T101.5 - Cloud Services (drive, backup, software VMs) |
"Cloud" -- a word with too many meanings and connotations for the layman to decipher.
What is the cloud?
I'm going to break down Cloud services into 4 Categories:
So many questions...
What is the cloud?
- The cloud is a term coined to talk about your data when it's not stored on your machine.
- Websites are "in the cloud", but it wasn't until more and more of our data started going out there for permanent storage for access from multiple computers (for operations) or for backup that the word really started to climb in uses other than nature.
I'm going to break down Cloud services into 4 Categories:
- Cloud Drives for Data Storage, File Sharing and Backup
- Cloud Back-up Services
- Cloud Software
- Cloud Based PCs (aka Virtual Machines)
So many questions...
- Which cloud services do what?
- Are the all the same?
- Which ones over lap others?
- Which ones are substitutes and which ones are compliments?
- How do they all work and what the benefits and draw backs are there with each service?
- Does the company owning or hosting it matter?
- etc etc etc...
1) Cloud Drives for Data Storage, File Sharing and Backup
The word "Drive" in Cloud Drive is misleading. The word "drive" conjures up thoughts of your hard drive, an external hard drive, a USB thumb drive, a CD Rom drive or a floppy drive and all of those are slightly misleading thoughts.
In this case a "drive" is actually much less than all of those because a drive is just a "folder" on a hard drive that is connected to some computer somewhere else in the world. You access this folder via the internet and some type of software tools that may or may not require installation on your machine. You may go straight through a web browser to get there. You may use a client for FTP (File Transfer Protocal), etc.
Yes, your cloud drive is just a folder on a computer somewhere else in the world that has been created for your use. In some cases, you may have a mirror of that folder on your own computer, where it shows up as just a folder among your other folders on your computer.
In this case a "drive" is actually much less than all of those because a drive is just a "folder" on a hard drive that is connected to some computer somewhere else in the world. You access this folder via the internet and some type of software tools that may or may not require installation on your machine. You may go straight through a web browser to get there. You may use a client for FTP (File Transfer Protocal), etc.
Yes, your cloud drive is just a folder on a computer somewhere else in the world that has been created for your use. In some cases, you may have a mirror of that folder on your own computer, where it shows up as just a folder among your other folders on your computer.
When you don't have a folder on your computer that mirrors the other, here's what that infrastructure looks like:
When you have a folder on your computer that mirrors the other, here's what that infrastructure looks like:
Pretty simple huh?
- A Remote Folder -- A folder gets designated on a foreign computer that is connected to the internet somewhere in the world other than your own home/office.
- You access the contents of that folder via a website interface or a small software program that is loaded on your computer (not a possibility on a Chromebook).
- You can upload and download files to this folder with the software programs.
- Sometimes you can view the contents in the folder on the cloud without downloading, sometimes you must download to see the file contents.
When you have a folder on your computer that mirrors the other, here's what that infrastructure looks like:
- A Local Folder --- A folder gets designated on your computer as the folder that represents your cloud drive. Any data files you put in that folder are said to be stored on your "cloud drive" (even though they are just in a folder on your computer).
- A Remote Folder -- A folder gets designated on a foreign computer that is connected to the internet somewhere in the world other than your own home/office, and that folder is going to be a mirror image of the folder on your computer.
- A small software program is loaded on your computer which periodically checks the contents of your folder, and when something changes in your folder, it uploads a copy of your new file to the folder on the foreign computer.
Pretty simple huh?
FTP, HTTP and File Transfer Protocol == Great little learning snippet here!!
For those with some technical background or those wanting relevant info, these cloud services are typically (always?) just FTP services run on a schedule or a trigger. FTP is a type of file transfer protocol that is called "File Transfer Protocol". If that sounds a little silly, this might clear some things up. HTTP, which is the protocol for making calls to web servers for websites is also just a "file transfer protocol". The difference is that FTP just passes full files, without caring about the nature of the content, and HTTP will only pass out files with a text content which can be read by a web browser.
=== Access to your Data -- How and Why? ===
In almost all modern day services marketed as a "cloud drive", you can access files on your cloud drive via a website associated with your cloud drive service provider. That website may also be called a web portal since it is giving you access to your data. Your web portal would be accessed by opening a website in any browser and logging into the website.
