The significantly growing volumes of data, combined with the rise of virtual and remote opportunities, have caused the need for more advanced data storage solutions. The traditional methods of storing data not only possessed security concerns but also were difficult to keep a tap of. Hybrid storage proved to be the perfect solution to these issues, fusing the benefits of on-premise and public cloud storage to create a more flexible and scalable system.
Before we get into the depths of hybrid solutions let us first understand what unstructured data is.
What is Unstructured Data?
Contrary to structured data, which can easily reside in a database, and be categorized easily like address, name, place, etc, unstructured data is amorphous. It does not have an existing defined structure which makes it difficult to comprehend. With increased digitalization, data like emails, social media posts, and documents have grown significantly in volume, they cannot be categorized in an existing category.
According to an August 2023 IDC report, 90% of data generated by organizations in 2022 was unstructured, while only 10% was structured. Such data holds significant insights but the complex nature makes it difficult to understand and store.
The various challenges encountered while storing unstructured data include:
Storage Constraints:
As mentioned previously, the digitalization of businesses has resulted in a growing volume of unstructured data, which means businesses need more storage to store such large volumes of data. This causes capacity and storage constraints.
Cost Management
Storing such large volumes of data can often be costly, the hardware maintenance, energy costs, and especially the constant need to expand the storage to accumulate the data can be hefty.
Data Retrieval
As unstructured data is complex, it requires different formats of storing. And to access or retrieve this data later can be a cumbersome process.
Security Concerns
Sensitive data needs to be protected and stored safely, the complexities of unstructured data make it difficult to secure moreover complying with strict regulations regarding data protection further complicates the entire process.
Scalability
The growth of unstructured data is not linear, it can surge quite unexpectedly. Because traditional storage systems are frequently not scalable, unexpected increases in data volume can result in bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
Now let us understand in depth what hybrid storage it and how it functions to overcome the demerits of traditional storage methods.
Functioning of Hybrid Storage
Hybrid storage, allows businesses to store sensitive and important data on virtual clouds. It merges the best features of private and public cloud storage models, offering powerful solutions to the problems encountered. The user can store lesser private data on the public cloud and vice versa.
Learn why Hybrid storage is ideal for storing unstructured data
Flexibility and Scalability
As the volume of unstructured data grows, the cloud storage facility can also be expanded to accommodate the data easily. This eliminates the need for expensive hardware and also saves time. Hybrid storage being flexible allows businesses to store a variety of data under different environments. For instance, sensitive data can be stored in a private cloud to ensure security while the public cloud can have data accessible to multiple users.
Cost Efficient
Unlike the traditional methods which require heavy amounts to expand the storage capacity, hybrid storage proves to be cost-effective. The private clouds though expensive are affordable in comparison to traditional storage methods. Public clouds are a more affordable
option to store non-sensitive data, Moreover, they function on pay-as-you-go basis, which implies the user only pays for the storage they use, eliminating the cost of maintenance for hardware.
Improved Security
Data protection is of the utmost priority for any organization, especially when it comes to unstructured data. Private clouds on one hand ensure the security of data by ensuring compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA. On the other hand, for public clouds as well as various security measures, like multi step authentication, advanced firewalls, encryptions, etc are provided.
Enhanced Data management
Unstructured data’s complexity and disorder are some of the biggest challenges. Hybrid cloud storage solutions generally come with advanced data management features that can assist businesses in organizing, finding, and recovering unstructured data more successfully. These methods improve data accessibility and enable faster data indexing, labelling, and categorization.
It’s a powerful tool for businesses looking to store and process data more effectively because of its enhanced data management capabilities, cost effectiveness, scalability, and flexibility. Using both private and public cloud environments allows organizations to maximize storage methods, improve data accessibility, and ensure the security and compliance of their unstructured data.