1. Floppy Disks: Low storage density / slow storage speed / self-responsibility for data / localized access
2. Hard Disks: High storage density / fast storage speed / self-responsibility for data / localized access
3. Server Storage: High storage density / fast storage speed / third party responsibility for data / localized & global access
4. Cloud Storage: High storage density / good storage speed / third party responsibility for data / global access

The above stages of computing describe the evolvement of the data storage. If you have sufficient no hair or white hair, you could probably recall the floppy era; today that phase no longer exists. I will not discuss it.

Hard disks

Each and every computer has a hard disk or equivalent. For example, most Smartphones come with solid state storage to minimize power consumption and make the device more durable and able to withstand the rougher treatment a phone is expected to endure when compared to a notebook or desktop computer. Solid state hard disks are gradually starting to become viable alternatives to their moving equivalents and 2011 will probably be the year that marks the mainstream adaptation of such devices within portable devices.

Because of their proximity to the computer (hard disks are normally embedded within the computer itself), they are the medium with the fastest access times to date. They are immune those scenarios described below that may prevent one from gaining access to one’s data.

Computer embedded hard disks are normally your problem. If the hard disk decides to stop, it is your problem to revive it or lose it. You are pretty much on your own.

Server Storage

As organisations grew, the potential to lose precious information grew exponentially as more and more workstations were added to the organisation’s assets. Rather than have company data running all over the place, companies invested in centralised disk storage solutions. Each employee would, in addition to his local disks, also have one or more disks that mapped to storage on a server. They could manipulate files held on server storage in exactly the same way and with the same efficiency as they would local files.

Even though server storage should theoretically have been slower than local storage, a well-designed file server that is properly balanced out could return the same performance as files held locally.

The company’s IT Department would ensure that backups of the server would be taken regularly and would ensure the privacy and security on files. This guaranteed that each file would only be accessible to those authorized to handle it.

While the setup described above was an in-house solution, commercial companies started offering such services over the internet. The problems with these initial setups were:

1. Internet speeds at the time were too slow compared to local network access.
2. Many of the companies that offered such services did not have multiple data centres, you were stuck with the sole location the company operated from; this was not always ideal.
3. Companies did not offer platform independent support. This meant that one had to work around the system in order to make certain hardware function transparently.

Unless the organisation was a global company, servers would be localized in one geographic location. Certain global organisations would synchronise transactions raised on servers situated in different countries and continents. Employees would hook up to the server closest to them and would therefore operate at the fastest possible speed while at the same time have a glimpse at the organisation in its entirety.

Cloud Storage

Close storage addresses some of the short comings of the remote commercial server storage mentioned above. Companies offer storage and processing facilities to clients. Unlike their predecessors, many of these companies have geographically distributed data centres allowing companies to opt for a location that is close to their main operation. This coupled with improved internet access times helps ensure best response times.

Cloud storage has evolved such that it can offer platform-independent storage. A person using a Linux-based notebook, a person using a Macintosh and a person using a Windows PC could all happily utilise the cloud storage.

As with server storage, third parties (the data centre in this case) is responsible for uptime and backing up the data.

A unique benefit of cloud storage is its ability to grow and shrink with you. Imagine you run a Santa Store. For 6 weeks in the year your internet and storage needs will shoot through the roof. With all the other technologies you must scale your setup so that it caters for the max demand thereby having excess unutilized storage throughout the rest of the year. With a cloud subscription you can upgrade and downgrade your storage needs according to the business cycle.

What type of storage is the one for you?

It ultimately boils down to you, your needs and your budget. There is no one solution that fits all (unlike what respective vendors would like you to believe). Factors that could influence your decision are you organisation’s size, geographic distribution, in-house or engaged technical expertise and business operational patterns.

External hard drives: An external hard drive can easily be attached to your computer using a USB port. External hard drives can be stored in a location that’s separate from your computer, which can help protect your backup. You need to connect it with your computer every time a data backup is done and is usually slower than internal hard drives.

Writeable CDs or DVDs: CDs and DVDs are relatively inexpensive and are easy to find in stores. Practically, all recent computers have CD/DVD burners installed. You can store the CDs or DVDs in a location that’s separate from your computer. Depending on how much data you have, it might take several CDs or DVDs to hold your backup while CDs or DVDs can become corrupted over time.

USB flash drives: USB flash drives are relatively inexpensive and can hold a fair amount of data. You can store a flash drive in a location that’s separate from your computer. It could fill up quickly as typical sizes are still small.

Network locations: If you have two or more computers connected together, a shared folder or drive on one computer can be a convenient place to save your backup. Ideally, the network share is protected with a username and a password while backup time depend on the network devices’ transfer speeds.

For the most flexibility, my recommendation is to save your backup to an external hard drive :)