Data Storage Devices

The Evolution of Data Storage Devices: Exploring the Options

Data storage devices play a critical aspect of any business's infrastructure. As organisations continue to generate and accumulate vast amounts of data, the need for reliable and secure storage devices becomes increasingly important. In today's digital landscape, where cyber threats like ransomware attacks are on the rise, businesses must prioritise implementing robust data storage solutions to protect their valuable assets.

In this blog post, we will explore different types of data storage devices that businesses can leverage to safeguard their information against potential breaches. From internal storage options within your own servers to external devices that offer additional security features, we'll delve into the world of immutable storage and help you make informed decisions about protecting your business-critical data.

Different types of data storage devices

Internal storage devices refer to the storage options available within your organisation's own servers or computing infrastructure. These devices are typically built into the system and provide a convenient way to store and access data quickly.

Hard Disks

One of the most commonly used internal storage devices is a hard disk drive (HDD). HDDs consist of rotating platters that store data magnetically. They have been around for decades and offer large storage capacities at an affordable price point, making them ideal for businesses with extensive data needs. With capacities now in excess of 25TB they are still an affordable and convenient way of storing data.

Solid State Drives

However, as ransomware attacks become more prevalent, it is crucial to consider additional security measures. This is where solid-state drives (SSDs) come into play. Unlike HDDs, SSDs have no moving parts and rely on flash memory technology to store data. Due to their design, SSDs not only offer faster read/write speeds but also provide better resistance against physical damage caused by external factors such as drops or shocks.

Network Attached Storage

Another form of internal storage gaining popularity among businesses is network-attached storage (NAS). NAS allows multiple users within an organisation to access shared files simultaneously over a local network connection. With features like RAID configurations for redundancy and backup capabilities, NAS offers enhanced data protection compared to traditional single-drive solutions.

USB Flash Drives

USB flash drives, also known as thumb drives or memory sticks, are portable data storage devices that connect to a computer via a USB port. They are small, lightweight, and offer varying storage capacities. USB flash drives are convenient for transporting and transferring data between devices. They are commonly used for sharing files, creating backups, and carrying important data on the go.

Tape Storage

Tape storage has been around for 70+ years and today with LTO-9 tape storing 18TB natively it provides great protection against ransomware and is ideal for data archiving with a roadmap to storing 500TB's on a single tape!

Cloud Storage

Cloud storage has emerged as a popular and convenient option for data storage. It involves storing data on remote servers accessed through the internet. Cloud storage offers several advantages, including virtually unlimited storage capacity, data accessibility from anywhere with an internet connection, automatic backups, and scalability. It is widely used by individuals, businesses, and organisations for data backup, collaboration, and seamless synchronisation across multiple devices. Additionally, these services often include built-in encryption protocols and backups that protect against ransomware attacks while ensuring high availability of critical business data.

SAN Storage

One of the most popular data storage devices in a data centre is SAN Storage.

SAN storage is a dedicated network that connects multiple storage devices, such as disk arrays, tape libraries, and servers. This network infrastructure allows for the consolidation of storage resources, providing a centralised and shared storage pool accessible by multiple servers. SANs utilise high-speed Fibre Channel or iSCSI connections to provide fast and reliable data transfers between devices.

The primary advantage of SAN storage is its ability to offer high-performance storage for critical applications and databases. SANs can deliver low-latency and high-bandwidth connections, ensuring swift data access and minimising performance bottlenecks. This makes SAN storage ideal for applications that require real-time data processing or handle heavy workloads.

Optical Storage

Whilst optical storage has been around for 30 years it's limited storage capacity of 128GB has prevented it becoming a main stream data storage device. Instead businesses who buy optical storage solutions are looking at storing data for over 100 years! Optical storage is ideal for storing sensitive or legal documents that need to be kept for corporate governance or legal requirements.

Object Storage

One of the newest data storage devices is object storage stores data as discrete objects, each with its unique identifier, metadata, and content. These objects are stored in a flat address space, allowing for efficient scalability and simplified data management. One of the primary advantages of object storage is its ability to handle massive amounts of unstructured data, such as images, videos, documents, and log files, without the need for complex file hierarchies.

Object storage excels in scalability and flexibility. It enables businesses to seamlessly scale their storage infrastructure to accommodate growing data volumes. Organisations can add or remove objects dynamically, without disrupting access to existing data. This scalability makes object storage ideal for cloud-based applications, big data analytics, content distribution, and archiving.

Data Storage Devices Conclusion

Data storage devices have evolved significantly, offering a range of options to suit different needs and requirements. From the traditional hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs) to USB flash drives, external hard drives, network-attached storage (NAS) devices, and cloud storage, each option comes with its own set of advantages and use cases. Understanding these devices can help individuals and businesses make informed decisions to effectively manage and store their valuable data.

By staying informed about emerging threats like ransomware attacks and utilising appropriate data storage devices such as internal or external options with features like immutable storage capabilities – you'll protect your business from potential disasters down the line!

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