier’s cloud-based file storage provides users with 10 GB for free.
AWS is characterized by increased reliability, compliance with enhanced data protection standards,
unlimited capacity (expansion for a fee), ease of use and flexibility of settings, integration with other Amazon Web Services. There are domestic counterparts.
“Russian” object stores are usually created based on Ceph or Swift solutions with connectors for the S3 API. Not all of them provide full support for the S3 API. For users, this may mean a compatibility issue for applications that are written with full S3 commands in mind, or limited functionality. S3 API is supported by a large number of applications, in particular, almost all backup systems and content management systems (CMS).
There are also 100% compatible with S3 services. For example, the Technoserv Cloud object storage is built using S3 technologies and supports a full range of S3 API commands, including advanced: access control, authentication, version control, multi-threaded downloads, and others. Software-defined object storage based on Technoserv is deployed on the basis of Cloudian software. There is no single point of failure in SDS; all components are backed up. The declared level of reliability of the physical platform is 99.999999%. To access the cloud storage, the Internet or a secure VPN channel is used, connecting the provider's cloud with the office or client data center.
Examples of Russian cloud storage for business
| Provider | Service name | Description |
| 1cloud | Cloud object storage | Cloud object storage for backup, archive data, distribution of static site content, web application data, video surveillance systems, corporate documents exchange. You can use S3 or the OpenStack Swift API to connect applications and integrate with information systems. |
| Technoserv | Technoserv Cloud | The service helps reduce the cost of creating and maintaining infrastructure, increase the flexibility of business processes and provide round-the-clock access to data via the Internet, a dedicated communication channel. Cloud-based object storage is compatible with Amazon Web Services storage and fully supports the S3 API access protocol. |
| Mail.Ru Group | Mail.Ru Cloud Solutions | The developers used the experience of managing their own IT infrastructure with millions of users to create cloud services without limiting the speed of downloading and uploading a file with a high level of security. Supported standard S3-compatible protocol, data encryption over SSL. |
| cloud4y | Multi store | MultiStore cloud storage allows you to create logical partitions in a single data storage system so that unauthorized users cannot access information in a secure virtual partition. It also allows you to transfer virtual partitions between storage systems and is positioned as an easily manageable and powerful disaster recovery tool. |
| Selectel | Cloud storage | Cloud storage for web applications, archiving, backup and distribution of static content with payment for storage, API requests and downloading data from the storage. Regardless of the amount of data and the level of peak load, quick access to content is maintained. The number and volume of files is not limited. It is possible to connect your own or third-party application through the OpenStack Swift API. It offers user, domain, certificate management through API. There are a number of ready-made plug-ins and integrations with CMS, CRM and other services. More than 200,000 servers around the world form a CDN to speed up sites and deliver content. |
Cloud storages usually provide the ability to configure a corporate data storage policy, as well as version storage, which can be used to save, retrieve and restore previous versions of objects. The management portal allows the administrator to create user accounts and assign rights, manage user quotas, view statistics.
Business Cloud Storage Benefits
| IT cost savings | Own storage systems require ongoing maintenance, which means that the company must have IT staff. Thanks to cloud storage, companies can save a lot of money on maintenance, as their servers and storage are controlled by third-party providers. Outsourcing data warehousing companies save on capital and operating costs. This money can be used to develop and expand a business. |
| Business process flexibility | According to recent survey polls, 79% of respondents already partially work outside their office, and another 60% will switch to remote work if they get this opportunity. Cloud storage services provide such flexibility for employees. |
| Enhanced Teamwork | Employees often have to work together on projects and communicate with colleagues around the world. Cloud tools facilitate collaboration and document management. They allow users to access the latest versions of any document. |
| Data protection | Data is stored in several places and remains available in case of accidents and failures. |
Is everything so “cloudless"?
Analysts predict that by 2020, the cloud storage market will grow to $ 3.5 billion, with an annual growth of 31%. Users and companies choose online storage because it is convenient, convenient, safe and economical. They store their files in such clouds as Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage and Dropbox - depending on their needs. Although Amazon leads in popularity, Azure and Dropbox are ahead of its growth rate.
Cloud storage is becoming cheaper as storage equipment prices go down, coupled with platform-wide savings. More than 75% of commercial companies use public cloud services to transfer and store important commercial information (according to a Symantec study). At the same time, 40% of them faced the disclosure of company data containing confidential information. Another 40% reported the loss of data stored in the cloud and had to restore it from backups.
Meanwhile, according to the report of DN Capital, only over the past two years, 90% of world data has been created. With the growth of mobile and user content, the development of broadband access (including 4G / 5G), there is no reason to expect that these rates will slow down. And that means cloud storage has a great future.