Every business stores data: documents, backups, media files, databases. The right place to keep it depends on how much you have, who needs to reach it, how fast, and how much control you want over it.
This article walks through the main options, from the drives inside a server to network storage, cloud storage and storage VPS servers, and compares cloud storage with a storage VPS so you can pick the one that fits.
Hardware: HDD vs. SSD
Hard disk drives (HDDs) store data on spinning magnetic disks. They offer large capacity at a low cost per gigabyte, but they are slower and have moving parts that wear out.
Solid state drives (SSDs) store data in flash memory with no moving parts. They are much faster and more durable, but cost more per gigabyte, although prices keep falling.
In short: HDDs suit large amounts of data that don't need to be read quickly, such as backups and archives. SSDs suit work that needs speed, such as databases and websites.
Data storage solutions
Beyond single drives, these systems store and share data on a larger scale.
Direct Attached Storage (DAS)
DAS is storage connected straight to one computer or server, such as its internal drives or an external drive over USB or Thunderbolt. It is fast and simple, but other devices can't reach it over a network without extra setup. It suits a single user or server, for example for video editing.
Network Attached Storage (NAS)
A NAS is a dedicated storage device on a local network, with its own operating system. Several users and devices can share its files, and many NAS devices also allow remote access. RAID setups protect the data against a failed drive.
Storage Area Network (SAN)
A SAN is a dedicated high-speed network that connects storage to servers at block level, as if the storage were a local disk. It offers high performance and redundancy, but needs specialized hardware and skills, so it is mostly used by large companies and data centers.
Cloud storage solutions
Cloud storage keeps data in a provider's data centers, reached over the internet. It comes in three main forms:
- File storage services such as Dropbox, Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive: easy sharing and syncing for people and teams.
- Object storage such as Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage and Azure Blob Storage: stores files as objects for applications, at almost any scale.
- Block storage such as AWS Elastic Block Store or Google Persistent Disk: disks for virtual machines and databases.
Cloud storage scales easily and can be reached from anywhere. On the other hand, prices often depend on the data stored, the requests made and the data downloaded, and your files sit on a large provider's platform under its terms.
Storage VPS servers
A storage VPS (virtual private server) is a virtual server built for disk space rather than raw processing power. One physical server with large drives is split into several virtual servers, and each customer gets their own share of the disk space and their own server environment.
Like a NAS, a storage VPS gives you central storage you can reach remotely, but it runs in a provider's data center instead of on your premises. Like cloud storage, it is reached over the internet and can grow with you. Unlike a file storage service, it is a server: you choose how to use the space.
Cloud storage vs. storage VPS
- Control: a cloud storage service gives you its app and its features. A storage VPS is your own server, so you choose the software: a backup target with rsync or BorgBackup, file transfer over SFTP, or your own file sharing with Nextcloud.
- Cost: cloud storage is often billed for the data stored plus the data downloaded. A storage VPS has a fixed monthly price for a set amount of space, and plans often include generous or unmetered traffic, which keeps costs predictable.
- Privacy: with a storage VPS, you choose the provider and the country your data is stored in. The provider can still reach the server's disks, so encrypt sensitive files before you upload them.
- Scale: object storage grows without limit and suits applications that store billions of files. A storage VPS suits a known amount of data, from hundreds of gigabytes to several terabytes, and you upgrade the plan when you need more.
- Work required: a cloud storage service needs no maintenance. On a storage VPS, you set up and update the software yourself.
Choose cloud storage for easy file sharing or for storage that has to scale without limits. Choose a storage VPS for backups, archives and media libraries where you want a fixed price, full control and your data in a location you choose.
Final words
There is no single best storage option. Fast SSDs for live work, HDD capacity for archives, a NAS or SAN on site, cloud storage for sharing, and a storage VPS for backups and large files all have their place. Many businesses combine several of them.
LyraHosting storage VPS servers
Our offshore storage VPS servers in the Netherlands offer 250 GB to 8 TB of SAS storage on OpenVZ, unmetered traffic and standard anti-DDoS protection, from €7.99 a month. They are built for backups, archives, media libraries and file hosting, and you can upgrade the plan as your data grows.
