Danger in the Cloud?

Anyone who regularly reads my blog is aware that when it comes to the cloud services I am all in, for the most part. This past month I actually setup a SkyDrive account and moved my files off the server and onto SkyDrive. I decided to do this as a live “test” of how this type of file storage solution works on a day-to-day basis. Here are a couple of things to be aware of before moving to the cloud for file storage.

Local Caching
All of these cloud file storage providers such as Google, Dropbox and Microsoft cache (or store) copies your files on the local hard drive of your computer (or computers) as well as hosting them in the cloud. So let’s say you have SkyDrive (or any of these services) and all of your files have been moved to their “cloud”. Then you download the provider’s “app” on your home pc, office pc and laptop. That means that all of your files are “cached” at all three locations, plus in “the cloud”. Wow! Could be your first thought. Because of this scenario all of your files are “backed up” in several locations, plus the cloud. This is basically true. Your files are in more locations than ever before and you can feel fairly comfortable that you will have access to them regardless of what disaster may befall any of your computers. However, there is one little problem that could arise from this situation, but we will get to that shortly.

Why do these “Cloud” Storage services locally store copies of your files on your computer?
I believe that there a two basic reasons for this.

One. It is more efficient to work on a file “locally” as compared to a file which is streaming while in use. The application you are using to work on the file such as Word or Excel simply performs better when working on a file locally stored.

Two. If you do not have access to the internet you still may need to work on files. By keeping local copies of your files you are not dependent on internet access. Even cloud service providers are aware of this and until the internet is available 100% of the time, caching files locally is the only solution.

Be aware that this caching situation is only occurring on computers. Tablets and smartphones will stream these files while you are accessing and editing them. The files are not stored on most mobile devices.

Danger in the Cloud?
I would not say danger actually. I just liked the headline and hoped it would keep your attention on this article. However there is one real concern to be aware of and this is why it is important to be mindful of how the cloud storage and caching solution works. Here is what happens when you store and then edit files in the “cloud”.

So let’s say as an example you want to work on an excel file. You (1) open the file on one of your computers and begin working on the file. (2) When you are done working on the file, you “save” it and close the application. Then (3) the cloud provider’s application syncs the file in the cloud so that the file in the cloud is up to date with your latest changes. Finally (4) any other computer that you have the application installed also completes this very same synchronization. This is all being done within seconds and without your involvement. Very cool and normally this is exactly what you want. However here is the danger, and sadly this happened to me today.

This morning I was working on a large excel document using Excel 2013. When my work was completed I saved my file and noticed that immediately Excel was “not responding” and obviously crashed (dwat!). The application eventually restarted on its own. I tried to open my Excel file that I had just worked on and received the horrible message, “corrupt file – cannot open”. My thought was “oh well, at least I have SkyDrive installed on 2 other computers, my laptop and office pc”. I checked those computers and the damaged and corrupted file had already been synced at both locations as well as in the cloud. The corrupted file was all there was for me! Ok, don’t panic because I was able to repair the file but that is a story for another day.

The point here is to be aware that if a file is damaged, moved or deleted this will occur everywhere within moments, usually seconds. That’s the danger you must be aware of when storing your files in the cloud. Because of this situation it is remains necessary to continue having a good sound backup solution in place to protect your most critical data.

I remain a big supporter of cloud based services in most cases. However like anything else, no solution is 100% safe. The best way to protect yourself is through awareness of both the benefits and limitations of any solution you choose to use in your organization and at home.