Data storage is important in today’s digital world, especially if you’re running a business. It ensures that important information is there when you need it with the click of a button. Unfortunately, many businesses discover that their data isn’t there when they click that button. Instead, it has to be hunted down, which can take a lot of precious time.
Do yourself a favor and streamline your data storage strategy with these tips so your data can always be found quickly and easily.
Storing your own data isn’t such a big deal when you don’t have a lot to store. However, the task can become monumental as your business grows. Instead of trying to maintain your own hardware and systems, you should migrate to the cloud.
With a successful cloud migration strategy, you can enjoy benefits like:
- Reduced costs because you no longer have to maintain your own hardware and software
- Scalability so you can scale up or down your resources as needed
- Increased performance with cloud computing technology that is always up-to-date
When you migrate to the cloud, you get the expertise and security of relying on experts who are always up-to-date on all the latest innovations and compliance associated with data storage strategies.
Archive Appropriate Data
All data shouldn’t be treated the same. Some data you have to access on a regular basis, while other data is accessed infrequently. Some data may never be accessed at all, but it needs to be stored in the event that it’s needed.
Know which data is which so you can store it accordingly. Important, frequently-accessed data requires more attention in regards to backups and maintenance, but archived data does not. It can be stored on high-capacity disk drives or a cloud archive service.
Not only does it keep your main system more usable, but these kinds of storage services are more affordable, which means you can save money when you add an archive to your data storage strategy.
Backup the Right Data
Backing up data is one of the biggest headaches associated with data storage. Knowing how to backup your data and how often is difficult, with many businesses paying the price for putting off backups.
Turning to a cloud provider can make this easier, as they backup your data for you, but it can get costly. The more data you have to backup, the more money you’re going to spend, and the more complicated your data storage system gets.
Instead, decide what needs to be backed up and what doesn’t. For example, you may decide that archived data does not need to be backed up. In addition, copies of files do not need to be backed up, and you may decide not to back up digital versions of information that is printed and stored in a filing cabinet.
Get Rid of Redundant Data
The larger your system gets, the more likely it is that you will create redundant data. It includes copies of files that are stored in different places, but it can also include portions of files that are stored in multiple places. If you have lots of redundant data, it can bog down your system and create a filing nightmare.
Create a plan to tackle redundant data. Start by making sure that backup data is deduplicated. That way you don’t end up with new versions of files every single time they are backed up.
It also includes deciding where a file should be located and deleting other places it is stored to help free up space.
Consolidate Systems
Data storage is relatively easy to manage when a business is young, but over the years, it’s easy to pile on different systems as the company grows. Using a new system is an easy way to handle growing capacity needs, but years later, you’re spending time, money, and resources to maintain separate systems.
Although it takes time and money upfront, consolidating your storage systems into just one larger unit makes managing your data a lot easier. It gives you one place to access everything instead of trying to figure out what is stored where.
Compress Big Files
Large files can wreak havoc on your data storage systems. Not only do they take up a lot of space, but load times can be slow when you’re dealing with high-resolution images or long video files.
Instead of storing those files as-is, compress large files instead. A compressed file takes up a lot less space, which means your system will run more efficiently. It also means you’ll need less data overall, which can save you money.
It doesn’t compromise the quality of your files either. They can still be accessed in their original state. You can keep files that you would otherwise be tempted to delete, and you can more efficiently store important files without compromising the speed or efficiency of your system.
Use an Organizational System That Works for You
All the strategies in the world can’t make up for an unorganized system. No matter how you choose to store your files, it’s important to develop an organizational system that works for you.
That means taking some time to think about how you will want to browse your files in the future. It means knowing how quickly you want to be able to access some of your data and knowing which data doesn’t need to be so readily available.
Make a plan to organize your data, and then keep it organized as you go. It’s much easier to take a few moments to place files where they belong than it does to put it off until you have an entire digital pile of files that will take hours to organize.
Data storage can get out of hand quickly if you let it. Not only will it cost you time, but it also puts you at risk of losing important files. Follow the tips on this list and you can create an efficient data storage strategy that works for you.
THE AUTHOR: Susan Melony
