Cloud storage for thematic data

To the brim, to the full, filled with water, and sagging downwards from the weight,
And swelling with rain, they run on each other and crush each other.
And they explode with a bang like a bubble ...
Aristophanes, the comedy "Clouds"

A couple of years ago, in an article about the backup of a personal photo archive, I already wrote about the possibility of actively using cloud services for storing personal data of a certain type (it was about a photo). Since then, cloud technologies have been further developed, the gigabyte has fallen in price, and the dollar has risen in price; we both used Google Drive or Dropbox, and we continue to use them. In any case, if earlier the idea of ​​shoving a couple of terabytes of photos into the cloud occurred mainly to commercial photographers (videographers, musicians), now such a decision is becoming the norm rather than the exception to the rule. And the cost of storage ... well, almost everything has to be paid for! Moreover, as free cloud services (or at least those that give a good amount of storage as a free start) in our time are a dime a dozen. (For me, Yandex personally donated 210 Yandex gigabytes of cloud on the Yandex.Disk cloud, which is 210 times more than the hard drive capacity on my very first workstation!)

Taking into account these considerations, I would like to share my personal experience of using clouds to store thematic data. In my case, I will talk about photographs, but, as already noted above, exactly the same considerations can be followed by posting any multimedia data, projects or documents on cloud accounts). Naturally, the description of the advantages, disadvantages and methods of working with clouds is, in my case, somewhat subjective, so I will be happy with any additions, comments, and even refutations of my conclusions; I'm not an IT specialist, and therefore I cannot fully take into account, for example, all the subtle considerations of information security. In the end, the user's point of view can also be useful sometimes.
')

Access to cloud storage

As a user, I would divide cloud storage services into three groups according to the way content is accessed.

• The first (most rare) requires a special application to communicate with the repository.
• The second method is based on the use of browsers or other standard programs.
• The third way is a synchronized local folder on the computer.

All three methods have their advantages and disadvantages.

One cloud, one utility, one interface

The first method is good, for example, if the cloud in which the data is supposed to be stored is closely related to the functionality of the application. So, my favorite backup program, Handy Backup, offers cloud storage service backups HBdrive, unfortunately, paid. Google Picasa is tightly integrated with the Google Drive cloud as part of the Google+ service, which can be considered as a combination of all three standard approaches. Many photo hosting sites also work on the same principle, for example, the VKontakte photo storage service, repeatedly criticized by everyone for spoiled photos. Sadly, monsters sometimes come across that require the installation of a special client, even for the most basic function - uploading and uploading stored data to the cloud. Do not confuse these client programs with daemons or synchronization utilities that come with the third method. In our century, hardly anyone will put a special client just to copy files back and forth; most services offer simpler methods.

Interestingly, in the first case, in many cases, cloud services integrated with operating systems, such as OneDrive or Ubuntu One, are now, as far as I know, have long since died in Bose. When migrating from system to system, these cloud applications can cause you some headaches. The most decent developers here, for my taste, are the authors of iCloud - I have never had any problems accessing this cloud from other systems. But the holivar between Google / Android and Windows Mobile led to the offensive result that the highly useful and rich Google Drive cloud does not work correctly with a very good Microsoft Lumia 640XL phone. Truly, the lords are fighting, and at the lackeys the forelocks are cracking, and sacred wars between corporations (in which, naturally, crowds of “technically savvy” lemmings from both sides readily take part) suffer ordinary users who just want a good result with a minimum of hemorrhoids.

For our common good, the absolute majority of cloud service providers recognize that usability is the main priority for their audience and therefore offers the possibility of combining the first method with the second and / or third. But, if you suddenly had a lot of data on a very old or, say, on a very super-super-secure service that requires a separate client to work, ask just in case, does this service support the WebDAV interface? Serious tools for working with data always or almost always know how to use WebDAV, and properly setting up your client can save you a lot of effort later.
My resume: if the cloud is directly related to the application that you use - this method is beautiful. If you need to store some data “in general”, and not information for specific applications, then you will always communicate with the client, and especially with pumping out and hurriedly reloading your information when you think of this application (especially with this OS) somewhere move somewhere! It is better to ensure that in this case you have a backup option of accessing your cloud storage via the web interface (via a synchronized local folder, it is not suitable, since uninstalling the program, or even changing the OS, can deprive you of the client synchronization utility).

