Data loss is one of the biggest enemies every business has. Or even if you don’t own one, losing data and not being able to retrieve it really sucks. Fortunately, the technology also evolved. In our era, there are many ways to store and backup data. One of the most dependable software to use in today’s time is cloud server backup. Using backup servers plays a huge role for business owners who use the internet to market and sell their products. In this article, we are going to talk about the different ways to store and backup data, and we are going to differentiate them.
Local storage
Let us first talk about the oldest and most basic, the local storage. The files you put in your local storage are stored in the disc drives on your laptop. Today, there are different storage drives available in the market. Hard disc drives (HDD) Solid state drives (SSD) are the ones that can be found on your laptop, phone, or whatever device you are using. External devices like CDs, flash drives, and floppy discs are the ones that you can use as extended storage. The data you place on the device can only be accessed on that device. So if your device or hard drive gets lost, stolen, or broken, you can no longer retrieve the data.
Cloud storage
Cloud storage stores data in servers. Cloud storage allows you to access the data you stored online. You can store, share and receive files in cloud storage. You can also sync your files to your other devices, so you will have an updated version of your files on every device. This means that if you sync your data, whatever data you add to one device, it also appears on whatever devices you synced it to.
Cloud backup
Cloud backup is a service that allows users to backup and recover data. Cloud backup prevents total loss of data by protecting your data from disaster events like theft, water-related events, or just human error. To backup your files, cloud backup makes a duplicate copy or mirrors the data you have so that a copy of your data will be saved on the internet.
Cloud storage vs. Cloud backup – What’s the difference?
One of the common misconceptions is that people think that cloud storage and cloud backup are the same. But they are not. The function of each is already explained above, now, we will have a more in-depth discussion about the two.
Examples of cloud storage are Google Drive, Dropbox, and iCloud drive. The mentioned services only give you easier access to data that you placed in them. You can store, send, and receive data with an internet connection. You can no longer recover if you accidentally delete a file or it gets corrupted. There aren’t also new versions of the file that you placed; what you put is what there is. Cloud backups like Backblaze copy the file so you can still have a copy in case it gets corrupted or deleted. It can also update the versions. For example, if you upload a spreadsheet file, and after uploading or after a few days, you add more information to that file, the new data you just added will be saved, meaning it will always have the updated version.
Storing and securing data is now easier thanks to the different services created. Some may be superior to others, but at the end of the day, you can just pick a service that works for you. That is why knowing and understanding what you need is important. Assess your needs first before deciding on a service.