For those with some technical background or those wanting relevant info, these cloud services are typically (always?) just FTP services run on a schedule or a trigger. FTP is a type of file transfer protocol that is called "File Transfer Protocol". If that sounds a little silly, this might clear some things up. HTTP, which is the protocol for making calls to web servers for websites is also just a "file transfer protocol". The difference is that FTP just passes full files, without caring about the nature of the content, and HTTP will only pass out files with a text content which can be read by a web browser.
=== Access to your Data -- How and Why? ===
In almost all modern day services marketed as a "cloud drive", you can access files on your cloud drive via a website associated with your cloud drive service provider. That website may also be called a web portal since it is giving you access to your data. Your web portal would be accessed by opening a website in any browser and logging into the website.
- If you stored pictures in your cloud drive you could access those from anywhere in the world via a web browser.
- If you stored word documents or spreadsheets that were reference items, like maybe your recipes, on your cloud drive, you could access those via any web browser
=== Data Sharing ===
If you stored images on your cloud drive you typically will partition those into folders by date or content or other. You might then want to share some of those images or a folder with a group of them (or all of them) with your relatives, so they could see all images all the time. Cloud drives typically allow sharing by allowing you to send out an email inviting someone to view. They may be able to view from a simple link in the email, or they may need to setup a username and pw to access the service, or they may gain access to the service and your folder because 1) they are already a member of the service and 2) you invited them to a portion of your drive with viewing and/or edit access.
If you stored your recipes on your drive, you might want to share those too. You would share those by logging into your web portal and designating other members of the same service with permissions to view your files, or there is an invitation system for non members as described above, or there may be a link which allows anyone with the link to view your stuff.
=== Multiple Computers ===
If you have a computer at home and another computer at work, you may want to share certain files related to work on both computers. In this situation, when the small program on your computer looks for changes in your local files, it also looks for new files and newer copies of existing files on the cloud drive which may have been uploaded from another computer sharing that drive in the recent past. It brings those new copies down to your computer for storage and access. NOTE: It does not bring parts of files down... it brings complete files down and overwrites any existing files. This is a distinction that becomes far more relevant later.
=== Cloud Drive Service Providers ===
One of the first in this market and one of the most well known is DropBox. They were/are not affiliated with the tech giants. There are dozens if not hundreds of providers that popped up after such as Crashplan, SugarSynch, Carbonite, and many others.
The shared drives for the tech giants are GoogleDrive (Google), OneDrive (microsoft), iCloud Drive (apple). All of these were slower out of the gate but most have caught up and surpassed the basic offerings of the others. Some of the others still offer superior features for niches and users with higher tech demands such as advanced file filtering options and advanced encryption.
If you stored images on your cloud drive you typically will partition those into folders by date or content or other. You might then want to share some of those images or a folder with a group of them (or all of them) with your relatives, so they could see all images all the time. Cloud drives typically allow sharing by allowing you to send out an email inviting someone to view. They may be able to view from a simple link in the email, or they may need to setup a username and pw to access the service, or they may gain access to the service and your folder because 1) they are already a member of the service and 2) you invited them to a portion of your drive with viewing and/or edit access.
If you stored your recipes on your drive, you might want to share those too. You would share those by logging into your web portal and designating other members of the same service with permissions to view your files, or there is an invitation system for non members as described above, or there may be a link which allows anyone with the link to view your stuff.
=== Multiple Computers ===
If you have a computer at home and another computer at work, you may want to share certain files related to work on both computers. In this situation, when the small program on your computer looks for changes in your local files, it also looks for new files and newer copies of existing files on the cloud drive which may have been uploaded from another computer sharing that drive in the recent past. It brings those new copies down to your computer for storage and access. NOTE: It does not bring parts of files down... it brings complete files down and overwrites any existing files. This is a distinction that becomes far more relevant later.
=== Cloud Drive Service Providers ===
One of the first in this market and one of the most well known is DropBox. They were/are not affiliated with the tech giants. There are dozens if not hundreds of providers that popped up after such as Crashplan, SugarSynch, Carbonite, and many others.
The shared drives for the tech giants are GoogleDrive (Google), OneDrive (microsoft), iCloud Drive (apple). All of these were slower out of the gate but most have caught up and surpassed the basic offerings of the others. Some of the others still offer superior features for niches and users with higher tech demands such as advanced file filtering options and advanced encryption.
