How to handle data management in the cloud

The phrase data management is used so often, it takes on different meanings. For our purposes, we're talking about the features backup and recovery vendors offer, including migration, archiving and compliance. And, in the case of this handbook, we're focusing on the significant and still relatively new process of data management in the cloud.

It's important to fully grasp what a cloud-based backup vendor provides when it touts data management. Be wary of buzzwords. Terms like artificial intelligence and test/dev may be mentioned, but that doesn't necessarily mean they will benefit your organization's unique requirements.

We're at a crucial juncture. The volume of cloud data is escalating -- almost to a breaking point -- which makes data management in the cloud a critical process. Not only do you want to ensure you have a handle on all that data, you need to get the most benefit out of it. Why should backup data only be used for backups when you may never even need those backups? That's where other uses come in, such as analytics, that offer a shot to gain a better, deeper understanding of your data.

To further complicate but also potentially help matters is the concept of using not just the cloud, but multiple clouds for secondary storage. That's where data management features like migration can be of use. Multiple clouds are the equivalent of not storing all your eggs in one basket. But the bottom line is that you must be able to manage that data effectively.

To improve your knowledge of this movement, read on as we detail benefits of data management in the cloud, challenges associated with the technology and ways to overcome them, and how to tackle environments that use multiple clouds.

By

• Paul Crocetti, Senior Site Editor