Tech

Cloud File Systems: Pros and Cons

Several years have passed since the time Cloud revolutionized the world of technology bringing new opportunities for various industries with on-demand software, infrastructure, and platforms. 

Now, file systems and storages are the most popular when it comes to Cloud software-as-a-service. Many of us use them daily without even realizing it by sharing links to Google docs or Dropbox media. These two are running on a public cloud which may not be always compatible with business and security requirements. That’s why people seek private cloud solutions.  

Before choosing the vendor it’s worth gathering all the pros and cons of the cloud to know what to expect. 

Advantages

So let’s have a closer look at the cloud file systems starting with their benefits:

Accessibility

The main benefit of Cloud file systems is that they can be accessed from any place all over the world, while the traditional local file systems are available only within the local network. Accessibility is the main requirement for distributed teams and it became even more valid with the shift to optimizing remote work processes during the COVID-19 lockdowns, so score one to the Cloud here.

Higher Speed

When it comes to file transfers and file synchronization, Cloud file systems provide faster connections than onsite storage. Sometimes, though, if a VPN protection is in place, this speed can slow down, but some services allow to preserve the protection and keep up the speed on the high level. Secure solutions like Gladinet’s remote access servers and other providers using drive mapping with Active directory permissions allow protecting the connection without VPN that make the access even faster.

Scalability

If your business expands, it’s natural that you will need more server resources to keep the operation running. When you use an on-premise solution, it may be more time-consuming as it presupposes the physical hardware upgrade. With the Cloud file systems, you can easily grow your disk space and other computing resources if a need occurs in several clicks with instantly reflected changes. So it’s one more reason to choose Cloud.

Reliability

Cloud is considered more fault-prone due to the data redundancy. As a managed service, Cloud file system providers include backups in the plan price. Also, you don’t need to worry about hardware and replacements as Cloud Providers take care of the maintenance themselves and guarantees access to the required resources. 

Disadvantages

There’s always room for improvement, and here go the drawbacks of cloud systems:

Lack of control 

Purchasing file storage as a service means that you do not have centralized control over the infrastructure, and if something goes wrong there, you will not be able to help (luckily the Cloud outages are not so common). Also, when it goes about advanced software customization it may not be possible. 

No internet connection – no access

The main issue with cloud storage, that you will not be able to access them without an Internet connection. And if the Internet provider speed is slow, you may face issues with loading files from the remote server.

Points in the middle

2 arguable points are often presented as the drawbacks of the Cloud: price and security. Cloud solutions may indeed be initially more costly than traditional ones, but then comes the license pricing and system management, the maintenance costs are much higher. 

As for the second point, Cloud vendors take it seriously because the level of security defines their reputation. offering compliance with personal data protection laws like HIPAA, GDPR, or CCPA, perform automatic security updates, and ensure data integrity offering the disks encryption, malware protection, etc. For traditional services, you are solely responsible for all the security updates, so if there are no dedicated security specialists, the protection in most cases will be lower. 

Wrap up

After getting acquainted with all the pitfalls that may occur on the way, comes the main question: are these benefits worth risking and moving to Cloud Storage? Unfortunately, there’s no correct answer as everything is subjective. Once you know what to expect, it’s much easier to find ways to mitigate the risks. Some of them may not be even relevant to your organization. The first step in this process includes gathering the requirements to the storage, assessing the budget, and checking the market offerings to see if it’s worth investments to make the right choice 

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*