2) Cloud Back-up Services
A Cloud Drive for Data Storing and Sharing, as described above is in fact also a cloud backup service, but that only "backs-up" data in a single folder on your computer.
What sets this category apart is the "scope" with which full cloud backup services back up your data, and the nature in which you can retrieve your data.
True cloud Backup Services are typically designed far less for sharing your data and syncing your data and more for just backing it up and keeping multiple revisions of each file in the event you need to recover that data or those revisions for some reason.
As the industry has matured, many cloud Backup Services have tried to expand their product to also be considered drive services as described in the prior section. There are always trade-offs to each service offering and it is not necessarily easy to figure out who does what, and what you actually "need", with the later being a key most people overlook.
Cloud Backup Providers who can access all levels of files on your machine for backup Include:
== These are NEVER bit for bit images of a drive for full system recovery ===
You might think if a backup company could literally backup every file on your computer that would be a copy of your hard drive. Unfortunately that is not the case. While all the "files" are there with these backups, there are certain types of data and configuration info that is not and can not be saved with this method to create a true bit for bit backup of your computer.
What sets this category apart is the "scope" with which full cloud backup services back up your data, and the nature in which you can retrieve your data.
- Cloud Drive >> One Folder -- all your data must be in that folder
- Cloud Backup Service >> Any and all folders on your computer can be backed up, as you wish, based on time intervals, updates, file types etc. You can also select exactly which folders back up and which don't, etc.
True cloud Backup Services are typically designed far less for sharing your data and syncing your data and more for just backing it up and keeping multiple revisions of each file in the event you need to recover that data or those revisions for some reason.
As the industry has matured, many cloud Backup Services have tried to expand their product to also be considered drive services as described in the prior section. There are always trade-offs to each service offering and it is not necessarily easy to figure out who does what, and what you actually "need", with the later being a key most people overlook.
Cloud Backup Providers who can access all levels of files on your machine for backup Include:
- Crashplan, Spider Oak, Carbonite and many others
- UPDATE 7/16/2019: Crashplan was the market leader for those of us who appreciated great tech from great engineers. In the 2018 time frame they were bought out/sold out and some of that great tech got buried, while others got a far more expensive price tag. Extremely frustrating, yet again...
== These are NEVER bit for bit images of a drive for full system recovery ===
You might think if a backup company could literally backup every file on your computer that would be a copy of your hard drive. Unfortunately that is not the case. While all the "files" are there with these backups, there are certain types of data and configuration info that is not and can not be saved with this method to create a true bit for bit backup of your computer.
3) Cloud Software
Cloud Software is just a website in which you log in and you create and store data.
With truly cloud based software, there is typically no installation of software of any kind on your computer. All the functionality of the software is built into a website, and your data and information is stored in databases, text files or other types of data files on computers located somewhere in the world.
Often times you can download copies of your data, but that data will have been reformatted from their data format to a data format that can be viewed or queried by you.
- Quickbooks Online and Quicken Online are examples of Cloud Software.
- Facebook and Evernote are also in fact examples of Cloud Software.
- Lucid Chart is a cloud software (flow charting) that would compete with Visio (microsofts flow charting software)
- gDocs and gSheets are googles cloud based versions of msWord and msExcel. THESE ARE LIFE ALTERING. THESE ARE WHY WE ULTIMATELY ARE SAYING ITS TIME TO SHIFT TOWARDS YOUR TECH CENTER WITH GOOGLE PLATFORM TOOLS.
With truly cloud based software, there is typically no installation of software of any kind on your computer. All the functionality of the software is built into a website, and your data and information is stored in databases, text files or other types of data files on computers located somewhere in the world.
Often times you can download copies of your data, but that data will have been reformatted from their data format to a data format that can be viewed or queried by you.
4) Cloud Based PC's (aka Virtual Machines)
Cloud based PC's also known as "Virtual Machines", "Virtual PCs", and 'Virtual Desktops" have become popular since the mid 2000s at mid size and large companies.
This example may be slightly oversimplified. I haven't used one of these in a long time. Im not sure if you can log in via a web browser yet or if you always need to download a small software client that you have to use to log in. If it is the later, this later part is simply for greater security and/or data transfer speeds or some other tech requirement, and that would exclude use access from a Chromebook.
