Hello

I currently have a total of 50TB of data. However, when the volume reaches 150TB, I need to consider the following options:

a) Find a different hoster that can accommodate more than 150TB. Do you know any hosting sites that offer solutions for larger storage needs?

b) Explore storage services from AWS, Google, or Microsoft with reasonable pricing. Currently, we pay 260 CU for 150TB on our hosting platform. Is there a comparable solution in the cloud at a more affordable price?

c) Another option is to create a storage system using 4 ceph servers. However, the cost of such a setup increases fourfold, which may not be feasible. We have also tried glaster for a RAID0-like setup, but it was not successful due to slow performance.

d) Do you have any other suggestions or recommendations?

a) Some hosting sites that offer solutions for larger storage needs include:

- Backblaze B2: They offer scalable cloud storage with affordable pricing, including options for storing large amounts of data.

- Wasabi: They provide high-performance object storage with low-cost pricing plans, making it suitable for storing large volumes of data.

- Google Cloud Storage: Google offers various storage options, including Nearline and Coldline storage tiers, which can be cost-effective for larger storage needs.

b) AWS, Google, and Microsoft all offer cloud storage services with competitive pricing. You can explore options such as AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage, or Azure Blob Storage to find a comparable solution at a more affordable price. Each provider offers different pricing models and tiers, so it would be worth comparing them based on your specific storage requirements.

c) If creating a storage system using Ceph servers is cost-prohibitive, you may consider exploring other distributed storage systems like GlusterFS or Lustre. These systems provide scalable and high-performance storage capabilities, but their suitability depends on your specific use case and requirements. Alternatively, you could also consider a hybrid approach by combining cloud storage and on-premises storage to optimize costs and performance.

d) In addition to the above suggestions, you could also consider data compression or deduplication techniques to reduce the overall volume of your data. This might help in optimizing storage costs and potentially delay the need for additional storage solutions. Additionally, periodically reassessing your data storage needs and evaluating new technologies or services in the market may provide more options and potential cost savings.

suggestions and recommendations for your consideration:

1) Data Archiving: If some of your data is not actively accessed or modified, you can consider moving it to an archival storage solution. This can help reduce costs as archival storage typically has lower pricing compared to standard storage options. Services like AWS Glacier, Google Cloud Archive Storage, and Azure Archive Storage offer long-term, cost-effective archival solutions.

2) Data Deduplication and Compression: Implementing data deduplication and compression techniques can help reduce the overall storage size. Deduplication eliminates redundant data, while compression reduces the size of files to optimize storage usage. Many storage solutions, including cloud providers, offer built-in deduplication and compression features.

3) Object Storage Tiers: Some cloud providers offer different storage tiers with varying performance and pricing levels. For example, AWS offers S3 Standard, S3 Intelligent-Tiering, and S3 One Zone-Infrequent Access (IA), where each tier has different pricing structures. Analyze your data access patterns and choose the most cost-efficient storage tier for each data type.

4) Data Lifecycle Management: Develop a data lifecycle management strategy to determine when data should be archived, deleted, or moved to lower-cost storage. By automating this process based on predefined policies, you can optimize storage costs and ensure data is stored at the appropriate level of accessibility.

AWS S3 Glacier has already been mentioned. In order to determine the cost, you must estimate the frequency and urgency of data restoration.
The storage cost is minimal, at $0.4 per month per TB, and data downloads are free.
However, the retrieval process incurs a fee ranging from $0.0025 (for 5-12 hours) to $0.03 per GB, in addition to API calls.
Visit https://aws.amazon.com/glacier/pricing/ for more information on pricing.
Ultimately, it is up to you to calculate the expenses.
If you only need to save for future use, it may be straightforward. However, if you have to restore a couple of terabytes every month, it becomes a different matter.

Amazon Glacier, the most cost-effective option among cloud backups, offers a price tag of 260 CU for 150TB, but beware – at this price, redundancy is not included. It is worth calculating on your own if this meets your needs.

Cloud storage without redundancy is simply not viable. The importance of backups and the specific requirements for what you are backing up play a significant role in the decision-making process.

In my experience, I often combine a regular file storage scheme without redundancy with additional Glacier storage. While retrieving data from Glacier can be time-consuming and expensive, it provides a higher level of reliability. Moreover, if you require quick access to data, having local storage is a practical solution.

I'd suggest going against the grain and abandoning traditional storage solutions altogether. With the rise of decentralized storage networks and blockchain-based solutions, it's possible to store data in a more decentralized and secure manner. For example, you could use a decentralized storage network like InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) or decentralized cloud storage solutions like Storj or MaidSafe.
This approach may require more experimentation and risk-taking, but it could potentially provide a more secure and resilient storage solution.

When handling large data volumes, choosing the right cloud storage solution is crucial for performance, scalability, and cost-efficiency. Options like object storage and scalable block storage are ideal as they offer flexible capacity and easy access. Additionally, considering factors like data redundancy, security, and integration with your existing infrastructure will optimize your storage strategy.