Introduction
The world’s need for data storage is rapidly increasing due to several interconnected factors. First, the internet has revolutionized how information is created, shared, and consumed. With billions of people online daily, activities such as streaming videos, using social media, and uploading files generate staggering amounts of data that must be stored and managed on servers worldwide. Second, the proliferation of smart devices—smartphones, laptops, and tablets—has further amplified this demand. These devices constantly create and consume data, from high-resolution photos and videos to app downloads and cloud backups. As the number of devices per person grows, so does the volume of data being generated. Additionally, everything is becoming digital. Analog mediums like books, newspapers, and even banking have largely transitioned to digital formats. Industries such as healthcare, education, and entertainment are moving their operations online, generating massive data sets that require efficient and secure storage solutions. Moreover, the size of individual files has increased significantly. High-definition videos, 4K images, and advanced software applications require far more storage than earlier file formats. For example, a single movie in 4K resolution can occupy tens of gigabytes, and modern games and applications routinely exceed hundreds of gigabytes. As these trends continue, the need for robust and scalable data storage solutions will grow. Innovations such as cloud computing, data centers, and advancements in storage technology will be critical to meet the escalating demand and sustain the digital transformation of society.
Obsolete Media
Cloud storage
Cloud storage provides users with a means for storing data off-site. Information access occurs via the public internet or a private network. The provider of the cloud service assumes the security, management, and accessibility of the material. In many ways, this shifted burden has the potential to make a user’s input less vulnerable to access by unwanted parties. Thus, there are at least three key advantages to cloud storage. The first consideration is space, an essential element of successful storage. Keeping documentation on-site requires digital storage capacity or external devices. Such systems accommodate only a limited amount of files. No matter how much information they store, eventually users will run out of storage space and need to invest in more space. The second advantage is cost. Cloud service is cheaper than building and adding to storage area networks. Author David Linthicum, an expert in cloud services, concurs: “The idea is to share computing power among many companies and people thereby reducing the cost.” The third advantage is scalability. As users' data needs grow and shrink, they pay only for the storage they use. This advantage makes technology flexible for users, keeping them from investing heavily in on-site technology only to hit waves where their output is lower than it has been in the past. For these and other reasons, cloud storage is the superior system for users’ short and long term needs.
3-2-1 Backup plan
The 3-2-1 Backup Plan is a strategy for protecting data. Simply stated, a user should always maintain three copies of any data. All copies should contain the same version of the data and sync automatically as changes are entered into any version. Automatic syncing is a feature that allows backup copies to stay up to date in real time as revisions are made. In contrast, an archival copy is a place for the long-term storage of data. For example, the U.S. Constitution might be stored in an archive. The data needs to be preserved, but the original document is not being updated. Two of the three copies should be stored on-site on local media (your computer, external hard drive, etc.). One off-site copy should be on a network drive or cloud account. Any one of these copies can be used instantaneously to continue work if the copy you are editing becomes corrupt or lost. Tech specialists recommend that you “periodically move data to new storage media” to make sure the data remains accessible in the future (Tips on Looking After and Sharing Your Data, University of Cambridge). Undergraduate students should practice 3-2-1 data saving to protect their work. Many students work in Google Drive because they are able to share their documents with multiple users. Google drive automatically syncs changes as they are entered. However, some professors require that work be submitted in a Word Doc so many students copy and paste their work from Google to Word. However, a Word doc is not a true backup if syncing software is not used. Thus, most students do not truly practice 3-2-1 system.
