Are there ways to reduce object storage costs

Businesses that handle large volumes of data need ways to manage storage costs. Object storage is a reliable solution, particularly in cloud environments, where it’s often used to hold unstructured data such as backups, media files, and documents. However, as data volumes increase, costs can rise substantially. Strategies like Intelligent-Tiering can help control these expenses, especially for companies with dynamic data usage patterns. Here’s how it works and why it’s an effective approach.

Breaking Down Object Storage Costs

Understanding the components of object storage costs allows businesses to identify potential savings. Here are three common cost factors:

Data Retrieval Fees: Accessing data from storage incurs fees. These fees can add up quickly if data is retrieved frequently.

Storage Tiers: Most storage providers offer multiple tiers, each with different pricing based on access frequency. Misaligned tier usage can lead to unnecessary spending.

Data Transfer Costs: Moving data between storage locations or across services involves fees, particularly in multi-cloud or hybrid environments.

These costs add up over time, especially as data storage needs grow. Intelligent-Tiering helps by organizing data storage based on actual usage patterns, shifting data automatically between tiers to maximize efficiency and reduce costs.

What Is Intelligent-Tiering?

Intelligent-Tiering optimizes object storage by adjusting the storage tier based on data access frequency. This option uses built-in data analysis to determine how often each piece of data is accessed and automatically moves it to the most cost-effective tier. For example, data that is accessed often stays in high-access, higher-cost tiers, while rarely accessed data shifts to lower-cost, low-access tiers. Intelligent-Tiering allows organizations to avoid the manual work of moving data while enjoying significant cost savings.

Intelligent-Tiering is ideal for businesses with large datasets and fluctuating data access. Organizations can reduce their cloud expenses and improve storage efficiency, focusing on core operations rather than storage management.

How Intelligent-Tiering Works

Intelligent-Tiering monitors data access patterns and uses automated algorithms to assign data to appropriate tiers. Generally, there are four tiers, each serving different access needs:

Frequent Access Tier: This tier is for data accessed regularly and offers quick retrieval times. It has a higher per-GB cost to support frequent usage.

Infrequent Access Tier: This tier costs less and is suitable for data accessed occasionally.

Archive Access Tier: Designed for data that requires minimal access. While retrieval may take longer, this tier offers substantially reduced rates.

Deep Archive Tier: The lowest-cost option for data that is rarely accessed. Retrieval times are longer, but costs are minimal.

By automatically shifting data across these tiers, Intelligent-Tiering ensures cost-effectiveness without compromising access when it’s needed. This system simplifies storage management by handling these adjustments in real-time.

Benefits of Using Intelligent-Tiering

Automated Cost Management: Intelligent-Tiering automates data allocation, optimizing expenses without the need for constant monitoring.

Enhanced Storage Efficiency: By moving inactive data to lower-cost tiers, organizations can make the best use of available storage.

Reduced Operational Overhead: Automated tiering cuts down on the time and effort teams spend on data categorization, allowing them to focus on higher-value tasks.

Better for Unpredictable Access: Businesses with fluctuating data usage benefit from the flexibility that Intelligent-Tiering provides, reducing costs while ensuring data accessibility.

Use Cases for Intelligent-Tiering

Some common scenarios where Intelligent-Tiering offers value include:

Media Archives: Large multimedia files are often stored but rarely accessed. Intelligent-Tiering keeps these files accessible at lower costs.

Backup Storage: Backup data is essential but often remains untouched unless restoration is needed. Intelligent-Tiering efficiently manages backup storage, moving it to lower-cost tiers until retrieval is necessary.

Data Lakes for Analytics: Big data systems often contain huge amounts of information that may only be accessed periodically. Intelligent-Tiering adapts to these unpredictable patterns, allowing cost management without sacrificing availability.

Tips for Maximizing Savings with Intelligent-Tiering

Assess Data Needs Regularly: Reviewing storage needs helps determine which data can move to lower-cost tiers, minimizing expenses.

Optimize for Multi-Region Hosting: In multi-region or multi-cloud setups, activating Intelligent-Tiering across all regions can help avoid high data transfer costs.

Combine with Backup Services: Intelligent-Tiering works well with backup services, allowing organizations to keep essential backups in lower-cost tiers and reducing both primary and backup storage costs.

Use Analytics Tools: Monitoring data usage patterns provides insight into which datasets benefit from lower-cost tiers, maximizing savings potential.

Conclusion

Intelligent-Tiering is an effective strategy to control object storage costs by automatically shifting data to suitable storage tiers based on usage. It’s especially useful for organizations managing high volumes of data with varying access patterns. By automating tier placement, Intelligent-Tiering reduces expenses, improves efficiency, and minimizes manual management.

Organizations can gain significant savings and focus on cloud hosting and server operations without the added complexity of manually managing storage tiers. With Intelligent-Tiering, businesses get a scalable, cost-effective way to manage large datasets, ensuring better financial and operational control.