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Elasticsearch on Cassandra

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Local Vs. Cloud Backup: Which is the Best and Why?

You may have heard of cloud computing, without really investigating any deeper.

The name itself sounds like a vague thing that only tech geeks bother with. This should not be the case. In fact, cloud computing can benefit you in your every day, ordinary computing needs.

As you know, it is of extreme importance to back up any sort of data you may have on your computer. This is where cloud computing can come in.

It allows for remote storage of applications and documents through an online server. This means you can access your important data from anywhere, at any time.

There is essentially free range to your computing life. When choosing what to do with your business data, you currently have two main choices: you can either stick to the traditional method of storing data locally, or store your data on the cloud.

When it comes to making decisions about where/how to store your data, it is always best to inform yourself through tutorials and specific cloud training courses online, and/or seeking out a professional. However, we have listed a few advantages/disadvantages of each method below to get you started!

Local Vs. Cloud Backup: Which is the Best and Why?

Local Storage

A local backup is any storage on any sort of external hard drive. This is the oldest storage technique. There are plenty of advantages, and here are a few of them:

Security

Once you are disconnected, you are truly disconnected. There is less of a threat to your cyber safety, as the external hard drive is external and can’t be hacked once it is free from the web. The data is essentially as protected as your network. This can provide some peace of mind.

Speed

Locally backing up your data can also be significantly faster than cloud computing. This is because when you back your data up on site, the speed of the transfer is not limited by your connectivity. Therefore the time it takes is significantly reduced, and updating this daily will only take a few minutes.

Control

When it comes to your data, you want to make sure that you are the sole person responsible for where it goes. This means minimizing the amount of hands it can fall into. This ties into the security of local backups but also the fact that you have the most control with this option.

Of course, there are also some cons to locally storing your data. Here are a few of them:

Cost

The cost of getting local hard drives together can be hundreds to thousands of dollars. This is a significant price, and of course relates to the amount of data you have, but on-site backups are widely regarded as being the most expensive option.

Flexibility

Once you have your hardware, that’s all you have. You cannot extend its storage space. This is not ideal, as once you have filled up your hard drive you will have to invest in even more hardware.

Accessibility

This is a big one, if anything were to happen to the physical, locally stored devise, that data is forever gone. This is not the most ideal situation, as disasters happen and years of work can be gone in an instant. Local devices are also inconvenient to its users as it is only accessible in the physical form. You will not be able to remotely access any data.

Cloud Backup

This brings us to Cloud backup – the direct opposite of local back-ups. There are plenty of advantages to this newer technology that is expanding in popularity by the year. Here are a few:

Cost

This is the biggest reason why people use cloud computing. It is the most cost effective choice to data storage. You do not have to pay for any sort of maintenance or software for an external hard drive. With cloud computing you select a service provider and pay a monthly fee to store whatever data you need. The lack of storage equipment adds to the convenience.

Accessibility and Flexibility

You are able to access whatever data you want at any time and from any place. This is extremely convenient for its users and is a big selling point. You are also able to flexibly store data by adding storage capacity on demand.

Disaster Recovery

The fact that cloud storage is remote allows it to be safe forever. No disaster could affect data being stored in the cloud. This is a big deal for anyone who has lost sensitive information.

Of course, the cons are there too…

Security

The security is a little laxer with cloud computing, not to say there aren’t measures you can take to prevent this from being a big problem. That being said, no data that crosses the Internet is completely safe.

Speed

The speed of the transfer is wholly dependent upon the speed of your Internet

connection, which can vary in frustrating situations.

Making the Choice

The answer essentially depends on your back up needs. For most, the cloud is quite ideal though. Take your time to do your research, as suggested above. Perhaps, a hybrid choice is the answer for you!

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