Cloud Storage Comes Down To Earth

Few advances in storage have been hyped as much as "cloud storage." Every vendor in the space is painting its products and message with a cloud veneer. But for all this hype, there is little clarity about what cloud storage really means and how it might be used. Currently, only three cloud storage use cases are ready for prime time: 1) whole in-cloud applications with their own storage; 2) backup to the cloud; and 3) file storage in the cloud. As you explore these use cases, you'll need to select vendors that provide the proper underlying facilities, infrastructure, and storage management applications. You'll also need to work with these vendors to ensure that you have transparency into their storage operations; contracts with meaningful risk sharing by both parties; price breaks for early adopters; and innovative solutions tailor-made for your business. Done right, cloud storage promises to free up your I&O staff from complex and onerous storage management tasks, but you must push for SLAs that are as good as, if not better than, ones you could offer internally.