Web access and web clients

Perhaps the most common way to work with cloud services. The good thing is that it provides almost complete platform independence (there would be a corresponding plugin for the browser!). Load data back and forth, how many will fit! Moreover, a good service of this kind will certainly offer you additional options for accessing data through a web interface. So. In Yandex.Disk, you can edit your documents in the online version of Microsoft Office, and in iCloud, use the corporate Apple office editors Pages, Numbers and Keynote. The functions of online photo editing in cloud services are also well known, although, to put it mildly, they are inferior to the capabilities of Photoshop and even GIMP. In short, through the browser you can get not only the toolkit for downloading and uploading data, but also an excellent set of basic utilities that provide you with urgent and necessary fixes.

Minuses? It depends on which side to look at. The web interface, roughly speaking, works with the cloud, not with your data; in this case you work with data yourself. If you need, for example, to process a photo in a local editor, you must upload it to the correct directory, process it locally and then upload it back to the cloud. Sounds scary? And imagine that such pictures of three hundred pieces in a row? You can, of course, unload them all at once, especially if you used any idea of ​​structuring the catalog. And if they are scattered? The number of small unnecessary operations in this case progresses linearly; besides, the risk of human error increases (they downloaded, changed, and forgot to unload. Or, even worse, edited everything, got tired and, by mistake, unloaded the source code). And you need it?

Synchronized local folder

Yes, yes, it is now able to many. When Google Drive learns this under Linux, happiness and peace to the nations will come. For now we are content with what is. We put the synchronization utility in autorun, set up a connection with the cloud, create a local folder - voila! No magic, all your data is just there and there, and here! If you want, open them with local applications, like, use the cloud-based interface, set synchronization options, open access by reference or user name — whatever, everything is in your hands! The synchronization tool itself will take into account all changes you have made locally in the cloud storage.

And the changes made by your crooked hands (or dictated by the tired inattentive brain) - of course, will also be taken into account. And the results of the erroneous deletion (not through the basket, for you have already discovered the magic power Shift + Del for a long time) - naturally, they will be reflected too.

And the changes made by trojans, viruses, worms, every kind of Ransomware delivered there - they also must be completely and completely copied to the cloud from a poisonous local environment a kind and helpful synchronization utility.

Naturally, all this is more likely cavils. There is absolutely no reason to plant a virus repository on your PC in our age of digital education! And the regular backup of your digital data, too, has not been canceled. But the fact is a fact; Any service that synchronizes a local folder and a cloud account is subject to both types of hazards — both those that affect local data and those that threaten the network. Do not consider this a call to stop using synchronized repositories; I myself use Yandex.Disk, Google Drive, and Dropbox without a shadow of a doubt. Just remember: caution, caution and caution again! Do not work under the administrator account (yes, yes, and in Windows you must create a user without administrative privileges), turn on the firewall, do not put anything on the computer, make a regular backup and virus check ... well, can I teach you the elementary rules? ?! Then everything will be OK.

Cloud Storage Functionality

Well, if the cloud is associated with a specialized application; the whole set of functions, as they say, is obvious. In the case of photos, a good example is Google Picasa; everyone has a great service, and the cataloger, and the storage, and the albums creates - one problem: he does not want to work with RAW-files! It is worse if you have to deal with specific tricks of marketers before using the service; Loom's mega-popular cloud-based photo hosting site, for example, promises limitless photo storage, but actually provides only 250 GB for substantial (for the average amateur) $ 9.99 per month. It's worth it? Difficult question, to each his own, as they say. An annoying ad on Radikal, the former square image formats on Instagram (now, they say, this restriction has been lifted, fans of squares cry tears of blood), the curve rendering of VKontakte images is sure to come out. Check carefully everything that your chosen storage can actually do, including according to user feedback!

Especially carefully, I would recommend to approach the selection of obscure cloud storages, offering interesting and tasty things for a penny. Carefully read those paragraphs that are attributed in advertisements and agreements in the notorious small print! For example, you may be asked for money not only for storage, but also for the right to restore your data; In some cases, this is justified if we are talking about real “special security”, but more often it simply reflects the inflated appetites of the owners of the service. If you are offered “advertising” along with your shared data or, for example, the same pictures - check how it looks! Your colleagues are unlikely to want to download your project “slowly and free of charge, at a speed of 56 KB / s, after watching a three-minute pornorolik”, or “quickly and without advertising, for only $ 20” (the pornography is still attached in a pop-up window). We will not point a finger at these hosting and services; everyone wants to eat, and their administration as well. But we do not need other people's problems, right?

