How Data Types Influence Storage Choices

At home, an overflowing closet or cramped attic can be a clue that it’s time to rent a storage space (or have a garage sale). You don’t need access to all of your belongings, all the time. And the same is true of data.

When businesses begin to amass so much data that it becomes difficult to manage, it’s time to look at storage solutions. That could mean moving your entire data center offsite, but another option is shifting only your least-accessed data to an offsite server.

What’s hot, and what’s not

Your most recent or essential data is considered “hot” data that requires fast access. As such, many businesses choose Rated-4 storage for hot data, because it comes with the highest uptime. But for “warm” and “cold” data – that which is accessed infrequently or may be required only for legal compliance only – a lesser tier is generally adequate.

Keep in mind that the relative newness of data isn’t the only factor to consider when deciding which data is suitable for cold storage. Review your database to see how frequently information is queried over time. You can find tools (some that are add-ons to brand-name databases) that will help you sort data, according to relevancy.

Single-use storage

Facebook has more than 1 billion users that, as a group, upload about 350 million photos every day. Managing this massive amount of data – from hot to cold – can add a lot to operating costs. That’s why Facebook uses offsite storage specifically for copies of user photos.

Here’s how that works: Facebook stores multiple copies of user photos; recent images that are accessed frequently have more copies in hot data storage. Images that are accessed less frequently have more copies in cold storage at offsite servers. By shifting data storage in this manner, Facebook reduced its photo-storage power needs by 75 percent.

Compliance and security

Cold data is not unimportant, so when looking for facilities that can house your data, find out whether they offer dependable compliance and security.

Even if your business doesn’t have federal government contracts, it’s wise to choose a data center that is certified FISMA-compliant, meaning it follows procedures outlined in the Federal Information Security Management Act.

Lifeline Data Centers is FISMA-compliant and holds several other compliance certifications. So whether you’re looking for space to store cold data or serve all your data storage needs, Lifeline can help. Schedule a tour today.

Other resources:

• Infographic: The 22 Data Center Compliance Acronyms You Need to Know
• White Paper: Why Data Center Compartmentalization is Important
• Lifeline One Sheet: What You Need to Know About Lifeline Data Centers

Rich Banta

Managing Member at Lifeline Data Centers

Rich is responsible for Compliance and Certifications, Data Center Operations, Information Technology, and Client Concierge Services. Rich has an extensive background in server and network management, large scale wide-area networks, storage, business continuity, and monitoring. Rich is a former CTO of a major health care system. Rich is hands-on every day in the data centers. He also holds many certifications, including: CISA – Certified Information Systems Auditor CRISC – Certified in Risk & Information Systems Management CDCE – Certified Data Center Expert CDCDP – Certified Data Center Design Professional