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Use Cases for Cloud File Storage

Cloud file storage has various use cases. It provides the flexibility to support and integrate with existing applications while making it easy to deploy, manage, and maintain all your files in the cloud. These two main advantages give organizations the ability to support a wide range of applications and verticals. Use cases such as content repositories, development environments, media storage, and user home directories at scale are ideal workloads for cloud file storage. Here are some specific use cases for file storage:

1. Web Distribution
   The need for shared file storage for web distribution applications can pose challenges when integrating backend applications. Typically, multiple web servers deliver the content of a website, with each server needing access to the same set of files. Because cloud file storage solutions adhere to common file-level protocols, file naming conventions, and permissions familiar to web developers, cloud file storage can be integrated into your web applications.

2. Content Management
   Content Management Systems (CMS) require a common namespace and access to a hierarchical file system structure. Similar to web distribution use cases, CMS environments often have multiple servers that need access to the same set of files to distribute content. Because cloud file storage solutions adhere to the expected file system semantics, file naming conventions, and permissions familiar to developers, the storage of documents and other files can be integrated into the existing CMS workflow.

3. Analytics
   Analytics may require massive data repositories with further scalability to keep pace with growth. This storage must also provide the performance necessary to deliver data to analytics tools. Many analytics workloads interact with data through a file interface, relying on features such as file locking and the ability to write to parts of a file. Since cloud file storage supports common file-level protocols and can scale both capacity and performance, it is ideal for providing file-sharing solutions that can easily integrate into existing big data and analytics workflows.

4. Media and Entertainment
   Workflows in the digital Media and Entertainment industry are continuously evolving. Many businesses use hybrid cloud deployments and require standardized access via file system protocols (NFS or SMB) or concurrent access protocols. These workflows demand flexible, consistent, and secure access to data from ready-to-use solutions built for you and your partners. Since cloud file storage adheres to the existing file system semantics, rich media content repositories for processing and collaboration can be integrated into content production, digital supply chains, media content delivery, data transmission, analytics, and archiving.

5. Home Directories
   Using home directories to store files that only specific users and groups can access can benefit many cloud workflows. Businesses looking to leverage the scalability and cost benefits of the cloud will extend access to home directories for many of their users. Since cloud file storage systems adhere to common file-level protocols and standard permission models, customers can preserve and migrate applications to the cloud that require this capability.

6. Database Backups
   Backing up data using existing mechanisms, software, and semantics can lead to disaster recovery scenarios that are separate with limited flexibility on recovery locations. Many businesses want to take advantage of the flexibility of storing database backups in the cloud to temporarily protect previous versions while updating or for development and testing. Because cloud file storage represents a standard file system that can be mounted from database servers, it can be an ideal platform for creating mobile database backups using either native applications or enterprise backup applications.

7. Development Tools
   Development environments can be challenged to share unstructured data securely and privately as they collaborate to develop their latest improvements. With the need to share code and other files in an organized way, utilizing shared cloud file storage provides an organized and secure repository that is accessible within a cloud development environment. Cloud file storage provides a scalable and highly available solution, ideal for collaboration.

8. Storage for Containers and Serverless Applications
   Containers are ideal for building microservices because they are provisioned quickly, are portable, and allow for process isolation. Containers that require access to original data each time they start may need a shared file system that they can connect to, regardless of which version they are running on. Cloud file storage can provide continuous shared access to data that all containers in a cluster can use. You can increase flexibility with serverless cloud computing while spending less time on security, scalability, and availability for your applications. For example, you can run large-scale, mission-critical serverless applications on AWS Lambda. Cloud file storage can provide a serverless data repository with high durability and availability for sharing data that needs to exist outside and between Lambda function executions.

9. End-User Computing
   End-User Computing (EUC) services combine technologies that provide your workforce secure remote access to the applications, desktops, and data they need to complete their work. Modern businesses use EUC to enable their employees to work anywhere, on multiple devices, securely and flexibly. EUC technologies such as persistent desktops and document management systems require secure, reliable, and flexible file storage systems.