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Navigating Cloud Storage: Use Cases, Barriers, and Future Trends

Explore the concept of cloud storage, its use cases including whole applications delivery, backup/archiving, and file storage. Learn about major barriers to adoption such as enterprise conservatism and data migration/integration issues. Discover what the future holds for cloud storage.

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Navigating Cloud Storage: Use Cases, Barriers, and Future Trends

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  1. Agenda • Cloud Storage Defined • Current Cloud Storage Use Cases • Application as a Service • Backup/Archive • File Storage • Barriers to Adoption • A Look Forward

  2. Cloud Storage Defined

  3. Cloud Storage Places Data Outside the Walls • “Cloud Storage” is defined as storage which resides in a public or private infrastructure that is external to the primary storage infrastructure, and is often shared to some extent • Cloud Storage is different from Cloud computing, where a whole application lives fully or partially in the Cloud

  4. Traditional Storage Infrastructure

  5. Cloud Storage Infrastructure

  6. Cloud Storage Use Cases

  7. There’s no Magic in the Cloud • The need for co-location of application servers and storage does NOT change with Cloud Storage • While internet bandwidth has increased, it has not done so enough to allow database applications to run in separate locations from their storage • SO, this means that cloud storage has to be a part of a larger cloud delivered whole application, or focus on a storage niche that lends itself to dis-aggregation

  8. Three Key Enterprise Use Cases for Cloud Storage • Whole Applications Delivered via the Cloud • Backup / Archive of non-Cloud Applications • File Storage & Associated Services

  9. Whole Applications in The Cloud • Applications that are well bounded in function make sense to be delivered from the cloud • Inter-relationships of data can be limited between cloud and non-cloud apps • Email (i.e. gmail) or CRM (i.e. salesforce.com) make good examples of whole applications that can be delivered by the cloud • Vendors focus on creating a better economy of scale in software and underlying infrastructure

  10. Backup & Archive Via the Cloud • BC/DR best practices require backups and archives to have an off site component • Many firms need advanced BC/DR capabilities (regulatory, risk mitigation, business partner requirements, etc.) but don’t have the real estate or the expertise to build it themselves • Backup/Archive as a service has developed from co-location type services to shared tenancy models with advanced purpose built architectures

  11. File Storage Sits Apart from App Servers • Most file storage is generally loosely coupled or completely separate from application servers • Users can make a direct connection to file storage systems and browse files- speed isn’t critical • Enterprises with many remote workers will use remote file access anyway- the Cloud is attractive • Cloud file storage can help with sharing and transferring data (i.e. Yousendit)

  12. Barriers to Adoption of Cloud Storage

  13. Major Barriers to Cloud Storage Include: • Enterprise Conservatism • Shared Tenancy Issues • Contractual Issues • Data Migration/Integration Issues

  14. Storage Buyers are the Most Conservative • In general, storage is very slow to adopt new technologies or paradigms • Anything that represents added risk or the unknown will see a slow adoption curve in storage • Most buyers will want to see well known peers adopt before them • First movers so far are firms that can’t run their business in a traditional storage cost structure • Many adopters are Web 2.0 firms with file data, free/ad supported products and limited SLAs

  15. Shared Tenancy = Risk • A cloud storage buyer must be willing to have their data side by side with that of a competitor • Encryption and access control mechanisms must be rock solid and clearly defined to mitigate this • Quality of Service is a key concern, customers worry that spikes unrelated to their business could cause disruption to performance or outages

  16. The Contract Conundrum • For mainstream enterprises to adopt cloud storage, 2 contract elements need to improve: • Clearly defined and customer measurable SLAs • Penalties that reflect the risk of data loss • Current SLAs are too vague, and cloud customers have limited ability to verify performance • With relatively low fees and very high stakes at risk, it’s hard to get an SLA and penalty structure that makes sense for the enterprise

  17. Data Migration and Integration • When data lives in the Cloud, it can be hard to get to it, and even harder to integrate applications to it • Data migration for refresh is very challenging within the walls of a data center, doing it to a cloud seems harder still • Ceding control over data and moving it out of the enterprise can cut off application integration projects like information management, data warehousing etc. • Does the cloud provider force users to buy into their proprietary tools, or are there many options?

  18. Looking Forward • Cloud storage is likely to reshape the industry in ways that traditional models struggle with • Getting data management as a service is likely to provide much better economies of scale, and ease the strain of hiring experts • But, significant barriers need to be resolved before the model becomes viable for mainstream companies • Early wins in clearly defined use cases will start to shape the industry in years to come

  19. Thank you Andrew Reichman 617.613.6172 areichman@forrester.com www.forrester.com

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