Hybrid storage: Taking advantage of the cloud

Cloud storage is not an alternative to on-premises storage. Instead, it’s becoming a way of extending what you already have, without having to invest in new hardware.

The way we think about storage is changing. Starting from a world of direct-attached storage (DAS), we moved to using storage area networks (SANs), before virtualising our storage and not worrying about what physical disks we were using. Now we have the cloud, and with it cloud-hosted storage, and the way we store data is changing again.

The economics of the cloud make it possible to rethink how we store data, taking advantage of its scalability, and the economies of scale that are offered by its massive data centres. If you need an extra terabyte or two hundred, is it worth purchasing additional racks and disks now, or just storing that data in the cloud?

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