- You log onto a computer (Mac or PC or Linux or Chromebook (maybe) or other)
- You open up a web browser window or a software client and you log in
- You are presented with a complete computer desktop in an internet browser window or a window
- If you maximize the window, you may not realize you aren't working on your own computer
- All your work is then done in that window and in fact, your programs and your data is all being served from cloud servers.
- Its as if you logged into someone elses machine and are looking over their shoulder, except this machine is yours, just not sitting in the same room.
- Some/most systems will likely require you to download a small software application called a "software client" that will actually give you access to your virtual machine. If this is required, you would not be able to access your VM from a Chromebook. If they use a fully web based portal (I don't know if that exists) then you could use a Chromebook.
This example may be slightly oversimplified. I haven't used one of these in a long time. Im not sure if you can log in via a web browser yet or if you always need to download a small software client that you have to use to log in. If it is the later, this later part is simply for greater security and/or data transfer speeds or some other tech requirement, and that would exclude use access from a Chromebook.
Yes, it's really that simple.
Pros
Cons
Virtual Machines are an exceptional solution for folks who struggle with managing and maintaining their own PCs or Macs.
This solution is typically more sought out these days by small businesses with a few to a few dozen employees as it eliminates the expensive and complex onsite support they would need to keep a bunch of computers running and up to date.
My recollection is a decent setup from a processing and storage perspective with a few licenses for popular Microsoft Office products may run you $65 to $135/month.
And while that may seem like a lot, onsite PC Support typically runs $85-150/hour with a two hour minimum, so even if you are only getting help every 2 months, it would be cheaper to buy this setup and gain a lot in both flexibility and support.
If you shift much of your work flow to Google Office Suite products (GDocs, GSheets, etc), this really is not a benefit, but if you are committed to Microsoft Office products or other complex local software applications, and the world of computer maintenance and back up systems seems overwhelming, this is something that should be considered.
This is a little outside the scope of use applicable for most Sole Proprietors, but it is an option that may be worth considering if/when you want or need multiple work stations and you aren't that handy with troubleshooting computers.
For an example of pricing, please see: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/virtual-machines/windows/
There are hundreds if not thousands of companies that offer this service. If interested do your research.
- You go to a specific web address or enter a set of specific credentials into your client software, and whala! in a window on your computer you are looking at the desktop of a remote pc that belongs to you
- If you maximize that window, you may not realize you are not working on your own machine.
Pros
- The company hosting this machine takes care of all operating system updates and they monitor the hardware its running on for faults and they fix outside of your interaction
- You have someone to call if something seems to not be working from an OS perspective and maybe even a software perspective
- You can typically buy licenses for software by the month, lowering licensing costs
- You've basically outsourced the hardware portion of your IT needs
Cons
- You can only work on a single screen
- There is a monthly cost that typically starts around $35-75/month for a fully managed machine and you may see companies require a monthly minimum higher than what's quoted here
Virtual Machines are an exceptional solution for folks who struggle with managing and maintaining their own PCs or Macs.
- This eliminates all data backup issues
- Free or low cost computer support for your virtual machine
- Very low technical support needed for local machines
- Ability to purchase software licenses by the month and as needed (great for adding and removing employees)
This solution is typically more sought out these days by small businesses with a few to a few dozen employees as it eliminates the expensive and complex onsite support they would need to keep a bunch of computers running and up to date.
My recollection is a decent setup from a processing and storage perspective with a few licenses for popular Microsoft Office products may run you $65 to $135/month.
And while that may seem like a lot, onsite PC Support typically runs $85-150/hour with a two hour minimum, so even if you are only getting help every 2 months, it would be cheaper to buy this setup and gain a lot in both flexibility and support.
If you shift much of your work flow to Google Office Suite products (GDocs, GSheets, etc), this really is not a benefit, but if you are committed to Microsoft Office products or other complex local software applications, and the world of computer maintenance and back up systems seems overwhelming, this is something that should be considered.
This is a little outside the scope of use applicable for most Sole Proprietors, but it is an option that may be worth considering if/when you want or need multiple work stations and you aren't that handy with troubleshooting computers.
For an example of pricing, please see: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/virtual-machines/windows/
There are hundreds if not thousands of companies that offer this service. If interested do your research.