Data Storage in Cloud Computing

Introduction

Cloud storage is a service which enables saving the data on offside storage system. This data is managed by third-party. This data is accessible by a web services API.

Storage Devices

Following are the categories of storage devices:

1) Block Storage Devices – This type of devices provide raw storage to the clients. This raw storage is separated for creating volumes. A volume is a recognizable unit of data storage.

2) File Storage Devices – The file storage devices are provided to the client in the form of files for maintaining its file system. Storage data is accessed using the Network File System(NFS).

Storage Classes of cloud

Following are the categories of storage classes:

1) Unmanaged Cloud Storage
  • The storage is preconfigured for the customer, this is known as unmanaged cloud storage.
  • The customer cannot format or install his own file system or change drive properties.
2) Managed Cloud Storage
  • Managed cloud storage provides the online storage space on-demand.
  • This system shows the user like raw disk that the user can partition and format.

Creating cloud storage System

  • The cloud storage system stores many copies of data on many servers at the various locations.
  • The data is stored at various locations so that if one system fails it can change the pointer location to where the object is stored.
  • The cloud provider uses the virtualization software to aggregate the storage assets into cloud storage system. This system is called as StorageGRID.
  • StorageGRID creates a virtualization layer which fetches storage from various storage devices into a single management system.
  • It manages the data from CIFS and NFS file system over the Internet.
cloud storage system

Above diagram shows how the StorageGRID virtualizes the storage into storage cloud.

Virtual Storage Containers

  • The virtual storage containers provide the high performance cloud storage systems.
  • In the virtual storage containers, Logical Unit Number (LUN) of device, files and objects are generated.
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