There is another functionality issue; You will not find it in the list of possibilities (or you will find allegations like “the best”, “most reliable”, etc.), but you will surely find in numerous, usually angry, reviews about this or that repository. This is the problem of implementing internal storage algorithms that are responsible for the reliability of the service, the speed of loading and unloading, the nature of data presentation, and so on. In particular, be prepared for the fact that reputable experts will surely call any of your photo storage services “photo-washing” (unless, of course, they don’t use it themselves): there “photos” are shamelessly tight, they are crookedly rendered, they are reduced to unacceptable sizes (you, I hope, know that the Real Photographer immediately prints all his paintings on canvas or on barite, at least twenty meters on the short side?), there they distort colors, cut in some kind of tactless "improving", and in half the cases - shamelessly steal content! And, of course, on your hosting, no self-respecting “pro” or “advanced amateur” will store anything, and the most illiterate and devoid of all kinds of photobugs hang out there forever. However, the last claim has little to do with the actual hosting, but all the rest can suddenly be objective. Before merging gigabytes (and dollars!) Into hosting, try, what is the quality of your data storage on this cloud? Does it suit you, your colleagues, family, clients? If yes - feel free to write all the above claims to the section of someone else's tastes. If not ... In short, be extremely careful and cautious, as they say in the subway during landing.

Organization is the key to success!

Why all the above considerations? It seems to be clear that it is desirable to choose the most suitable for specific tasks product, and then carefully work with it. But believe my experience here, including the sad personal one; common words about security, accuracy and efficiency will remain common words until you sit down with a pen and a notebook (or spreadsheets) at work and do not write out everything for yourself, I emphasize that every single requirement for the organization of cloud storage for your own tasks and with your own work mode. The pitiful sight of a pseudo-professional who did everything "based on purely logical considerations" and "as experience and intuition suggest," and then forced to hammer the keyboard for hours trying to get to their data while waiting for the inevitable deadline - this is a sight, believe me, is able seriously scare! Therefore, immediately do everything according to your mind.

Cloud storage must be built into your workflow. For me, for example, it looks like this: cloud - Handy Backup - RAWtherapee - GIMP or Photoshop - cataloger (Picasa, iPhoto) or again Handy Backup - again cloud. Handy Backup has a nice feature, this program by default copies everything in the original formats, so the “backup” obtained with its help, in fact, is the result of direct copying, immediately available for processing in photo editors. As a result, I usually use it to load and upload data to the clouds of all the listed species. (However, I myself actually use only four cloud services - Dropbox to share the preview or results with the customer, Google Drive or Yandex.Disk for storing creative projects and accompanying documents, as well as HBdrive for, in fact, backup as such. OneDrive and iCloud I have now used exclusively for private needs). Naturally, your workflow may look somehow different, and the services may vary; for musicians there is, for example, Noteflight. But the general meaning of the task is unchanged; the cloud should not be just “super-duper functions, many free gigabytes!”, but must fully (or closest among competitors) fit your specific set of requirements. Do it and you will not go wrong! Including, you will free your mind from the whining of advisers recommending that you "never again, never deal with this garbage dump", because there they, you see, "always keep up the colors and skinnons go to cyan." Or maybe you just need it - to skinton, but right away in cyan ?!

A good alternative to all of the above solutions are private clouds. This service is provided by both Internet service providers and, for example, NAS manufacturers. I’ll make a reservation at once that the task of raising and administering a private cloud that is visible and successfully used via the Internet does not belong to the lungs and simple. In any case, to me, a man, not the first dozen of years, hunching at a computer, this was not possible even once from those two attempts for which I did not feel sorry for wasting my time. But technology does not stand still, and the notorious “stuck and play” approach is about to reach private clouds to the full. Just ensure that your private cloud service supports data access through the browser. Otherwise, you will surely find yourself at the crucial moment somewhere in Kathmandu, in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait or even on Guadeloupe, with someone else's computer, on which, naturally, there are no service utilities for your personal cloud, and with the urgent need to immediately reach the contents of the repository, otherwise it will definitely be something bad ...

Well, in conclusion, let me give you another piece of advice based on personal experience. No matter how smart cloud service you find yourself - at least once a week, transfer all your data as a backup to a local storage device, which is physically at your complete personal disposal, for example, to a USB device or a drive connected to a local network NAS. Otherwise, you risk acquiring the most unexpected problems, if only because of such trifles as a temporary loss of access to the Internet. Believe that even among countless clouds, your personal data always deserve at least a piece of clear sky. Good luck in finding suitable repositories!