2009: The year your data died -- With more and more data in the Cloud, we're starting to see how fragile the Internet can be

News Type: Event — Seeded on Fri Oct 16, 2009 9:08 AM EDT

Article Source: infoworld.com

technology, internet, apple, microsoft, facebook, data, cloud, cloud-computing, data-security

Data disasters at Microsoft, Apple, and Facebook all in the same week mean one thing: Your data -- and the Net itself -- are a lot more fragile than you may think

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{"commentId":10116790,"authorDomain":"killfile"}

Killfile

This is actually a really big deal. The point of Cloud Computing is that I don't have to worry about how the services I'm using are provided. Cloud data storage, for example, just means that I have a place to put my data. I don't know if its a RAID 5 configuration or a collection of flash drives on a desk in Rangoon...it's just a network drive as far as I'm concerned.

But the problem is that if I don't worry about implementation I can get really screwed by the people who are. Trusting my data to a storage company that doesn't back up their data is a recipe for disaster and it's not even a disaster I can really avoid unless I know they're not backing up.

{"commentId":10116790,"threadId":"702991","contentId":"3389250","authorDomain":"killfile"}

#1 - Fri Oct 16, 2009 9:51 AM EDT

{"commentId":10119731,"authorDomain":"tcervo"}

gecko85

The thing is, with many (most?) "cloud" services your data is also on your local computer(s). Certainly not true in the Microsoft/Danger Sidekick example, but true for many others. And if it's not that way out of the box, many have the capability if you want to enable it. I have my Gmail, Google Docs and Google Calendar all using the Offline plugin (it's in Settings-->Labs.) All my computers are in sync with what's "in the cloud," so if I'm offline or if Google were to suddenly cease to exist, I still have my data. All my contacts, all my emails, appointments, documents, etc.

Same goes for Dropbox, although that's the way it works right out of the box. Dropbox could shut its doors today and I wouldn't lose a thing. Not a single thing.

{"commentId":10119731,"threadId":"702991","contentId":"3389250","authorDomain":"tcervo"}

1 vote

#2 - Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:51 AM EDT

{"commentId":10132577,"authorDomain":"lewys"}

Lewys

Actually cloud servicing depends on correct configuration of front-end and back-end infrastructure systems (usually SAN or NAS which is built inherently redundant on many levels), the issue is when the front end hosts lose track of the data on the SAN, or a foolish engineer performs a fabric upgrade to the SAN that hits all parts of the fabric at once - eliminating the built in redundancy protections. We probably will never know what happened to the Danger/Sidekick data systems other than a terse and poorly worded or completely inaccurate version of the true impact and resolution.

{"commentId":10132577,"threadId":"702991","contentId":"3389250","authorDomain":"lewys"}

1 vote

#3 - Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:41 PM EDT

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"702991","isPrivate":false}

KILLFILE

Backyard

2009: The year your data died -- With more and more data in the Cloud, we're starting to see how fragile the Internet can be

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