Visualizing Google Cloud

CHAPTER TWOStorage

Cloud storage is a simple, reliable, and scalable method for easily storing, retrieving, and sharing data in the cloud. Cloud providers offer managed data storage services that eliminate the need for buying and managing your own storage infrastructure. Cloud storage gives you the flexibility to scale your storage infrastructure as needed, globally and durably.

Fundamental characteristics of an effective cloud storage service include:

• Security — Data is stored securely (encrypted at rest and in transit).
• Durability — Data is stored redundantly, so it is not lost in the event of a disruption.
• Availability — Data is available at all times, whenever it's needed.

Common cloud storage use cases include:

• Compliance and business continuity — You can use cloud storage backup and recovery capabilities to help meet compliance and business continuity requirements.
• Data lakes — You can use data lakes based on cloud storage to store information in its raw/native form with metadata for selective access and data analysis.
• Application development — Storage is critical for development and testing. You can use cloud storage to store and serve static files (for websites) globally, create fast applications, and deploy shared file systems across teams.

This chapter covers the three types of cloud data storage: object storage, file storage, and block storage. It also covers the distinct advantages and use cases for each type, as well as the Google Cloud storage options that ...