Benefits and Drawbacks of Cloud Backup and Hosting

Updated on July 2nd, 2018 by Quertime Writer in Info & News

Cloud backup, also known as the online backup is the process through which backing up of data can be done with the off site server or through the public network. The hosting generally takes place through the server of the third party. The fees are charged from the backup customers depending on the capacity or the bandwidth or the total number of the users.

Now, the entire backup systems are built around the applications of the client software that continue with a proper schedule which determines the level of service. If daily backup option is chosen, the cloud system will accumulate, compress, encrypt and then finally transfer the data to the provider within 24 hours. After successfully completing the initial backups, the incremental backups can be provided by the service provider in the reduced time and less bandwidth for transferring the files in order.

Benefits of Cloud Backup

Many companies are looking forward to the back-up facility through their cloud system. The cloud backup can store critical data at a very affordable price. It also has economical, technical as well as the security benefits. Now, let us go through all the advantages of the cloud backup and hosting:

Data Protection
The improved method of the cloud system ensures the protection of all your important data. As the encrypted data is highly secured, they can ensure recoverability and protection to a high level.

Total Cost of Ownership
The total cost of ownership is kept very low and the capital expenses are totally absent in this case.

Easily Accessible
Generally the cloud systems are web based and possess easy user interfaces. The cloud systems can be used with light weight agent on the data devices which can be applied for data sync in the cloud with minimum maintenance.

Price
In the cloud hosting process, you are required to pay only for the services that you have used. You can buy a new hardware or can think of taking a lease from the server farm for some additional spaces. Now, for the newly introduced projects, resources can be allocated from the cloud and thousands of dollars can be saved by maintaining the server. It therefore saves your money which will otherwise get spent for updating your infrastructure.

Low Energy Consumption
As you are working in cloud network, you will not need huge server rooms. This can eventually save your electricity bills and therefore can help you to take up a green initiative by saving a large amount of energy. If you can leverage through an experienced cloud vendor, you can definitely help in reducing the carbon footprints.

Flexibility
When you are placing your important data in the cloud, you are actually extending the IT department. The cloud hosting service provider can provide you with expert knowledge regarding the new products and the technologies. This will definitely enhance the performance of your business. If different technologies can co-ordinate with the server, you can definitely enjoy the added benefits with no additional costs. It is easy to add or reduce the different types of services from the entire service package without any difficulty. The improved scalability can also offer different types of customization for your convenience.

Security
As all your business data is extremely important and confidential, they must be provided with a proper security. The security process will remain tight within the cloud system. When you are allowing the outside eyes to access your system, you must ensure a tight security system for your data. The hosting services should have access to all the security measures. With the introduction of the new technologies, the hosting securities will become stronger.

Location Independence
Through the cloud backup systems, you can access all your data irrespective of your location. As the data can be accessed through the internet from any place, you can use your own device like the smartphones for accumulating and using all your data.

Drawbacks of Cloud Backup

Though there are various advantages of cloud backup hosting, you can observe few disadvantages too.

Vendor Lock-In
As the cloud system is totally dependent on the provider, the vendor lock-ins may sometime become difficult to access. The migration from one vendor to the other is not a convenient process in the cloud. When the user wishes to change the provider, he will require transferring the entire database to the new provider. This proves to be a tiresome job with risks of losing data during the transfer.

Downtime and Technical Difficulties
Though the smaller business will not face difficulties of downtime, the established IT companies may keep in mind that they may face dysfunctions frequently.

Security and Privacy
The cloud can face several issues of security and privacy. As the company deals with sensitive data, the reliability of the cloud provider will be questioned in case of loss or deletion of data. The companies should go to a trustworthy cloud vendor to ensure that their data will remain confidential.

Limited Control
As most of the applications run through the third party virtual environments, the users will enjoy a very limited control. The execution and the function of the software and the hardware also have limited access. As limited tools are used, the local features of the applications are usually absent.

Vulnerability
The cloud based solutions are generally exposed to the public internet and therefore can be corrupted by hackers and the spam users. The leakage of the confidential information to the world cannot be prevented from security breaches and the serious attacks.

Even if you possess dedicated IT employees in your firm, you will require data backup and it can be easily done through the cloud network. The cloud hosting can help in cutting the expenses of the firms and therefore focus towards the core business can be increased very easily. You just need to ensure that you are maintaining a proper security for your confidential data in the cloud systems.